@Carrie B . https://missmustardseed.com/the-process-of-living-in-a-house-while-refinishing-floors/ she has a complete guide to what to do to prepare for floor refinishing and what to expect. They should have excellent dust catching equipment . no plastic needed . remove anything that might get broken or bumped so yes remove all art work etc. good luck! always have loved your home! i remember the kitchen/ downstairs remodel. c

I wanted to add that Sikkins is the best brand name out there for wood floor refinishing. I wont address the ranting response by the other poster. c @Carrie B

Thank you, @User! Any idea what I should search to find the page in the link above? I tried a few combos...

Did you see my more recent master bath remodel?

Remove the soft coverings in the house/area. That means drapes, pillows, bedding, etc. The soft coverings WILL grab the odour of the finish. And many people find the odour does not leave until they are professionally cleaned (that gets expensive when it comes to mattresses, etc.

The length it takes for the floor to cure (harden to the point you can put 'stuff' back on them) is determined by the FINISH they use. An oil based polyurethane can take 20-30+ days. A water based polyurethane can take 10 days...or a snick less. The MORE you pay for the finish (usually...but not always) the SHORTER you have to wait.

That's to say the high-priced Bona Traffic HD or Loba 2K Supra AT can be as little as 7 days before you move furniture back onto the floor. Those are the SHORTEST times we have for polyurethane. The hardwax oils like Rubio can be as short as 48 hours. The super cheap ones, like Minwax oil based finish = 30+ days in IDEAL conditions.

The other issue you *might have will be with odour. Again, the more expensive (usually) the polyurethane the LESS it smells. Again, Bona Traffic HD and Loba 2K Supra AT = 8 - 24 hours of odour (per coat). The hardwax oils are only a few hours. The Minwax (super cheap and illegal in 11 States) = 30+ days. The ONE EXCEPTION to this 'expensive = low odour' rule is a Swedish Finish...it can stink to HIGH HEAVEN FOR WEEKS and weeks and weeks. It is very expensive and SUPER tough...but nasty!

In other words, you will NEED to find out what you are paying for...the brand and the LINE in the brand. Not all Bona products are created equal. Some refinishers will Dazzle their Clients with the NAME Bona only to use the lowest priced one in the line-up.

Wow, thank you, @SJ McCarthy. Those estimates are WAY longer than I've seen anywhere (online, and asking friends & neighbors who've had their old floors done.)

I have to beg to differ on a lot of what the above poster said. we have had wood floors done in our 1910 house here in VA and also had them all done in our 1890 home in AL. Never did we have a problem with the furniture taking on the odor and NEVER did we have to wait longer than 2 days. Never. That's absurd.

Also don't ever use a Bona product. They are terrible. We have had both poly waterbourne as well as oil based.The oilbased is better in my opinion and what you will find in your research of the linked articles . The main problem with the poly is that you can't just fix a small spot that has been messed up. You need to do some more reading and also talk to the floor refinishers as well as going to see what they have done if that is possible.

Here is a link with a lot of info. I know they say the floors get " more" yellow but we are talking decades !! not weeks or months or even years. It just doesn't happen in a short time especially with the newer products.

https://www.google.com/search?q=should+you+use+oil+based+poly+to+refinish+floors&oq=should+you+use+oil+based+poly+to+refinish+floors&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i299.18693j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

Yes I did see your bathroom. I just love your house !! c

@User What you fail to take into account is each person's sensitivity to odour, their climate, their job situation and length between coats as well as number of coats.

Each to their own. There are MANY people on here who are HIGHLY sensitive to odours and find the slightest 'chemical' odour produces adverse reactions. I personally get migraines and vomiting, swelling around the eyes and nose bleeds from oil based finishes - including paint and floor finishes.

People with asthma, COPD, post-Covid 'lungs', eczema, edema, etc all have issues with chemical sensitivities. People with immune deficiensies like Lupus, Rheumatoid arthritis, etc also have chemical sensitivities.

