Is it that hard to refinishes hardwood floors yourself ???? I just got a price from home depot and was thinking I could save some money if I could do this myself... has anyone out there done this ???
2007-04-07 15:30:44 · 5 answers · asked by sunshine4848 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Not recommended if you have never done it. If you don t know how to use a sanding machine which you will need before you seal, you could completely ruin the wood, because you could end up over sanding some areas. Applying stain is also tricky, it s hard to make it even. Dont call home depot, they hire independent floor sanders so they make money on top of that it will cost you more.
2007-04-07 15:38:44 · answer #1 · answered by willk_500 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have been in construction 20+years and I would not do it myself. I have in the past and learned it's not really worth it.
The sanders are very heavy and without experience you can gouge the floor by sanding wrong. Once you gouged it you cannot always fix it. Keep in mind that although the wood is 3/4 thick after sanding down 1/4 inch the tongue and groove part of the flooring will be exposed. Have your floors been refinished before? how many times?
Aside from the actual work you will need to rent equipment and buy the polyurethane. How much are you actually saving?
The going rate is about $1 per square foot. It's very cheap compared to doing it yourself. That includes coming back the next day for a light sanding and applying a second coat.
2007-04-07 17:21:40 · answer #2 · answered by chuckyallstar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It isn't hard but it is dusty, you can rent a floor sander, you will also need a smaller sander to get up close to baseboards, then make absoultely sure that you have all the dust cleaned off of the floor, then you can either stain or leave natural color, if applying stain follow manufactures directions for applying the stain and the dry time. Then apply several coats of a good poly letting dry between coats, you can also buy the same type of sealer they use on hardwood gym floors which is really durable. It is not hard just time consuming. Check your local tool rental for the floor sander and see how much they charge to rent it and figure how long it will take to do the area you want to refinish, it will go pretty fast with the floor sander, but you may have to buy extra sanding pads for the sander. Good luck.
2007-04-07 15:42:54 · answer #3 · answered by judy_derr38565 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
in many cases, refinishers fee $4 to $5 a sq. foot to sand and refinish hardwood flooring, greater in the event that they upload varied coats of sealer. i might advise against laying tile down over hardwood without taking it up first. A tile floor could have an underlayment of one million/2-inch hardibacker and a flow (one million/4-inch or so) of leveling compound earlier laying the tiles. this offers a stable, reliable floor that may not flex (tiles and grout won't crack from jogging on it). Tile will run you approximately $5 to $6 a sq. foot for installation. this does not incorporate the fee of the tile itself or the removing of the previous floorboards, nevertheless. stable ceramic tile will run a minimal of $4 a sq. foot.
2016-12-20 08:43:20 · answer #4 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How bad is the floor? If it is a light sanding job- no machines needed- then it is not a bad job. If your house is older and a slightly 'imperfect' floor is in character, then it is mostly a pole sanding job, staining, and poly'ing.
The finish is a BIG part of a good job. Get good stuff (spend a few bucks on it) and follow the directions to the letter.
If you have a big sanding job- hire it out!
2007-04-07 19:10:49 · answer #5 · answered by Madkins007 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