30 votes

Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor

The squeaking comes from vibrations created when the floorboards and joists rub against each other when weight pushes down on them. There's a chance that replacing the floor with a new one "in-...
gnicko's user avatar
  • 5,532
21 votes

Chipped floor planks keep snagging my socks

These are "shakes" - this is where the lumber separates along the growth rings. Fill the cracks with glue (PVA / polyurethane / epoxy / cyanoacrylate) then place cling wrap over them and ...
Jasen's user avatar
  • 19k
12 votes
Accepted

How to repair separated rails and stiles on solid wood doors

I have had some similar projects. On occasion, I have been able to force glue into a joint with a glue syringe and clamp the joints together. The key to this method is cleaning out the joint with a ...
WoodAirGrille's user avatar
12 votes

Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor

I will repeat some answers that you already have but, it is all part of my answers that will have different nuances. To give my summary on the idea of floor replacement, and using the second picture ...
Jack's user avatar
  • 34.4k
11 votes

Replacing hardwood floor in 100 year old house with no subfloor

Considering the work and expense involved in replacement, I'd be looking hard at trying anything possible for squeak remediation. What comes to mind is injecting epoxy (or perhaps something else?) to ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 202k
11 votes

Chipped floor planks keep snagging my socks

When facing a similar issue in my home office (but with smaller bits of damage) I found a good color-matched wood filler, and applied it according to the package instructions. It has held up well, and ...
KMJ's user avatar
  • 9,207
9 votes

How to repair separated rails and stiles on solid wood doors

Is the joint still solid? That is, if you grab the two pieces on either side and shake them, is there any movement? If it's solid, then it means that the gap is just a result of shrinkage, and it's ...
Mike Baranczak's user avatar
7 votes

Would it be appropriate to sand a floor between coats of poly with a handheld orbital sander?

I had two floors to do once and between coats I used a broom with 3 bits of fine sanding paper taped to the broom head - cheap, cheerful and effective... Also, had to punch down the floor brads (...
Solar Mike's user avatar
  • 26.3k
7 votes
Accepted

Would it be appropriate to sand a floor between coats of poly with a handheld orbital sander?

You could use a hand-held orbital- like you mentioned the biggest downside is time. But you're correct, sanding between coats of poly isn't stripping an old floor- it's just scuffing up the previous ...
Jamie M's user avatar
  • 1,131
5 votes

Can wood floors be refinished half a room at a time?

No. You really can't. There are several reasons why: Dust. Sanding dust will get everywhere. Ideally you want to move everything into one room, that will hopefully not be refinished, seal off ...
Chris Cudmore's user avatar
5 votes
Accepted

can this antique douglas fir floor be saved?

It is totally feasible to do this. Just a lot of hard work. We redid a laundry room that had a worn painted outdoor porch floor (the house is from 1869 and has been organically growing for 150 years)....
bib's user avatar
  • 33.6k
4 votes

Cons of Not Refinishing Worn Wood Floor?

It really depends on how tough you will be on the floors. Big difference between a man living alone vs. a family of 8 with two dogs. Note that the areas that are worn are probably the high traffic ...
DMoore's user avatar
  • 47.8k
4 votes

How to clean wood dust without permanently clogging a wet/dry vacuum's paper filter?

Having run into the exact same problem, I might be able to make a recommendation to assist you. There are many variations on this theme, but they are all based on the "cyclone" principle. Spinning ...
fred_dot_u's user avatar
  • 10.7k
4 votes

Staining a 130 year old pine floor

There is a good possibility that the pine boards in a 130 year old house are very dense wood. Old growth timber from that time was quite different from what we experience as "pine" today. As such that ...
Michael Karas's user avatar
  • 64.1k
4 votes

Can This Hardwood Floor Be Saved?

I sanded a similar wood floor, a bit older though. I used a drum sander 8 or 10” in diameter and 14 or 16” long roughly. I sanded diagonal to the grain with coarse then finer grades of paper. It took ...
Solar Mike's user avatar
  • 26.3k
4 votes

What is tacky finish?

