Help! DIY floor refinish while living in house...

9 years ago

our house was built in 1938. the unknown wood floors are original to the house. I have no idea how many times they have been refinished but the last time was over 20 years ago. The finish has worn off in path areas but some still exists in protected areas. Plan was to redo them after we had most of the renovations done. But apparently to the loan officer refinished floors are more important then safe wiring... Ideas?, suggestions? without the loan we don't have funds for a pro, and we must stay in the house while the work is being done. the situation is further complicated by my COPD, 4 dogs and 2 cats...

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J G

9 years ago

It may be too late...but my husband has done this three times while we were living in the house...you just have to watch the weather forecast and do it when the weather is conducive to having the windows open for several days in a row.

He sanded and restained a 1970's hardwood veneer floor, and then sanded and stained heart of pine floors from the 20's and then restained and polyurethaned the oak floors on our main level (I am guessing these were replaced in the '50s...they don't seem original to this 1920 house). He uses a small power sander...the floor sanders that you rent would not easily go in our car, and it is easier for him to be careful to not take off too much.

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Comments (8)

User
9 years ago
See my method on this thread ...

http://ths.gardenweb.com/discussions/4676968/refinishing-hardwood-floors-with-no-sanding

If all you need to do is make the loan officer happy ... clean them, refresh the stain, and add one coat of wipe-on clear finish.

No sanding, no dust, and you can do one room at a time.
Dorothy Pohorelow
Original Author
9 years ago
any particular brand of stain you would suggest?
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kats737
9 years ago
Yeah, I think we could get a sugar-coating figured out for you, could you post pics? I highly recommend Bona floor refresher (NOT polish!!!) it is a wonder product, but it only goes so far if the floors are really severely damaged.
User
9 years ago
Dorothy ... I like General finishes oil stain (not the gel), Varathane or whatever you have in oil-based locally.

Pick a color that blends with the mid-tones of the floor. Dampen a cloth in mineral solvents, dip into well-stirred stain, wipe it on lightly with a circular scrubbing motion and then wipe off in the direction of the board.

It's like a henna rinse on a redhead.
Debbie Downer
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would not stain a floor, unless a pro or talented diy-er is doing it - even for them it can be tricky - if wood is soft and stain absorbs unevenly it could end up a bigger mess than you have now. It would help to know a) what kind of wood and b) what is the old finish. If old finish was poly then just a simple recoating of poly or the aforementioned refinisher is all you need.

Ive never heard of a loan officer requesting this - usually they dont get into esthetics, only health and safety issues and stuff to protect integrity of the house (roof, electrical, etc) Before doing anything I would ask him WHAT EXACTLY he is looking for. What esthetic are we to be shooting for?

You could ask him if he wants cheese with that whine. Sorry seems kind of a petty issue to me!
Dorothy Pohorelow
Original Author
9 years ago
turns out the appraiser? decided the house was rundown not in middle of renovations.. NOT happy with the results of her inspection especially since we were trying for a loan for renovations... So we are back to doing things piecemeal and trying to save for the important things like rewiring... It would help if they actually gave ideas instead of simply saying no. We are left in the dark with just a few cryptic remarks like the floor needing to be done. Oh and the comment that we should sell the house to a flipper and just rent...
Debbie Downer
9 years ago
Does this person not understand that you are essentially doing what a flipper would do ie improve the house and its value - why on earth would you sell it and let them get the sweat equity?

The appraiser should be there only to appraise - not there in any advisory role. If they are overstepping then you may want to file a complaint for such unprofessional behavior - or maybe not if it would jeopardize your loan.

To come up with a good "to do" list for yourself, you may want to hire a home inspector with experience and knowledge about old house construction - they should be able to give a range of options for how to prioritize and get the work done - as well as ballpark costs and even some recommendations for who to hire. Ideally this should have/could have happened with your home inspection prior to purchase, but its not too late to do it now. Make sure they love and know old houses - not all do, you can generally tell by talking w/ them by phone first who does and who doesnt.
Dorothy Pohorelow thanked Debbie Downer