How hard is it to refinish floors?

[midnight armadillo]

I got quotes on refinishing hardwood (red oak) floors in the house we're buying. The lowest is 2x what we can afford.

So...how hard is the sanding part of refinishing...?

[Suich]

1. There's a poster named "Floorguy" here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=287

I bet he can help you out!

:)

[LostinVA]

2. If you don't have to have it be perfect, you can do it

It's a pain in the ass, and you have to be careful, but soooooooooo much cheaper than a pro. And, it'll still look very, very nice. You can get the sander and all the hrits for less than $300 at HOme Depot. Get teh edge sander, too, and water-based poly. You can also get non-VO "poly."

Some very good youtube tutorials, too.

[Kali]

3. main floors are easy, BUT

the edges around the walls are a bit more work and make sure you have real wood and not some thin veneer so you have a safty zone for those first passes with the sander before you get the hang of it. And do a little reading on technique. It's pretty easy really.

[old mark]

4. Do it before you have furniture in the room - it can be a real mess.

You can rent the sanders, and it is best to practice somewhere - like inside a walk-in closet. Make sure you let whatever coating you finish it with DRY COMPLETELY!!!! before applying a second coat or walking on it or you will end up with mush.
Good luck.
mark

[bif]

5. I did my daughter's room

And it turned out very nice. Two things though--Every bone in your body will be sore. Give it three coats of polyurethane. The third coat maKes all the difference in the world.

[dropkickpa]

6. Not too difficult

We did my parents house and it turned out beautifully. The people on this site are wonderful and a treasure trove of advice and tips. http://www.oldhouseweb.com/forums/

[LostinVA]

7. That's the site I read, too

There are also good youtube videos.

[dropkickpa]

8. I'm completely addicted to that site

Some of the stuff people have managed to do leaves me in awe! I could never lie in a new construction home. Been there done that and hated it.

[midnight armadillo]

9. Thanks everyone!

I will definitely look into this more. We're planning on using low-VOC water-based polyurethane, probably the AFM Safecoat brand. Heck, we're using AFM paint for the walls ($$$!) but it'll be worth it to have a non-stinky home when we move in.

The floors are 1950's hardwood, so they should be nice and thick. The subfloor is made of 6" wide planks. They don't build 'em like that anymore.