Q: A person helping my boyfriend re-finish my hardwood floors used a non stain-able, yellow carpenters wood glue to float the entire floor. The floor ended up with a blotchy stain job, so we re-sanded. Do you know of anything that may work to remove it or cover it up? Do you think we can [...]
DIY or Hire A Professional?
Mar 122013
Fixing a DIY blotchy stain, dirty finish job
March 12, 2013
DIY or Hire A Professional? Comments Off
Jul 162012
If you can’t afford a professional and you’re set on a DIY solution to fixing wood floors that aren’t in terrible shape, but could use a lift, here’s a link to a tutorial from This Old House on How to Refinish Wood Floors. By “refinish” they’re not referring to a full sanding, but to a [...]
Q: I have striped maple floors throughout my 1st floor. I really don’t know if they were stained that way or are real, but they need refinishing badly. I’m consider do it yourself wood flooring. Do you think this can be a do-it-yourself job, doing one room at a time? A: I would never consider [...]
Do you think this can be a do-it-yourself job, doing one room at a time?
May 17, 2011
DIY or Hire A Professional? Comments Off
May 172011
With few exceptions: “I really couldn’t do that, because this type of work requires an apprenticeship, where a person learns through theory and practice over an extended period of time under the tutelage of a professional. This is not DIY work.” 1 “You would actually save money and your floors by hiring a professional.” 2 [...]
Please hire a reputed professional!
May 17, 2011
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Words of Advice Comments Off
Sep 232010
I have engineered hardwoods in one room of my home. I would like to refinish these myself. Is it possible to sand, restain and put poly on them? If so, how would your recommend I go about sanding them?
Feb 182010
I just removed carpeting from my new home that is 44 years old. The carpet installer went nuts with the staples and some adhesive. All staples have been removed and the adhesive cleaned as best as I could. The floor seems to be in good condition but I would like to know the best way to refinish them if you will. What is the best way to fill in the many ‘holes’ from the staples, the best way to remove all of the adhesive and the best way to finish? What would you recommend that I, a beginner on floor maintenance, take on myself and/or hire the professionals to take care of?
Best way to refinish?
February 18, 2010
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Sanding & Refinishing Comments Off
Jan 282010
I recently moved into a home with hardwood floors, and although they’re in good shape they look as though they could use an extra layer of protection. I’m wondering if there is a DIY way to add a layer of protection, like polyurethane (or something better) that will still leave the floors with a nice shine but will also protect against heavy foot traffic, dogs, kids and frequently dropped things.
Mar 052008
I have 2000 square feet of hardwood floors, and in some areas the poly looks like it is peeling off. So far I have made one huge mistake: I cleaned all the floors with ammonia, and that took the water, dirt, and wax off of them. Then I used an oil based product called Dura Seal on two rooms. It made a huge difference. I then added a water based poly to one room and it dried great, but you could scratch off the poly. I do not know what to do about that. I do not want to sand my entire house. Can you put a stain over old oil based polyurethane and then use an oil based poly? Any suggestions?
Please give me directions on sanding and top coating an oak floor. It’s mostly in good condition. It has been under a rug for the past 25 years.
Directions on sanding and top coating an oak floor?
February 13, 2008
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Words of Advice Comments Off
I recently sanded my Red Oak floors and prepared them for staining. They looked amazing before the stain hit the deck. I applied DuraSeal Medium Brown with a Lambswool applicator, following the instructions from the container. I did about a 10 sq. ft., waited about 6 min., and tried to wipe off the excess. Every time I wiped (again with the lambswool applicator), I got a dark stain line where the applicator first/last touched the floor.
Dark stain line where the applicator first/last touched the floor
January 23, 2008
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Lap Marks Comments Off
Jun 222007
Recently I installed oak hardwood floors in my house. I used pneumatic nailer, but at the area close to walls I had to nail down manually, and I can see gaps between woods. How do I fix this problem?
Gaps forming along walls, after DIY install
June 22, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Gaps, Splitting & Cracks Comments Off
Our house has engineered hardwood floors, and an open stair case (no risers). We would like to install solid slabs, and add risers. What would you recommend for risers? Is solid slab engineered hardwood (for this application) available?
We would like to install solid slabs, and add risers
May 12, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Stairs, Words of Advice Comments Off
May 052007
I would question using “shellac” as a seal coat. It contains a natural wax which will not allow adhesion of other top coats. There are de-waxed shellac products that offer better results. Zinsser universal sealer or Dura Seal Universal Sealer are good choices. Good adhesion on both sides of the shellac.
Refinishing floors by hand, using shellac?
May 5, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Oil Vs Water Based Urethane, Wax, Etc. Comments Off
Apr 222007
I had problems with the third coat of poly drying too fast and leaving lots of bubbles. So, I hand sanded with 100 grit, and with the 4th coat decided to cut the fast dry poly with 25% mineral spirits to ensure no bubbles, and let it slow dry (no ventilation). Now I can see all the sanding marks on the floor? Did cutting the poly cause this?
Did cutting the poly cause this?
April 22, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Fish Eye Bubbles Comments Off
Mar 282007
I recently installed and finished a hickory floor myself. The install was tough, but it came out great. Sanding went well, but finishing left streaks and blotches (did an oil modified sealer then water based urethane). I wasn’t happy, so I resanded the floor back down, and this time did a water based sealer and then water based urethane. No streaks, but I do have the occasional lap mark where I needed to turn the t-bar around when dragging the puddle of finish. Any ideas on how to get rid of these? I have 1 coat of sealer and 2 coats of urethane. I am thinking of screening\sanding them down with very fine (300-400 grit) paper once the floor is cured for a few weeks. Any advice? And yes – I just found your Q&A, and you are right: leave the finish to the pros – it took me three tries to get the floor to where it is now!
Mar 012007
I have a wall to wall rug that has been in my apartment since way before I moved in (more than 10 years), and I would like to remove the rug. Can I stain the hardwood floor without sanding first? I understand that I won’t know what condition the floor would be in, but I am looking for a easy way to make the floor look decent.
So I didn’t heed the expert advice and I refinished my hardwood floors myself…
So I didn’t heed the expert advice and I refinished my hardwood floors myself…
February 20, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Words of Advice Comments Off
I’m refinishing a 115 year old pine floor and getting a little desperate! I’ve already managed to sand and scrape off several generations of paint and reached the bare wood and my first coat of oil-based poly has dried.
Refinishing a 115 year old painted pine floor
February 5, 2007
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Sanding & Refinishing Comments Off
Dec 312006
I just bought a 70 year-old house. I’ve looked at the hardwood floors and they don’t seem to be in too bad shape at all (there was carpet covering them). I want to bring them back to life. Do I need to sand them down or can I just throw a coat of varathane on them, or wax them?
Bringing old hardwood floor back to life
December 31, 2006
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Words of Advice Comments Off
Dec 312006
We applied a water based polyurethane to our freshly stained floors. We have only done one coat with a roller. We have places where there was not enough polyurethane on the roller and places where you can tell it was stopped to reload the roller. Should we apply the second coat and see how it looks or buff the floor then reapply?
Blotchy polyurethane coating
December 31, 2006
DIY or Hire A Professional?, Problems With Finish Comments Off
