Refinishing hardwood floors

[Huskinhano]

Hopefully I'll be getting started within the next couple of weeks on the repairs to my house after the fire we had. The settlement money is going to be a little tight and I'm looking to make some slight upgrades during the repairs. To make money go a little further to install granite counter tops and maybe re-do my batheroom while the house is empty. I'm an electrician, so those repairs are set, I've installed new Anderson casement windows, new exterior doors, new trim and crown moulding a few years ago, done all the sheetrock repair with the windows and doors. I plan on doing some of the other repair work myself as well and I'm thinking of tackling the refinishing of the floors myself since they need do re done after the fire. How hard is it? TIA.

[KeithTurk]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

it's actually fairly easy... not cheap... and honestly it's a borderline job for a novice... it's one of the few places you can do more harm then good...

My advice is to rent the sander and grab a few of the finer belts to get started... the course belts work great but they will gouge and hurt stuff... REALLY quick ... so be care full... it's not like bondo... you really can't put it back...

Have a hand belt sander and a couple of Palm sanders and your in business... I've got air around here so I actually use my air tools.. and they are Perfect for these type job's... ( still need the drum sander )

The finish part is fairly easy if you follow directions...

Keith

[JeffMcKC]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

Kieth, is right, keep it level and keep it moving. Start fine for the practice, and if they are not bad this is all that will be needed.

[dieselgeek]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

Agreed, it's not really that hard of a job. I'm fairly novice at home repairs, but I've done wood floor refinishing. Start off in a bedroom or somewhere that, if you gouge the floor too much, you can hide it under a bed or carpet. Save the most visible areas for last.

Sounds dumb, but check out the books at home depot or lowes or whatever home center near you, even if you don't buy them it's worth standing there 5 minutes and reading a few pages about the process. Rent the drum sander, but I find a cheapie electric palm sander, which you can find for like $20, works best for the edges.

Take time on the cleanup and don't rush the staining / coating process. It'll turn out great!!

-scott

[KeithTurk]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

ain't we all Joe Handy man eh?.... LOL to damn funny... but when you do things mechanical... other stuff with your hands always seems really easy...

I could do a whole thread on home repairs and the business of home repairs... or I could just say that it's a heck of a lot easier to make money doing a house then it is a freaking car... ten times as fast and who knows how many times more rewarding...

Nothing other then a car has the same satisfaction...but honestly a house comes in a Very close second...

Keith ( ever tried to drive your house to the local cruise in? )... (wait... I live in Alabama... disreguard all after hello... ) ( we burned down the govenors mansion last week...burned it slap to the axles... got the State library too and he wasn't done coloring in those last two books )...

[Huskinhano]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

Thanks guys for the sanding tips...what about the finish? From what I've seen you basically squeegie it out and let it dry. Thanks.


BTW, what's up with the spell check, not working.

[JeffMcKC]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

Turn off your furnace it will blow all the dust into your finish if you are using poly. I prefer stain and wax but its a lot of work after but nothing looks nicer to me.

Hey Kieth, I even built my own house once, every thing but the foundation, 9 months every night after work.

I rebuilt the one I am in now. I love that stuff more than cars.

[KeithTurk]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

It amazes me...

Tonya and I do fixer uppers... we don't sell them as much as keep them to rent... done some very nice stuff... and it stays that way because we get to pick the renters and they are in management... so I don't have to fix stuff at night and I can go away without worry... ( ya just gotta plan for it up front.. )

[pamopar]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

if your floors finish just needs redone, that the wood is not gouged alot you can rent a large orbital pad sander at Lowes, it is almost impossible to screw up using one of these, they are not as fast as the belt sander but you can get up almost against a wall with these and you can get 16 grit to screen pads for these. On the floors in my house I used a acrilyic finish which is about 10 years old & has held up very well, was very easy to apply & made very little odor

[HoosierGTA]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

I re-did our dinning room . It really wasm't to bad .I used the wrong polyurathane it took a week to dry!The dinning room separates the kitchen from the rest of the house ,so we had to go outside an around the house and enter from the back door.

[henny496]

Re: Refinishing hardwood floors

The drum sanders can really wreck stuff in a hurry. I used a big orbital and it is fairly safe
I did my upstairs and it has small rooms. I stained it myself and used a rag to rub it in with, then varathaned