Either way, your efforts will pay off. A hardwood staircase, like hardwood flooring, adds character, beauty, and resale value to any home.

If your wood stairs need a facelift, start by checking for any needed repairs. Loose or rubbing parts often cause squeaks, a common problem. Stop the squeak by nailing or screwing down a part that has separated or by inserting a wedge underneath it.

Refinishing requires special equipment and a lot of patience. Kingdom Floors of Boca Raton typically get most of the job done in a day. If you decide to do it .

We have to run the sander over the steps. For rough or painted boards, we start with 40-grit sandpaper, and then proceed with 60-grit and finally 100-grit.

Start with 36-grit paper for varnished floors.

Next, we use a hand scraper on the spots the sander missed and, if desired, hand sand with fine paper to remove small scratches.

Vacuum to remove the dust.

Stain with a clear finish or one custom-blended to match your floors.

For a final protective glaze, top that with three coats of polyurethane, which is available with a water or oil base.

Each coat of oil-based polyurethane must dry overnight. Water-based sealers usually dry within a couple of hours.