Refinishing my floors
I'm on vacation for the next week and a half. Tori and I are going to pull the carpet in the dining room and refinish the oak floors underneath. I have a pretty good understanding of the process. Anyone have any tricks or tips? I've heard to only use a belt sander with a fine grit and sand with the grain. There are places that rent the orbiting floor sanders for this specific purpose. Which method is the best?
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Hire the pro! 0 -
quote:Originally posted by select-fire
quote:Originally posted by gagirl
I see houses all the time where people said the could do it themself. HIRE SOMEONE!
edit: I am replaceing all the wood flooring in my house because the previous owner. He was a BRILLIANT man who could do anything. Anything except wood floors! It is costing me over $15,000. YES 15k for replaceing the flooring!
See there cubslovers how many guns you will buy. You can do the job like I did with a belt sander and orbital sander. No need to rent a big drum sander. Just get on the floor and start sanding. Cost, Belt sander $150, orbital sander $50. Sandpaper $100 Polyurathane to do 1000 sf. 2000 two applications . 300 sf per gallon. 7 gallons needed= $200. Total cost $500 bucks plus the tackcloth and your time...
Select... you need to read my post again. It is costing me 15k because someone thought they could do it themself. So if he had hired someone, or left it alone and let us hire someone it would have only cost a few thousand to refinish. so I am out over 10k (at least) because someone tried to refinish these oak floors that are over 80 years old. So not only am I out the money but I am loseing the original floors too.0 -
Looks like I'll do them myself. 0 -
If you don't already have one, borrow or buy a Mouse Sander to do the corners. Otherwise you have to do them by hand. Good luck. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cubslovers
Looks like I'll do them myself.
You've been warned, proceed with caution. Good luck!0 -
Just helped my GF with her floors. Used a belt sander. She liked the "rustic" look on her oak so she didn't worry about how far down the sanding went....and didn't worry about filling any but the largest cracks.
That being said....you CAN do it. You must be carefull and you can really mess it up. My advice is to sand with 80 and 100 grit, then fill every friggin crack and nail hole, then another time with 100 grit and at least twice with 120. When it looks smooth....one more time!!! Remember that ALL of the color should come out if you want it baby butt smooth.
Also..you need to sand in 3 directions with each grit. An X patern across the wood and then parallel to the wood. This advice came from a friend who builds roller rinks so....
It is VERY labor intensive...and messy...if your time isn't worth much to you and you have patience....you can save a buttload of cash...but problems are yours to deal with.
Oh..cover ALL windows with plastic and seal all doorways and floorvents with double plastic!! Dust goes everywhere!!!
Good luck!!0 -
quote:Originally posted by Cooch
Just helped my GF with her floors. Used a belt sander. She liked the "rustic" look on her oak so she didn't worry about how far down the sanding went....and didn't worry about filling any but the largest cracks.
Also..you need to sand in 3 directions with each grit. An X patern across the wood and then parallel to the wood. This advice came from a friend who builds roller rinks so....
Oh..cover ALL windows with plastic and seal all doorways and floorvents with double plastic!! Dust goes everywhere!!!
Good luck!!
With the drum sander...ALWAYS go with the grain. Otherwise Rustic is what you'll get. Any woodworker knows this. The plastic advise is right on.0 -
I recently refinished a floor for my aunt,my first. The walls and ceiling had been painted prior to carpeting years ago without drop cloths (witch is common when carpet is going down).Rented the vibrating sander with an assortment of grit paper, approximatly 14" X 18" sheets. It's hard to screw up with this type sander although it takes a little longer than the drum if you have heavy cuts to make. My aunt (70 something) ran the sander while I did the edges.We used thewater base poly in satin to cover.Looks pro to us. You can do it.Jim 0
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