# refinishing maple hardwood



## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Just bought a new house and will hoefully close in a couple of weeks. I had a question about wood floor refinishing. the home has hardwood floors underneath carpet and linoleum. It appears to be maple flooring. The carpet was crap and the linoleum was old school. I’m not sure what the condition is of the floor until the carpet gets removed. If it looks serviceable I’ll refinish it. I've seen the Verathane orbital sanders at Lowes that you can rent. Are these good for stripping old floors or are they primarily used for new floor application? Those drum sanders are supposed to be good for removing old finish but I’ve heard they can be a handful and really tear the crap out of your floor if you don't know what you are doing.

Secondly, I've heard that Verathane is better than Minwax Poly. I have concerns about my pregnant wife being anywhere near poly finishes. I thought that if I tackled this project I'd do it as soon as I closed on the home before we move in. I also need to do some painting. How long would it take before it's safe for her to spend time in the house?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

you cannot determine which sander you need until you see the condition of the floor. Poly for floors is different then poly for furniture. You can use water bourne poly. More DIY and safer for wife and the environment. Color will be much lighter which will be better if you do have maple flooring. Cure time is only 24 hours to not notice the fumes. No issue with the water based.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

New house or old house new to you?

If you can afford it, hire someone who knows hardwood floors to do this. It is not beyond the DIYer but I work on antique homes (1800s to 1920s or so mostly) and the folks I work with to refinish wood floors know all the tricks for blending stains, making color corrections, easing in repairs, and so forth. And, by the time you rent the equipment, and buy all the sandpapers and finishing materials retail you will not have saved any or much money. 

Floor sanders are not for the faint of heart---literally. They are heavy beasts and awkward. Especially the drum ones will gouge a hole in the floor you are trying to restore while you wait that two seconds from the time it takes to flip the switch to getting a feel for the machine. The orbital ones, I suppose, are safer for the DIYer. My contractors think they are worthless but maybe for getting the surface defects out of a floor. 

Before you get carried away, you might want to pull up a threshold or something to see how thick the wood is if you cannot tell from your explorations so far? You may not be able to sand much surface away in the first place if there is nothing substantial there. A lot of 50s 60s flooring went down really thin like 1/2 (or less in the hideous California home I bought once) for the look and I guess the idea it would soon be covered with linoleum and then carpeting. If it is that thin, you may want to just save all the chemicals and pull it up with everything else? You will hit the nails used to put it in place instantly if you try to sand down into it. It will be too thin to hold up to anything when you are done.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Thanks for the info. so the water based sealers don't smell that bad? I was looking at the verathane website and they had a water based wood floor finish that said it had aluminum oxide in it to make the floor more durable. Anyone tried it? Water based polys stay clear while oil based polys yellow over time?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

yes they have no smell, dry very fast and do not yellow as much as the oil poly.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Water based floor finishes are the future unless you have remnants of oil-based products still stuck underneath them. Then, in my opinion, you are creating a nightmare with them hoping they will adhere to or in any other way get along with or contain whatever you left underneath. 

They are lovely to work with as they dry and can be re-coated quickly. Acrylics do not yellow, in theory.


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

Speedster,

I just refinished my floors -- you can read more about it here:

http://www.diychatroom.com/f2/my-hardwood-floor-refinishing-project-56329/

You definitely don't want the oil based if you're worried about the smell -- oh boy!!

Personally, I am very pleased with my results and am glad I didn't hire it out. A couple friends recently had their wood floors done by the professionals and doesn't look as good as my floor does. 

Good luck to you!:thumbsup:


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## stubborn1 (Oct 24, 2008)

I just refinished my 1920s hardwood maple floors and can give a few tips since I had to learn the hard way.

1. Sander - it all depends on the size of the area and how much floor you need to remove. I started with the random orbital, but it wasn't taking off enough wood for the condition of my floor. I took it back, hit a real rental store and rented a drum sander. The drum sander with 20 grit takes off material FAST. Always keep moving. I thought I was moving quick enough when I set the sander down, but after staining I found gouges. Also, I didn't spend enough time with the finer grits of paper to take out all the grooves from the 20 grit. Don't rush the medium and fine sanding.

