Hard wood floors

[slipknot]

my house was built in 1965 the floors were carpeted up till around 9x+ over the years they have became staind scratched. what's the best way to go about smoonthing them down and sealing and shining them?

 

[what have i done]

If they arent too bad, rent an orbital sander and give them a good sanding, recoat with 3 coats of oil-based. The orbital sanders they rent at Lowes/Menards are so easy a caveman could operate them. However they are slow going. I wouldnt recomend using 36 grit either..sure it speeds up the sanding, but the swirls and scratches the 36 grit put in are a Biotch to get out.

If the floors are in rough shape the only other alternative is to rent or have some body use a drum sander. They are not bad to operate but a lot of damage can be done with them + more work is needed around the walls with an edger, if you go the drum sander route.

Post up some pictures!

 

[slipknot]

i'll get pics when later on today

 

[slipknot]

you can see the dogs toys to and my brand new engine parts

 

[what have i done]

with the dark spots in the 1st picture- a drum sanding will probably be needed. Wood floors are so nice though.. well worth some effort to restore them rather than cover them up with carpet.

 

[slipknot]

every room except for the master bedroom and kitchen are in need of being sanded down and polished

 

[what have i done]

It gets pricey. I just do it on the side for $1.50/sq ft. People in the business with expenses and stuff charge $2.00- $2.50/sq ft for refinishing with 3 coats of Poly.

 

[thrifty bill]

It gets pricey. I just do it on the side for $1.50/sq ft. People in the business with expenses and stuff charge $2.00- $2.50/sq ft for refinishing with 3 coats of Poly.

If you can afford it, I would hire a professional. I enjoy doing most work around the house, but there is a real skill to refinishing floors, and I gladly pay the pros. The last job I had cost $2 per sq ft, and included some repairs (and that was before real estate crashed). With the economy like it is now, I wouldn't be surprised if you got a lower price than that.

 

[PecosBill]

I'd definitely recommend a pro. It's pretty easy to get chatter marks when trying to do it yourself. I've seen some beautifully restored floors, with finishes as smooth as glass. I've also seen floors like that, that pros have distressed. Those turn out pretty cool as well.

 

[Kevin54]

If you can afford it, I would hire a professional. I enjoy doing most work around the house, but there is a real skill to refinishing floors, and I gladly pay the pros. The last job I had cost $2 per sq ft, and included some repairs (and that was before real estate crashed). With the economy like it is now, I wouldn't be surprised if you got a lower price than that.

I'd definitely recommend a pro. It's pretty easy to get chatter marks when trying to do it yourself. I've seen some beautifully restored floors, with finishes as smooth as glass. I've also seen floors like that, that pros have distressed. Those turn out pretty cool as well.

Ditto on the pro. They can be in and out in no time. If you have never done it before, you can easily gouge the **** out of the floor. I think when we had ours done a few years ago, the finishing company that did it was charging $1.00/sq.ft. at the time. No doubt it has went up, but it doesn't cost anything to call around for prices.