Then there are the homeowner expectations of the finish and how tough it should be. Don't even get me going on THAT subject.

And then there is 'location, location, location'. High humidity in a cold climate = LONG cure times. Low humidity in a HOT climate = super fast cure times. The type of wood, the HVAC system in the home, the level of 'air tight' the doors/windows offer. All of these items affect the DURATION of the cure.

We've had people on houzz have ISSUES when they moved back into their homes (furniture installed) after 2 days when an oil based finish was used. The same thing happened when a water based poly was used.

As a conscientious flooring professional I LIKE to err on the side of caution. Part of my job is to contain the expectations of the client. If I've done my job, they will be HAPPIER than if I tried to blow smoke up their @ss and had something go wrong.

The truth is never the wrong thing to work with. You have lived your truth. I've lived many, many different truths on my own and with my clients (hundreds of people's stories became my own). I respect the idea that every job is different.

I'm glad you've experienced the 'easy' side of floor refinishing. Most do not.

Check with contractor regarding dustless system. It is not all the same. Most portable units are designed for a single machine to operate at a time to be effective. If, they are running multiple sanders off of one vacuum. Have them put up plastic. You will have to pay for the material and labor to put up plastic, unless specified, it is not included. Otherwise, put it up yourself, make sure it is tight and not loose. Loose plastic will fall down, get in the way or tangled into the machines. All wall decors need to come down.

Pretend you are moving out. Anything you care about goes in a POD or other storage. Plan about a week in an Airbnb. Bona is a fine floor finish when used by someone who is trained. There are lots of untrained and unlicensed flooring contractors. Do due diligence on the front end.

Thanks, all. I texted the floor company owner about the same time as I posted this morning. He had told me to remove all furniture, and that he needed 3' vertical clearance from the floor for wall hung shelves, etc.

In my text, I asked him about wall art and items on shelves (above the aforementioned 3') and he responded that I could just leave them all as is. I don't know if that means he's using a dustless system (which I understand still produces some dust) or if he's using plastic to protect everything.

I think I'll remove any art that does not have a frame (oil/acrylic paintings, tapestries, etc.) Clothing, (& bedding/linens) on shelves & hanging I'll probably just leave as is with the knowledge that I'll be doing a bunch of laundry when I get back.

Moving a three story rowhome worth of furniture, rugs, clothing & other stuff into two small bathrooms and one small kitchen is going to be a challenge!

I will let you know how it goes, and will (of course!) post photos.

@User - Thank you. This company was recommended by a client after I complimented her on her old wood floors. She told me that she & her entire family have been using this company for many years. That's good enough for me.

Do you have large gaps in your floor boards? A friend has 200 year old heart pine floors that needed refinishing. She could see between the boards to the basement. They told her resin or epoxy, I can't remember which, between the planks was the fix. Well it wasn't. The stuff dripped between the boards and made piles in the basement! This company had great reviews. They never were able to make it right. Good luck with yours. Show us the results.

@territheresa - 200yo heart pine floors? Your friend isn't in Philadelphia, is she? I have some holes, but no big gaps in my flooring. And, yes, if the light is on in the basement, I can see that through the holes in the floor.

No, we're in Massachusetts.

Gaps should be filled with oakum. Never any inflexible filler.,

Jealous you can use oil-based finish. In my state it's illegal due to VOC levels requirements. My oak floors installed post-WWII had never been sanded or refinished. But I must say, they don't make oak floors like that anymore. After refinishing, the water-based polyurethane turned out nice, no odor, and with a more matte appearance than the oil finish on there originally, and it's been about 9 years and still looks great, but we don't wear shoes in the house.

My flooring guy warned never, ever, to use Bona products. They leave residue that builds up over time.