At least two very different meanings. One has nothing to do with how it looks - it's "tacky" meaning slightly sticky. For a finish, that's not fully cured/hardened. The other is tacky ...
Ecnerwal's user avatar
  • 202k
3 votes
Accepted

Hardwood floor help

If you would like the floors to look nice pull the base boards and the tack strip. Rent a large belt sander from the local equipment rental store. Your floor doesn't look to be in two bad of shape and ...
Ed Beal's user avatar
  • 102k
3 votes

What is the best sander to use on oak stair treads?

A random-orbit sander has proven to be one of the most versatile tools I've used, having put hundreds of hours on them for projects of many types. Obviously they have limitations, but with a range of ...
isherwood's user avatar
  • 129k
3 votes
Accepted

Is a NIOSH mask advised when sanding a fully dried hardwood floor?

NIOSH (National Institute Of Safety and Health) does not manufacture respirators or dust masks, they conduct research and make recommendations for prevention of worker injury/illness. If their name is ...
Jimmy Fix-it's user avatar
  • 35.1k
3 votes

How best to remove fumes after applying polyurethane in a hardwood refinishing project?

Turn up the heat while opening windows across the house. Put in fans in windows/doors blowing in the house on one or two sides. Just don't put fans blowing in all windows so air has an easier chance ...
Damon's user avatar
  • 1,291
3 votes
Accepted

Polyurethane on hardwood floor dilemma

You have a few options: Don't put any more Brand B on. Go get more Brand A and finish the rest of the floor. After it has all cured, place a 5' x 7' area rug over the Brand B area. Continue with ...
wallyk's user avatar
  • 12.3k
3 votes
Accepted

Do I need to use any sort of base coat when finishing hardwood floors with urethane?

I would always suggest you avoid sanding sealers unless you have a specific reason to use one. Sanding sealers place a clear base coat between the wood and finish. But because the sealer is formulated ...
Matthew Gauthier's user avatar
3 votes

What should I consider when determining whether to clear coat, oil/wax or paint an old fir floor?

That’s called character. I’d use a pre-stain (test it and the stain color in a back corner of a closet). I’d set and putty all exposed nails, you don’t have to be perfect. You’ll enjoy it for years. ...
Lee Sam's user avatar
  • 23.1k
3 votes
Accepted

How do I fix or finish a partially sanded wood floor

A "wipe on" polyurethane might get you most of the way there, depending upon how perfect you want to get it. Lightly sand the damaged area to make sure there are no sharp edges or rough ...
George Anderson's user avatar
3 votes
Accepted

Can This Hardwood Floor Be Saved?

Solid hardwood floors can be refinished several times. However, we don't know enough about your floor to answer properly. Some factors: How many times it's been done before. Eventually you start ...
isherwood's user avatar
  • 129k
3 votes
Accepted

how smooth refinished hardwood floor is supposed to be?

The floor looks good and the finish is not fully filling the wood grain. This wood has a pretty deep grain - oak I assume. This is more eo be expected from a water borne floor finish. Waterborne ...
Kyle's user avatar
  • 4,523
3 votes

Can I use a belt sander to strip a coffee table

Can you? Sure! Should you? Well... Note: crip659 made a really good point that if this is a veneer, then a belt sander will go right through it in no time. Additionally, if this is a laminate (with a ...
FreeMan's user avatar
  • 43.1k
3 votes

How can I tell if this is hardwood or subfloor?

That’s plywood subfloor. Definitely not hardwood. Source: experience.
nobody's user avatar
  • 5,763
2 votes

Does it make sense to work on the hardwood floor first, not last?

No. Modern "dustless" sanders are quite clean, and if you have to wipe some walls it is still likely less work than protecting the floor perfectly. And while you can always clean up dust, you can't ...
Shimon Rura's user avatar
  • 8,182
2 votes

How best to remove fumes after applying polyurethane in a hardwood refinishing project?

Timeframe The floor should be mostly cured (enough to live on) in the first 5-7 days, but it can take up to a month for the odors to be completely gone, and for the finish to reach its maximum ...
ench's user avatar
  • 824

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