Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - question on refinishing a top-nailed floor

Hi,

I'm planning on refinishing the floors in a home I just purchased that has top-nailed hardwood floors. I realize that I will need to countersink the nails to a point where they will remain submerged after sanding.

Will I have to fill the holes? They arent currently filled, but I'm wondering if I will have problems getting the new poly to stick onto whatever finish remains inside the holes.

Also I've read a few places that the finish should be applied the same day as the final sanding to prevent moisture absorption and raising of the grain. Unfortunately I have to do 7 rooms and was hoping to completely finish the sanding prior to finishing to prevent dust getting onto freshly refinshed floors. Any suggestions?

Ryan

Each nail is set by hand prior to the application of filler, in order to ensure that each nail hole will accept filler. Once the filler is dry, the floor is sanded again with a finer sand paper to remove any excess filler and smooth out rough sanding marks. Next, a very fine sand paper is used for the final sanding pass, to remove any sanding marks left by previous passes. The floor is then screened, a process similar to sanding, but using a milder abrasive screen instead of sand paper. Then, vacuum floor and apply first coat of finish. Additional coats are applied with screening between coats.

Go to www.nofma.org for finishing information in the National Oak Flooring Manufacturer's Association technical manual.