2. Stain - Use plenty of clean rags. Move all the way down the direction of the grain and try to avoid lap marks if possible.

3. Poly - I went oil base because I read it had a higher durability. The smell is strong, but I was lucky enough to do it when I could leave the windows open.

For a perfect job, hire a pro. I would (and plan on) trying it again, but be aware there is a learning curve.

Good luck.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Thanks both of you for the info. Roxksears your floors look fantastic. The sander you used is the same one I was referring to. I'm really interesting in seeing what condition my floors will be in once I remove the carpet. 

Stubburn, do you have any pictures of your maple floors? I'd kind of like to get an idea of what mine might look like.

Lastly, the first things I really need to do before moving into this house is to remove some wall paper, paint, and refinish floors. In what order should I do these? I thought about painting before I pull the carpet out so I didn't have to worry too much about getting paint on my floors. Then I wondered if sanding and finishing the floors after painting will make the wall look dirty.


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

_Lastly, the first things I really need to do before moving into this house is to remove some wall paper, paint, and refinish floors. In what order should I do these? I thought about painting before I pull the carpet out so I didn't have to worry too much about getting paint on my floors. Then I wondered if sanding and finishing the floors after painting will make the wall look dirty._ 

I'm sure there are many opinions on this. I didn't have carpet to remove but painting and hearth removal were on my list. I decided to paint first. Accidents happen and I thought - just my luck I'll do the floors first and then something terrible will happen and paint will get spilled on the newly finished floors. So....

I painted my walls first. Dust is an issue however. Some plastic may help keep the walls free of dust. If I had it to do over I probably would not have painted first. I had to wash my walls after the floors were done.

I would remove the wallpaper first as that can be a really messy job.

Good luck and thanks for the compliment on my floors.


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## What have I done (May 28, 2006)

if the floors are in poor shape rent a drum sander. Just start out with fine paper until you get the feel of the sander. Once you make a few passes and get the feel of lowering and raising the sanding head while in motion- you always have to be moving with the sander or you will get a divot, Once you get the habg of it switch to 36 grit and sand the whole floor then switch to 60 then 100 grit.

The orbital sander that roxsears used is excellent if your floors arent bad and simply want to recoat. very user friendly. Vacuum works well.
my 14 yr old actually sanded our floors- over 1000 sq feet and they look wonderful. It was new flooring and just needed surfacing . Here's my link 
http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/new-wood-flooring-41523/

get the carpet and post some pictures. this forum can get you going in the right direction.

I like oil based poly- old school and hold up well even to our big dogs!

I did floors in the past with water based poly and had a terrible time with scratches. It was an early water based product produced by PARKS brand.  But since using it I have never ventured back to water based. 
But defiantely keep ventilated and keep pregnant wife away! 
Im used to the fumes but anytime I do floors when the homeowner comes around they are "FLOORED" by the fumes.

I use minwax or varathene with good results. varathene is slightly more potent smelling.

good luck post pics!


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## jaros bros. (Jan 16, 2009)

I hope you will check the old flooring finish AND the paint you will remove to check for lead based products. Having a pregnant wife nearby would be a terrible risk to take. You might want to read up on lead abatement. I know a lot of the old flooring finishes had lead in them.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Thanks for the tips. I did not realize that Flooring finsihes had lead in them. I've heard about paint and was always told that as long as you paint over it there was nothing to worry about. But sanding a floor creates a lot of dust and that would not be good if it had lead in it. How can I test for lead in the flooring. When I had my home inspection done the inspector said it can cost as much as $500 to test an entire house for lead. Is there cheaper alternatives? If it matters, My wife will not be in the house during the floor refinish and paint. Luckily I have some time off work coming to me and I'll be able to didicate a lot of time to this project.

I'll take a picture of the floor when I rip the carpet out. I'm hoping I can just get away with using the verathane sander. I seen one in Lowes the other day and asked the lady how much it cost to rent. She said that I'd just have to pay a $250 deposit and buying sanding disks that were $6/(pack of 3).


