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Baltimore, MD on Nov 27, 2011

My husband and I live in an old row house and want to refinish the wood floors on our main floor.

It's only about half the length of the house (the kitchen tile takes up the other half). I've heard it's best to hire a professional to refinish wood floors, but is it necessary? Part of me wants to refinish them myself to save money since it's not a huge area (aprox: 15x12). Do you have any advice? Or suggestions of local contractors who specialize in this type of work? Thank you!!

4 Comments

Dan's of Central Florida,... Clermont, FL

Hi Kari,
While it is not necessary to have a professional do this work, I would highly suggest it. It can be easy to mess up if you are not sure what you are doing. If you do decide to tackle it on your own, spend a bunch of time educating yourself on the methods and tools first.

on Nov 27, 2011 · Like 1
The Money Pit New York, NY

Kari, if the floors don't need to be belt sanded, you can probably handle the finishing yourself. For anything less than serious floor damage, you can rent a u-Sand machine which is a lot easier too use. See details and links here: http://www.moneypit.com/question-and-answer...

on Nov 27, 2011 · Like 1
Kari Baltimore, MD

Thank you so much Money Pit! I think that is a great option, and a rental center is just down the block. The floors are original and show some wear, and possible water damage (gray area?? but not rotting or weak, just gray). There are also a few gaps, but not major, in the planks. I'm guessing bc the floors are just that old. Do you think that's a problem? I'll swing by the home store and do some asking there, too. Thanks again!

on Nov 27, 2011 · Like 0
The Money Pit New York, NY

This sounds like a good candidate for a u-Sand machine. It can certainly take off water stains, and gaps are totally normal -- no matter what kind of sander you use. After sanding, gaps can be filled with Jute rope/twine and then finished normally.

on Nov 28, 2011 · Like 1