Tips: Finishing Wood Floors For a superior finish: After your fine sanding passes are finished, vacuum floor and go over surface with a tack cloth.  Before applying any stain (if desired), use a scrap piece of the same flooring sanded with the same grit sandpaper to test stain shade and strength before applying to your new floor.  When satisfied, apply stain as per manufacturer's recommendations.  Allow to dry.  Next (and this is the key to a spectacular finish) apply a good quality clear sanding sealer, again as per manufacturer's recommendations.  When dry (which happens very quickly- it is a methanol thinned product) go over the entire floor gently with 220 grit sand paper (sanding sealer goes on as a very thin film; you don't want to sand through it).  Use tack cloth to remove dust and grit.  Now you can apply either a waterbased or oil based urethane (I prefer oil based when looking for a rich, darkening with age amber effect; waterbased when I want to limit color shift.  I always thin the first coat of urethane 4 part urethane to 1 part thinner so it can really find its way into the floor surface.  Then I apply three more coats, sanding lightly and tack clothing between each coat.  The extra time and care are well worth the effort. Finishing Wood Floors Winter Projects That Make Everyone Happy The Winter months are a great time to do some home improvement projects.  Think "indoors and out of the way".  Consider turning your basement into usable living space.  Basements can become playrooms, alternate TV or Home Theatre rooms, Office space, Libraries, Sewing rooms or a Hobbyist's Workshop...you name it,  the possibilities are almost endless.  In basement projects the work area tends to be more isolated and less disruptive to your daily routines AND, (more importantly), these projects keep your contractor warm and dry when it's cold and nasty outside.  Spring and Summer Projects This is when adding that deck and creating outdoor living space can change everything.  Give yourself a reason to stay home!                                               OR A family room addition may be just the thing...the vacation that's always available...a place to take a break, relax, be entertained or play...                                              OR You may just want to take care of those things you find yourself wishing you had done when it's wintertime again... like replacing those drafty windows and doors or dealing with conditions that lead to backfreezing and water damage.