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

_"She said that I'd just have to pay a $250 deposit and buying sanding disks that were $6/(pack of 3). "_

I don't think she gave you the entire financial information. Yes, you have to pay a $250 deposit, but you will be charged a $35 $rental fee (24 hours)as well. It took me 5 hours to sand my floor (approx 15x21'). The price of the sandpaper was $5.46.. I used 5 of the 36 grit, 3 of the 50 grit and 3 of the 80 grit.

I used high gloss for the first 2 coats (used 1 1/2 gals) and clear satin for the last 3 coats (3 1/2 gals).

Maybe this will help you with planning your project. Good luck, have fun!


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## pinwheel45 (May 23, 2009)

Bob Mariani said:


> yes they have no smell, dry very fast and do not yellow as much as the oil poly.



You've read the labels on water borne finishes, right? They're not any safer to breathe while applying & while they're curing than poly. You still need proper ventilation whn applying.


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## pinwheel45 (May 23, 2009)

jaros bros. said:


> I hope you will check the old flooring finish AND the paint you will remove to check for lead based products. Having a pregnant wife nearby would be a terrible risk to take. You might want to read up on lead abatement. I know a lot of the old flooring finishes had lead in them.


The man came here looking for legit advice on how to tackle a project. Why do so many members here feel the need to scare people with things that more than likely don't apply to them? Could you please show us the documentation as to where old floor finishes had lead in them?

Speedster, can you post some pics of the floor? It would be easier to offer advice based on pictures as to what sander will work best.

As a rule, the multiple head sanders are foolproof. They're just extremely slow at removing finish & grinding down excess material. A drum sander is better suited to removing old finish, but you're right, you need a skilled hand as a rule. Some drum sanders are more forgiving than others. Go to a regular rental store, not a big box store & talk to them about equipment. The drum sanders I'd recommend renting would be something like an alto/clark EZ8 or something similar. They've got a handle that allows you to feather in & out of the cut. If you choose to go this route, let the paper do the work & don't expect the first cut to make the floor look perfect. 20 grit is for removing the majority of the finish. It's non clogging. 36 or 40 grit is for the major material removal. 60, 80 & 100 grits are for final smoothing. On maple, I'd go all the way to 100. Open grain woods like oak, you can get by with 80 grit.

As for finishes? I'm an oil based man myself. Far more forgiving as for laying a smooth finish IMO. Water borne really does take a skilled hand to prevent lap marks on the ends & turnarounds, especially if you're room has closets, hallways or other offsets to the main room. Once cured & degassed, water or oil will be safe for your pregnant wife to stay in the house. Typically, 2-3 days full cure for either one. Even though you're not smelling the water based finish, it's still degassing as it cures too. 

Someone advised you to save your money & hire a professional for this job. My advice? If you can live with some imperfections in the job & like the satisfaction of doing things with your own hands, jump right in & keep asking questions. If you & your wife are really perfectionists about things of this nature, hire it out. But be sure to go look at some of the floor finishers work before you turn him loose on your floors. Not all floor finishers do a professional job.


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

I did not say you do not need ventilation. But water based dries by evaporation. Thus the fumes dissipate rapidly. Oil will give off fumes for days.


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## jaros bros. (Jan 16, 2009)

http://www.askthebuilder.com/EM00004_Old_Hardwood_Floor_Finishes.shtml

I just did a google search and picked the first one. People think lead safety is something to disregard. It's not bad for adults, but for babies and small children it can cause serious damage. Most DIYers don't know that. Older houses, such as the OPers have these lead paint and finishes. I know personally of several people that have had lead in their old floor finishes. You can get a tester at any local hardware store. Yes, I do think people should be scared. It is an often overlooked problem. So overlooked that the EPA is not requiring contractors to have certification for working in older houses.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

I do appreciate you fellas bring the potential lead issue to my attention. It's something I didn't think of and didn't know existed. I'll get a test kit and check it before I dig into this job. With that being said, the house is 59 years old. Most likely the floors were finished in some type of varnish or shellac. Worst case scenario it has lead in it. I will then buy a good respirator and sand the old finish off down to the bare wood. At that point I'd be lead-free and then apply a poly finish. I guess in all actuality I'll be doing that anyway regardless of the presence of lead. Again to reiterate, all of this will be done without the presence of my wife. I'll be sure that she avoids the place during the sanding and refinishing phases of this project.


