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- - Hardwood Floors (https://thetfp.com/tfp/tilted-knowledge-how/18148-hardwood-floors.html)

Does anyone know anything about repairing/refinishing hardwood floors? How much does something like this cost and does it make sense to do it myself????

i've never done it myself, but i know it makes a hell of a mess (dust). also, some finishes can be toxic. i would suggest you have it done professionally.

You can do it yourself but it is time comsuming and you will have to rent most of the tools....... generally you remove everything from the room then tape off the openings to any other room, this way all of the dust from the sanding stays in the room you're working on. As long as the floors are in good shape it isn't that hard for a beginner..... but if they need to be bleached (because of stains) or repaired (rotted or damaged) it can be hard to match the look....... type of wood, or the way it was originally laid out. Especially if the house is really old. Mine turned out really nice, but the floors were in great shape and I had no time limits.

rst, thanks for the info, I think I am leaning towards getting it done professionally...........

It's actually not as hard as it sounds, but it depends on what you want. Usually, all the floor needs is a new coat of urethane. Use an electric palm sander to very lightly sand the old floor. Vacuum and use a tack-cloth to get up all the dust. Then apply the new coat(s) of urethane using a cloth (not a brush). The hardest part is keeping the kids and dog off the floor until it dries!

But if the floor is in really bad shape or you want to change the color, then I'd hire a professional.

I agree with wondash... if the floor really needs a lot, get a pro. If only to save the agravation.

If you are renting and want to make an old floor look better then just rub some "liquid gold" polish on it.

If the wood and color, etc. is ok but you just need a new topcoat then rent a buffer/sander and then do a couple coats of poly. The buffer/sander is like the janitor's circular polisher. You put a sort of scotdhbright pad on it and it takes off most of the old poly. If you use old oil based poly then ventilate well and use a real ventilator with carbon filters. You can use water based poly to avoid fumes etc.

If the wood is messed up, discolored and/or dented/deep gouges then you need a drum sander and edge sander to remove the top 1/8" (approx) of the wood and then refinish. You need to work up through the grits from rough to smooth and hand scrape inside corners. You need to be sure the floor still has enough thickness above the tounge to be able to refinish it again. Seal off adjacent rooms with poly sheeting and put a fan in the window blowing out and you won't get any dust in the rest of the house (fan needs to be tightly sealed in window for max. suction). Doing this yourself is a LOT of work and you need a good back and good knee pads for the edge sanding. If you mess up you can have very bad results and possibly wreck your floor. I've done this before and would rather hire someone.

After reading all of this, I have decided to urethane the floors myself. I want to protect the floors, but they aren't in bad shape. Thanks again for all the input...........

Before you put the urethane down, at least buff the floor. This will remove any dirt or contaminants that may prevent the finish from adhering to the surface. Use 80 grit screens, then buff lightly with 120 grit. In the event that your floor is nicked and scratched, you can use 60 grit to rid yourself of those.