Staining over varnished floorboards

[mazdaq]

We've got varnished pine floorboards in our lounge. They're in fairly good condition but I was thinking of staining them a darker colour, maybe walnut or rosewood.

Can I just apply the stain over the varnish or do I need to sand it first. If sanding is the way to go, would a light sand with a belt sander do the job or would I need to hire a floor sander and sand it right back to bare wood?

 

[WoodYouLike]

If you want to change the colour of your wood floor that has a varnish on it already there is no other way than to sand it completely bare with a proper sanding machine and varnish a new.
Any other way will result in tears.

 

[mazdaq]

I was afraid you would say that!

But I guess I knew really that a full sand would be necessary. Thanks for your help.