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## pinwheel45 (May 23, 2009)

jaros bros. said:


> http://www.askthebuilder.com/EM00004_Old_Hardwood_Floor_Finishes.shtml
> 
> I just did a google search and picked the first one. People think lead safety is something to disregard. It's not bad for adults, but for babies and small children it can cause serious damage. Most DIYers don't know that. Older houses, such as the OPers have these lead paint and finishes. I know personally of several people that have had lead in their old floor finishes. You can get a tester at any local hardware store. Yes, I do think people should be scared. It is an often overlooked problem. So overlooked that the EPA is not requiring contractors to have certification for working in older houses.



Thanks for the info, learn something new everyday.:thumbup:


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## Maintenance 6 (Feb 26, 2008)

speedster1 said:


> I do appreciate you fellas bring the potential lead issue to my attention. It's something I didn't think of and didn't know existed. I'll get a test kit and check it before I dig into this job. With that being said, the house is 59 years old. Most likely the floors were finished in some type of varnish or shellac. Worst case scenario it has lead in it. I will then buy a good respirator and sand the old finish off down to the bare wood. At that point I'd be lead-free and then apply a poly finish. I guess in all actuality I'll be doing that anyway regardless of the presence of lead. Again to reiterate, all of this will be done without the presence of my wife. I'll be sure that she avoids the place during the sanding and refinishing phases of this project.


FWIW, I've never seen a lead test come back positive on a clear finish. Lead was a pigment extender mostly used before WW2. It added hiding qualities to coatings. During WW2 and today titanium dioxide is used in stead. That said, I'm not a paint chemist, so if there is a question, test first. If it's positive, in addition to the respirator, wear disposable coveralls and goggles. Use a HEPA rated vac to collect the dust. Wear the safety gear until everything is thoroughly cleaned, including yourself. Whoever said "It's not bad for adults, but for babies and small children it can cause serious damage." needs to reread about lead poisoning. Lead can stay in human bones for years until it dissipates. There is no reason for anyone to needlessly expose themselves. Lead tests are cheap. If there's no lead, wear the respirator and goggles anyway. You still don't want to be breathing whatever crap settled into the cracks of the floor over 60 years.


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## Daniel Holzman (Mar 10, 2009)

Just for the record, from my research lead in varnish was common prior to the introduction of urethane in the early 1960's. In fact, my old house had window varnish that tested out at about 30 percent lead by weight, which surprised me, as I too thought that clear finishes were unlikely to have lead in them. As for the use of lead in paints, that is well documented, however it seems that lead in varnish was also common, and certainly since it is easy to test for, and precautions can be taken, it would seem to be a no brainer to buy the test kit first, then formulate a plan later.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

I found out the closing on my house will be next wednesday the 9th. So I'm preparing to get to work. I do have a question though......

In the past, every time I've pulled up carpet it was laid on top of a plywood subfloor. We just used razor knives to cut down through the carpet and padding in 4-6 foot sections and rolled the old carpet out. However, with hardwood floors underneith this carpet what is the best way for me to take this carpet up? Do they make a special tool that can cut it without gouging the floors? Maybe like a hook knife or something?


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## msv (Dec 4, 2009)

*my oppinion*

hey speedster... the condition of your floor is what will determine the type of sander you need. if all you have to do is remove old finish, a buffer with sandpaper will do(will take a lot of time though). if you need to level the floor, unless you use a drum sander, you're wasting your time. buffer=175rpm, drum sander=1800+rpm. Start with finer grit until you get the hang of lowering/raising the drum, then you can start the actual sanding with 36grit. depending on how dark thestain you want to use is, i recommend applying a stain conditioner prior to the actual stain, or else you risk not having an even color, but spotty and blotchy. The screening of the floor after sanding is also crucial to color uniformity, as you need to get the entire floor to the same smooth "feel" for the stain to be absorbed evenly. I don't know what people have against Minwax, but i've been using their stains and finishes for 6 years (i do this for a living) and not once have they let me down. costwise, i think they're competitive. one thing you can do is, if you have a floor supply store close, go by and check out their products first.
good luck.
Mike, www.getyourfloors.com.

by the way, DO NOT CUT THE CARPET WHILE LAYING ON YOUR FLOOR!
lift it from a corner and then cut it. even a cutter will leave a very deep mark in the wood, one that you will only see when you apply the stain, when it will be too late.


