Re-Finishing Hardwood Floors

[81xsproject]

Well, my wife and I are just about to close escrow on out new (first) home. The new place has oak floors throughout. They aren't in terrible shape; some light scratches, general dullness, etc.. We want to redo them before we move in. My Dad is coming over to help me do the work. We have been talking about it and we are considering only renting the edger and finishing sanders, and leaving out the drum sander. Is this doable or do we NEED the drum sander. Like I said the floor aren't that bad and if they aren't like a perfect sheet of glass when it's all said and done, that is okay with us.

I also need to decide what type of clear to put down once we're done. We would like to use whatever will be the most durable considering we have kids, pets, and a wood stove (dirty).

Any advice would be appreciated.

thanXS

[barberad]

I had a few days before I moved into my house in late 2006. I fell for the easy do it yourself brochure at Lowes. If the floors aren't too bad and you have the time, I say do it. I did a living room, dining room and hallway. Make sure you fill in any carpet tack holes. They will stand out quite a bit. Also, the Poly clear cote is way more durable than the water based clear cote. I recommend you use respirator for the clear cote. I had a hangover for like three days after that. Another thing, the more cotes of clear you do the better. Just make sure the wife and kids are not around, the fumes will make the place unlivable for about 5 days.
Good luck,
Dan

[fredintoon]

Congrats on your new home!

Hi Jessie,
do it right or do it over. Would you repaint your gas tank without first taking it down to bare metal? You know what you have to do, man; rent the drum sander and get those floors down to bare wood. Who knows what was there before and how compatible it will be with whatever you are going to be putting on there? And now is the time to do it, with the house empty and before the furniture is moved in. Get professional advice on what is the toughest and longest lasting finish you can buy. Paying two or even three times the price for the best finish is a bargain compared to using the cheap stuff and having to re-varnish just a few years down the road instead of using the best and re-varnishing in a few decades. Usual sincere safety warning about using a good quality breathing mask to keep varnish-soaked sanding dust and aromatic solvent vapours out of your and dad's lungs.

[madmax-im]

My '70's house

A few yrs back me and my brother refinished the hardwood floors in our house...we went the easy route and as a result they'll need to be redone.We didnt use a poly-urethane finsh coat but something cheaper...it did not hold up to all the traffic and such...next time around we wont be cutting any corners(so to say)and we'll use a poly-urethane sealant...several coats
Since this used to be our parents home and now its ours...we have been going thru room by room in restoration...luckily most all of the work has been done by us or good friends.The last thing you wanna do is overspend or spend unwisely..you want to get it all back when its sold.Using a real chemical mask with filters on it is the way to go...anything less is asking for trouble further down the road.

[oseaghdha]

Get an orbital sander if you don't need to remove a lot of material.
They are big with handles like the drum type.

Use poly urethane two coats minimum. We used satin finish, hides flaws better.

Clean clean clean before applying the finish, sand lightly between coats.

[latexeses]

If you can find it try to get a commercial gym finish. I used to work for a Parks & Rec. and had a chance to talk to a bunch of pros. They were refinishing basketball courts for us. We actually had a floor that the city bought from, I believe, the University of Cincinnati. The pros' recomended an "actual" gym finish.
We used the rotary floor buffer with an 80 grit to strip the old finish but I dont remember the finish grit. Probably 120 or 140. We couldn't see any swirl marks from the finish sand and they didn't show up when we put down the finish.
Put the finish down with a wool mop (looks like a wool covered window squeegee). Use a stainless drywall pan to dip the mop into to soak it with the finish. Start in the back and work to the front. Don't laugh. It happens more than you think. OPEN THE WINDOWS.
We have had the finish down on our oak floors for 25 years and it is still doing the job. Be sure you are putting down an oil based finish. If it's legal where you are to use such stuff.
Good luck.

[81xsproject]

When I say 'finish' sander, I was referring to the big floor buffer looking one. I was certainly planning on going all the way down to bare wood and then some. It's just that the drum can take off a 1/4 inch of material in NO TIME. It just seems a little bit overkill. We used one after installing the oak floors at my folks house. I can see using it after an install because you need to create an even surface between all the new boards, but this floor isn't bad.

I am glad to hear about the polyurethane. My Dad has been pushing the water-based stuff on my telling me how they have come along ways.