Regarding what to remove - I would remove anything that you would be worried about. If your art is inexpensive posters easily replaced, then leave them there. But if they are expensive, or are precious mementos, I would remove them. I would not want to lose sleep over what is happening to these things. I also would remove anything on shelves. I think the suggestion above to get a POD is a good one.

Thanks, all! For the first time in over 20 years in this house, the floors are cleared and ready for refinishing! Thought I’d post some ‘before’ shots. Work starts Monday.

Hi all. Work has commenced! Here’s a progress photo - standing at (outside) front door:

Wow!! lookin great!

Better than new!

It’s beautiful! Once you move back in, are you done? Any more projects left?

hows it looking?

Loving my floors. I love the character of them, the colors and the history, the changes from the many years and many people to have walked on them over the past two centuries. We’ve been repainting the trim.

whoa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They are astoundingly beautiful !!! What a treasure. Wish you had done it 20 years ago :) !! Enjoy sliding your feet over them . Please post back when painting done and furniture replaced. c

Love the depth. This is 'tobacco leaf brown' and it is so beautiful on these old world floors.

@sj McCarthy - this is clear, oil based polyurethane. No stain, no tint.

Gorgeous!!! Enjoy the beauty & smooth coolness under your feet

@bpath - next project is to update the hall bathroom with a new, smaller medicine cabinet and new lighting.

Can’t wait to see the next project. How is the garden?

I know it is just poly. It is beautiful. As a colour (think fashionista not flooring pro). Tobacco brow is identical to the colour.

Clear means you can see through it....which you can. COLOURLESS is when there is no colour added to a product...which is not what what you have.

This is a beautiful example of the depth of colour a n oil based poly can give off.

Beautiful floors!

@SJ McCarthy - thanks. I'm not sure what to think - The owner of the flooring company specifically told me that no color was added to the polyurethane, and that the color I see is the natural color of the wood. Of course, I understand that oil based poly does darken wood somewhat.

Started moving furniture back!

Whoa LOVE the sofa ” cushion” ❤️. Looks like he approves! Your home is SO homey. 🙏

@User - he's my favorite cushion ever! I've been staying at his place during refinishing... and now, for the aftermath. He's been such a great helper and inspiration!

The large piece of furniture on the right (in front of the - no-longer-functional - fireplace still needs to move. I'm going to wait a bit before putting the rugs down, too.

Yes I would wait although i didnt in our Al house. might as well since you have great help!!!! keep him coming back!❤️👍😊

@Carrie B Some types of pine (I'm thinking heart of Longleaf) turn reddish when penetrated by oil, although I have no idea if this applies with poly. From what I can see of the grain, yours look like the wood may have been farther from the heart & would have remained more yellowish. I'm no expert so could be totally off but my floors are slightly younger than yours & I have a variety of colors after hand rubbing with linseed oil, especially the upper floors which were built of a lesser grade of pine than the main floor. This is the main floor:

Sigh...the poly is not tinted. I understand. Oil based poly turns orange. Not 'a little' but a lot. We do not call that stain or tint. We call it 'ambering'. You have pine that also darkens in the presence of finish. So you have darkening wood coated in darkening finish.

That's it. That's all. Nothing to see but a beautiful floor. Remember: 80%-90% of floor finishers THINK the 'orange finish' of an oil based poly IS NORMAL and just part of the beauty of the floor. Since most of us are not wood 'people', we do not KNOW that the ORANGE of a poly is 'normal'. That's the difference between a wood pro talking to Ms. Homeowner. The pro EXPECTS the floor to turn orange whereas Homeowner has no idea it will.

And yet, the wood pro will say, "Clear poly coat. NO stain. NO tint." Because that's what they've used x20+ years. If you had them put down WATER based...they would be very confused as to why the water based didn't 'turn orange' like oil based poly.

That's all I'm trying to point out. It is for FUTURE readers of this thread. Homeowners need to understand what people are being told by wood pros...and WHY it doesn't match the WORDS of the wood pro.