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

I finally took pictures of the hardwood floors. I'm almost positive they are maple. Some of the boards have a sort of flamed look to them. Unfortunately I left the camera at the new house and can't upload them tonight.

In general the floors look pretty good. There really isn't any finish on them to speak of so sanding them should be easier. There is one small area where there must have been a woodburner on tiles. There are small black spots of mastic or some other adhesive. Not much though. 

There are also a few areas near register vents that I'll need to replace a few pieces of wood. What are my options for finding similar flooring. I really think this is similar to baskball court type fo flooring. It appears to be 2 to 2.5 inch flooring. I figured if I can't find any replacement boards I'd pull the boards out of a closest and use them since the vents will be more visable. Would I just cut the tongue off the face bail them down?


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## de_sjiem (Jul 5, 2008)

Just wanted to say congrats on your closing, and good luck with your floors! I'm in the process of the same project (not to the sanding part yet)


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

Thanks. You too.

Here is a few pics of the floors. Maybe you guys can tell if it's maple.

The second pic shows the location of the old wood burner and you can see the little black areas of adhesive.

I have to admit now I am feeling a little nervious about refinishing these floors. I'm afraid it might be over my head. And I'm not sure I can afford to pay someone to do it for me. Oh the trials and tribulations of home ownership


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

looks like one area is patched with a different wood species. This will really stand out when you stain it. Good luck.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

speedster1 said:


> I have to admit now I am feeling a little nervious about refinishing these floors. I'm afraid it might be over my head. And I'm not sure I can afford to pay someone to do it for me. Oh the trials and tribulations of home ownership


People on this site who suggest anybody can run a drum sander, especially first time out of the rental yard, or properly refinish floors by attaching sanding discs to the bottom of a buffer? Are right to a point I suppose. 

You can do this if you want but try one of the orbital sanders to start. Don't screw up your nice wood floors doing something stupid. A drum sander weighs 8,000 tons and when you turn it on to try it, you are already through the floor. You cannot edge it down for a test sample section. Unless someone knows of one I don't that is forgiving?

I still cannot tell from the photos by the way, but I am guessing from the grain mix you may not have a single wood species. I restored a little historic railway worker house here that had a mix of red oak, cherry, and maple. The historic worker houses here got leftovers from the mansions and grand Victorians being built at one point. It is beyond a beautiful wood floor once restored because of the mix. 

I would never have attempted to redo it myself. And I am sorry, but renting the sander, buffer or whatever and buying it sandpaper at retail unless you can cut a discount? Cleaning everything up spotlessly so you can stain and seal the floors with box store crap at retail? 

Some things are not DIY projects. The two competing guys who refinish floors for me here are insanely busy but almost cheaper than carpeting unless you like nylon and are willing to skip decent padding. 

Any investment you put into restoring wood floors will come back at you ten fold along with anything you do to with regard to home hearth like the kitchen, bath and so forth. Bite the bullet.


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

Speedster,

I definitely can relate with your feelings of being scared to do the floors. I had convinced myself I could do it, but then the day before starting it I panicked and thought I might be nuts to try it by myself. I'm a grandma pushing retirement so physically I wasn't sure I'd be able to handle the (orbital) sander I had decided on. I ran through my options again. 1 - Do nothing and keep looking at my ugly floors as I did not have the money to spend on having them redone by a professional. Or 2 - Do it. I DID it!

There is no way I'd encourage a DIY'er to do your floors if you were going to be using a drum sander. Those are BRUTS and (I think) the ones you get at the rental places are not cared for well and therefore don't do a wonderful job - even if a pro was running it. AND, I think there is a real skill that is needed to operate it with professional results.