[Flatlander]

They may have come a long way with water base, BUT they are not as good. IMO
My parents, brother (installer) and I have hard wood throughout our homes. We have tried both and I would not use water base again.

I have used the a sealer/wax that they apply to gym floors. It's self leveling and worked great to apply over an existing floor. If your floor is in pretty good shape, this may be a good route to take. I can't remember what it's called though.

Best wishes and good luck.

[CatatonicBug]

When my parents divorced, I was in Jr. High. My mom decided that we needed to change the house around, so we ripped up the 20-yr-old carpet and re-did the hardwood underneath all by ourselves. We rented BOTH the drum and orbital sanders, along wih using a 6" belt sander and a 1/3 sheet standard sander that we already had. We did the WHOLE HOUSE this way. We then used poly varnish (the kind used on skating rink floors) and applied it with a kit that looked like a soft, fuzzy rectangle on a pole. It was a plastic applicator with white fuzzy stuff (1/4" long) on the surface. It would be dipped in the tray, and "painted" onto the floor. The finish that we applied required absolutely no maintenance and actually outlasted the wood underneath. The termites ended up eating the wood from under the house...

I would think that if you want to spend the time using the orbital sander, the drum one would not be necessary, but you will need to spend a bit more time on it that way. Be sure not to skimp around the edges, or it will show when you're done. The varnish does stink, and it takes forever for the smell to go away completely. Be sure to keep the windows open, but with the winter temps, it may take even longer for it to dry that way.

Take your time, and you'll enjoy the result for decades.

[fredintoon]

When I say 'finish' sander, I was referring to the big floor buffer looking one. I was certainly planning on going all the way down to bare wood and then some. It's just that the drum can take off a 1/4 inch of material in NO TIME. It just seems a little bit overkill. We used one after installing the oak floors at my folks house. I can see using it after an install because you need to create an even surface between all the new boards, but this floor isn't bad.
I am glad to hear about the polyurethane. My Dad has been pushing the water-based stuff on my telling me how they have come along ways.

Hi Jessie,
I rented a drum sander to re-finish my rear deck and yeah, they are kinda fierce. Let it run in one place and see a drum diameter radius in the floor for sure. I'd assumed your "finish sander" was a 1/4-sheet vibrator and that'd take forever. OTOH would the floor buffer style finishing sander leave swirly sanding marks that'd show once the finish was applied? Years ago I totally screwed up a wooden sailboat deck with a rotary sanding disc and I've been suspicious of disc style sanders ever since. Can you rent a big belt sander on a stick?

[latexeses]

When my wife and I took on our oak floors they were pretty much a mess and we were told we needed to use a drum sander. We had nothing but trouble with the rental not wanting to hold the paper tight enough. Put little ripples on the wood. Gave that mess of a machine up and went to the heavy open meshed screen sanding sheets for the buffer and cleaned it right up. Then switch to the fine grit screen pads. That is exactly what we used and what the finishers used on my neighbors' remod on their floors. You will still have the edges to do but that can be done with a decent belt sander or a heavy duty vibrating sander and coarse paper. If you get comfortable enough you can get close to the edges with the big buffer and sanding pads but even the floor guys used the pad sanders around the edges.

[trbig]

"You will still have the edges to do but that can be done with a decent belt sander or a heavy duty vibrating sander and coarse paper."

I thought that's what base trim was for?? lol. Cover the paint that you didn't quite get to the floor, and the floor you didn't quite get to the pain! lol.


Tod

[latexeses]

Man, I never thought of it like that. I think I would have had to use crown molding for baseboards!

[Special Ed]

I have been doing wood floors for 30 years (I'm a licensed contractor,) and have writen a booklet on finishing. Sorry I didn't catch this thread sooner, but I've been busy. I was recruited to play a wax figure in a stage production of a Twilight Zone episode.
I'm off to the theater now, but when I get back I'll see if I can find the booklet on my computer and send it to you.
Special Ed

[madmax-im]

I have been doing wood floors for 30 years (I'm a licensed contractor,) and have writen a booklet on finishing. Sorry I didn't catch this thread sooner, but I've been busy. I was recruited to play a wax figure in a stage production of a Twilight Zone episode.
I'm off to the theater now, but when I get back I'll see if I can find the booklet on my computer and send it to you.
Special Ed

I'd be interested tooI have to do the hardwood floors in my living and dining rooms.Thanks