best way to repair / refinish an older hardwood floor?

Question

an economical way that won't cause major disruptions

Answer 1

An economical way would be to do it yourself. That includes removal of damaged planks, installation of replacement planks, hand sanding or machine rental, and application of stain/finish. This will, however, cause major disruptions because you won't get the job done as quickly as a professional (or two).

Also, there are all kinds of stumbling blocks that may make you want to rethink doing it yourself. Not only is there the time factor, but the extra time spent will be spent by you. Also, cutting and installing the new floorboards correctly requires experience. Guys that do it all the time know how to make perfect cuts and seamless transitions. Then there's sanding, which is an art in itself. I bought a house once where the previous owner used a roller sander to refinish the floors himself. They were terrible, with all kinds of dips and waves where he let the roller sit in one place too long.

The way to do it with the least amount of disruptions is to hire someone to do it for you. They can generally complete the work in a couple of days (repair and sanding one day, refinishing over the next day or two). And, the work will be done to your satisfaction. If there are any errors, they will be fixed or the installers/refinishers don't get paid.

Floor installers generally charge $2 to $3 a square foot for installation work. Refinishers then charge $3 to $4 a square foot to sand, stain, and reseal the floor. It's definitely worth the cost.

Answer 2

Refinishing hardwoods is almost always a professional job. Attempting this yourself could cause exactly what you're trying to avoid. Hire a pro that uses a "dustless" system. That will minimize the dust and disruption to your life and get your floor done quickly. It might cost you some money up front, but the finish should last another 15-20 years.

Answer 3

My husband spent an entire weekend refinishing 50 year old parque and plank flooring. We started by hand sanding (cover or remove electronics and furniture) and sweeping 1800 square feet of wood flooring. Then we applied 1 coat of Verathane (Lowes or Home Depot) and let dry about 6 hours then gave it a quick sanding and applied a second coating. Buffed to a shine. It lasted about 10 years before we had to do it again. If you have children in the house, you should find alternate lodging for them until the house has aired as the strong fumes will weaken the immune system quickly.

Answer 4

What I did, I have white oak floors,
Go to home depot rent the random orbit sander. You absolutely will not mess up your floors. even if you stand on the thing.
Purchase 30,60,80,120 grits papers, like 3 of each type. (you can return them) 160 if you want baby a*s smooth.
Sand the floors starting with the 30 grade then to the 60 so on and so forth.

It cost me about $450 for 1000 sqft.
The hardest thing is the removal of the shoe molding, and the possible refinishing of it and the wall molding.

Answer 5

you can put down a coat of polyurethane over whatever is already there or use a sander and then polyurethane. you can rent them from most rental places. as a word of caution wood floors can only be sanded a few times -- especially if they are soft wood like pine.

Answer 6

go to the local do it yourselfers shop and rent your self a drum sander theyll give you the paper for it when ya rent it then get ya self some poly and do two coats of it and youll be looking good