That being said I really want to encourage you to do it yourself (with an orbital sander). If I can do it, I think most anyone can do it with great results. Just take your time. Don't try any short cuts. After sanding be sure to vacuum really good, then tack off before doing the next poly coat. Put on sufficient coats using a high quality Poly product and applicator. Personally, although stinky, I was very pleased with the oil based poly. It gave me sufficient time to get the product down without any dry down problems and gave a wonderful end result.

I am SUPER pleased with my floors and feel they look as good as if they were done by a pro. I just had a party last week and had another person tell me they had just had their floors done by a pro and that mine looked better than theirs did.

So... If you're open to hearing from another true DIY'er with some recent experience with this,,, my suggestion is to DIY:thumbsup:. Let us know what you decide and how it goes okay? The very best to you! Rox


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

By the way, I certainly am no wood expert but I'm with you,,, I think that's maple. From the pics posted the floors look like they are in good shape overall. I'll bet they clean up nicely and will look fabulous when you're done.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

roxksears said:


> Speedster,
> That being said I really want to encourage you to do it yourself (with an orbital sander). If I can do it, I think most anyone can do it with great results. Just take your time. Don't try any short cuts. After sanding be sure to vacuum really good, then tack off before doing the next poly coat.


Glad the rented equipment worked out but be honest. How much per day? How many days did you think you would need it and how many did you keep it?

You didn't mention how much sandpaper you fed to thing. What did you vacuum with? How many tack cloths did you use? Just to start? 

I can finish floors of most any kind. The question I ask myself is why and should I? My floor refinishers own equipment, buy sandpaper and the latest materials for coating floors you can imagine at whosale, not retail. They come out so much cheaper than me trying to endrun them and doing a DIY. 

Sometimes the best advice is not to DIY. Proud of you for taking on your own floors though. Grew some new muscles even with that orbital floor sander did you not? Turning it over how many times to switch on new sandpaper?


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## roxksears (Oct 21, 2009)

_Glad the rented equipment worked out but be honest. _I have been completely honest about my experience and gave lots of information before, but you must've missed it.

_How much per day? _Lowe's charged $40 for 24 hours. It took me 5 hours to sand my floor, going over it several times. That 5 hours included the travel time to and from the store. 

_How many days did you think you would need it and how many did you keep it? _I thought a day, I kept it 5 hours. The orbital floor sander is only used for the initial sanding required to get the wood floor ready for stain/poly.

_You didn't mention how much sandpaper you fed to thing. _
Actually, I did and even told how much money the sandpaper discs cost.

_What did you vacuum with? _Yep, gave that information as well. I used my big Sears/Craftsman shop vac.

_How many tack cloths did you use? _You got me. I didn't tell how many tack cloths I used, nor their cost. I bought good cloths from Lowe's - spent $5-10 for them. I can't remember how many cloths there was in the bag but I did explain how I used the tack cloths which worked wonderfully for me.

_Just to start?_ There's more:whistling2:

_I can finish floors of most any kind. The question I ask myself is why and should I? My floor refinishers own equipment, buy sandpaper and the latest materials for coating floors you can imagine at whosale, not retail. _So, sounds like you aren't in the same boat as me, a homeowner wanting to refinish my own floors, no one else's. _They come out so much cheaper than me trying to endrun them and doing a DIY. _

Hmmm... I thought this was a DIY forum. My reason for refinishing my own floors had NOTHING to do with 'endrunning' any professional. It had everything to do with wanting the satisfaction of doing it myself with the money I wanted to spend on the project.

_Sometimes the best advice is not to DIY. Proud of you for taking on your own floors though. Grew some new muscles even with that orbital floor sander did you not? _Using the orbital floor sander was NOT a physical workout except for lifting it in/out of my van and into the house. _Turning it over how many times to switch on new sandpaper?_ Lowe's rental sander is nicely designed so you can simply tilt the handle down and the head of the machine lifts without effort so putting on the new sandpaper is a breeze.

