next »

[mountain_ivy]

Ugh...has to be done.  Does anyone have experience with the "new" sandless method?  Suggestions on pitfalls????

[expatinuk]

Get a professional... it's a nasty job and it's best left to those who KNOW how to do it. Cheaper in the long run (speaking from experience here!)

[pocketlint]

expat is right, if you hadn't opened with "Ugh..." I'd say try it - I mean think of the feeling of walking on your newly finished floors!  But i like that type of work, good craftsmanship is a personal goal for me most days.
Your lack of enthusiasm tells me you need to pay someone who does that for a living.

[spork]

Beware of people who come in and quickly say "this needs a complete refinish, which will cost $$$."  Every refinishing shortens the life of the floor because it sands off some of the wood.  Most floors, unless they are heavily gouged, look new and shiny after what's called a screen and coat, which involves removing the polyurethane finish (the screen) and laying down a new finish (the coat).

If you hire out, get at least 3 quotes.  The shoe molding (what runs along the wall where it meets the floor) should be replaced when the floor is redone, so be sure to ask whether the quote includes replacing it.

Remove all drapes and curtains before any sanding or spreading of polyurethane.

[kissmytiara]

How old are the floors? How beat up are they? Are you looking into a sandless method because they are too thin to sand again?

I own a fixer upper that had carpet laid down over some very good and some god-awful hardwood, so I've been there, done that with hardwood, but I can't really give advice without knowing the condition of the floor.

Or, you can just do what everyone else said, and have somebody else do it.

I agree, however, "ugh." Even the most motivated do-it-yourselfer learns that refinishing  hardwood is a hard, ugly, intrusive job. I take a lot of pride in my floors, but... well, ugh.

[mountain_ivy]

Ugh indicates I've heard it's a messy job, especially when moving furniture is involved.  I'm definitely hiring it done.  House is 50+ years old and I'm not sure that floors have ever been redone.  It's pretty much down to bare wood at several doorways and scratches, stains  in other spots. Floors haven't been abused, particularly, just well-used and not well-maintained.   Space is living/dining/2 bedrooms/hallway. I'm assuming that floors need sanding but I don't know what I'm talking about, which is why I turn to CHEites.

[bigsky]

We are having ours done and have been told to use someone with a dustless sander. Apparently it makes a HUGE difference in the amount of dust in the house.

[americanist]

Ugh indicates I've heard it's a messy job, especially when moving furniture is involved.  I'm definitely hiring it done.  House is 50+ years old and I'm not sure that floors have ever been redone.  It's pretty much down to bare wood at several doorways and scratches, stains  in other spots. Floors haven't been abused, particularly, just well-used and not well-maintained.   Space is living/dining/2 bedrooms/hallway. I'm assuming that floors need sanding but I don't know what I'm talking about, which is why I turn to CHEites.

You're living in my house!

Please post updates on how this goes, as I'm taking on this same project in a few months. My floors are probably in slightly worse shape than yours (I've gotten a splinter or two), but they have the potential to be gorgeous, I just know.

[drapple]

A few questions:


What kind of wood? usually Red Oak, but I've refinished fir and maple too.
How thick? Been finished more than once
Tongue and groove?
Pegged?
Loose/squeaky planks? any need replaced?
Gouges that need filled?
Are you comfortable with complete disruption in floor traffic for a week or two?
Do you mind breathing fumes-the water based stuff just doesn't cut, In MHO.
What kind of finish? traditional Swedish or Polyurethane?
Most important: How many Hair-shedding animals are in residence?
Once you get going, its kind of rewarding to see instant results from your efforts--unlike my day profession!

[mountain_ivy]

drapple:
oak
don't know
no
no
no
no
yes
difference between swedish/poly?? sounds sexy.
3 hairshedding animals

Have 3 companies lined up for estimates next week.  Will keep you up to date,americanist.

[bigsky]

Just had an estimate and found out our floors have never been finished, under carpeting for 40 years. They are oak and in very good shape except they need to be filled, sanded and finished. The estimate would have been the same regardless, $600. He also advised spending at least one night away after sealing the floor to avoid the fumes.

[_touchedbyanoodle_]

$600 to not have to do that for yourself?!? Take a vacation and tack it onto the total you want to spend.

Never tell my husband that you can get your floors done that cheaply. He might leave me.

[mountain_ivy]

bigsky--How many square feet?

[drapple]

ab1997by:  Sounds relatively simple; I did mine in similar condition for $200 (approximately 500 square feet) this included renting a pad sander and associated consumables(drum sander is too dangerous for amateurs--the gouging potential is astounding and you cant do the corners or close to the wall), borrowing my neighbor's belt sander, covering access to the rest of the house with plastic/duct tape, grinding off the floor, spreading filler(easy), solvent wash(need open windows and fans), application of water-based finish(used minwax polycrylic with an extra long handled applicator) left the house for 4 days, and voila!  I also banished all critters from house entry for about 3 days during the critical finishing process.  

Swedish finish is lind of like working in an auto-body repair shop: Swedish finish is an alcohol-based acid-curing conversion varnish. It's standard for durability before more space-age products came along. You can achieve excellent results with Swedish finish. Because Swedish finish contains many solvents, it is highly volatile and toxic, and requires special precautions, such as planning to be off the premises for at least a day or two after the final coat is applied, as well as removing pets and plants from the work area for the same duration.  Appliances with pilot lights need to be turned off or disconnected prior to the commencement of work.  Light foot traffic may resume and furniture may be replaced after 24 to 48 hours, but the finish is not fully cured for up to 60 days, and therefore area rugs should not be put back on the floor for as long as is tolerable (if areas are covered before the end of this curing period, the covered areas will cure more slowly, and could result in more pronounced color differences between exposed and covered areas). Swedish finish is a two-coat procedure. The primary disadvantage of the Swedish finish is the powerful and unpleasant odor.  Sensitivity to the solvents in the finish varies greatly from individual to individual, and sometimes there's  a lingering odor for as long as a week after the final coat is applied. If you do this in the summer, the house can be aired out soon after the final coat is dry, and then move back in the next day.

Results are fabulous though, and its waxless and more durable than any of the water based stuff--get quotes for both types of finish and ask for references.
 
One of the reasons I'm an academic now is I am able to recognize the difference between acute and chronic exposure to vaporous toxins.

[bigsky]

bigsky--How many square feet?

Just about 300 sq ft. Actually, we were told that we could do double that much space for the same price because he was charging by the number of days and it would have taken to complete the work.