I'm happy to see there are several out there who are encouraging and offer helpful information to us DIY folks.


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## msv (Dec 4, 2009)

this is maple... just sanded, the finish is still wet.... from your pics, your floors are also maple...i don't see the area Bob was talking about with a different species of wood. it just looks like there's a line accross the floor. there was a rug or something over there, that's why on one side the floors look "better" than on the other. i see you have quite a few gaps. if the wood is moving(like two boards next to each other) don't bother trying to fill the gaps, as the filler will crack and fal through when you start walking on the floors. As far as you using a drum sander.... it takes a lot, A LOT of practice before you can do a decent job using it... it's not rocket science, but still... the pace, the raising lowering of the drum... the way the machine handles is different from sander to sander.... if you have never used one before, or anything similar, it will be a painful experience, especially that once you make even a small mistake with it, it's gonna leave a mark. The worst part of all this is that you have to learn on your own floors... can't tell you not to do it, can't tell you to go ahead and do it.
a pro charges for: owning the equipment, providing the materials, having the knowledge and practice.... 
all the tools and equipment and materials that you end up buying at BB stores are gonna add up.. if you are thinking about doing this just cause you want to spend less, try to weigh that against the risk of having a not so good looking floor... it's your call... ppl here can only express an oppinion... the decision is yours... have you tried to get a couple of estimate from floor pros? they do free estimates and at least you will find out a ballpark cost. you can compare that to what you think you'll spend at HD/Lowe's...
i'm a flooring pro, i do it for a living. for me, sanding IS : drumsander+edger+scraper+buffer+vacuum(floor vac)+stain+2 or more coats of finish.
Using an orbital sander could be a very lengthy process and i don't know what to tell you about the result, bcause each person has their own standards.... give it a try on a 3'x3' area. sand it and finish it... let it dry and take and objective look at it.... if you like that, then you've got yourself a DIY project to start.... if you don't.... then you'll know for sure that it is over your head....
hope it helps....
good luck and pls keep us posted....


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

msv said:


> this is maple... just sanded, the finish is still wet.... from your pics, your floors are also maple...i don't see the area Bob was talking about with a different species of wood. it just looks like there's a line accross the floor. there was a rug or something over there, that's why on one side the floors look "better" than on the other. i see you have quite a few gaps. if the wood is moving(like two boards next to each other) don't bother trying to fill the gaps, as the filler will crack and fal through when you start walking on the floors. As far as you using a drum sander.... it takes a lot, A LOT of practice before you can do a decent job using it... it's not rocket science, but still... the pace, the raising lowering of the drum... the way the machine handles is different from sander to sander.... if you have never used one before, or anything similar, it will be a painful experience, especially that once you make even a small mistake with it, it's gonna leave a mark. The worst part of all this is that you have to learn on your own floors... can't tell you not to do it, can't tell you to go ahead and do it.
> a pro charges for: owning the equipment, providing the materials, having the knowledge and practice....
> all the tools and equipment and materials that you end up buying at BB stores are gonna add up.. if you are thinking about doing this just cause you want to spend less, try to weigh that against the risk of having a not so good looking floor... it's your call... ppl here can only express an oppinion... the decision is yours... have you tried to get a couple of estimate from floor pros? they do free estimates and at least you will find out a ballpark cost. you can compare that to what you think you'll spend at HD/Lowe's...
> i'm a flooring pro, i do it for a living. for me, sanding IS : drumsander+edger+scraper+buffer+vacuum(floor vac)+stain+2 or more coats of finish.
> ...


 
After seeing those floors I am 100% sure my floors are maple. Now question about it. Your's looks great. I could only hope mine turn out that nice. However I'm still on the shelf about it. I'll have to research the flooring specialist in my area and see what it would cost for them to do it. I'd hate to mess them up. If I could get someone to do it I could use that time to do other things. 

Thanks again for the pics.


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## msv (Dec 4, 2009)

where are you located?
your profile doesn't say it....


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## speedster1 (May 13, 2009)

msv said:


> where are you located?
> your profile doesn't say it....


Sorry, I'm in northern WV.


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