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-...
- 5,750
22
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 ...
- 23.2k
13
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 ...
- 36.3k
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 ...
- 1,384
12
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 ...
- 12.4k
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 ...
- 223k
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 ...
- 1,915
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 (...
- 28.1k
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 ...
- 1,141
7
votes
Should I refinish high-traffic areas of a hardwood floor only or the whole floor?
Do the whole floor.
Trying to match edges to join seamlessly is a no hoper.
- 28.1k
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)....
- 33.8k
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 ...
- 11.2k
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 ...
- 49.8k
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 ...
- 65.7k
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 ...
- 28.1k
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 ...
- 223k
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 ...
- 3,450
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 ...
- 144k
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 ...
- 103k
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.
...
- 23.4k
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 ...
- 23.2k
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 ...
- 144k
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 ...
- 4,843
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 ...
- 47.9k
3
votes
How can I tell if this is hardwood or subfloor?
That’s plywood subfloor. Definitely not hardwood.
Source: experience.
- 6,828
2
votes
Accepted
How can I clean and smooth the finish on an old table?
Those questions are all interrelated ;) Whether mineral spirits are safe to use depends on the finish. Any sense of age? Since there's more than one, I'll assume it's factory made and guess a ...
- 858
2
votes
Refinish Sections of Hardwood at a Time
Finishing a floor one room at a time is not a recommended practice. It takes several days, if not weeks for the polyurethane to completely cure. During that time, the poly will be off-gassing toxic ...
- 3,522
2
votes
Are foam brushes suitable for applying wood stain, or is a cloth necessary? Is "rubbing in" required?
Most stains don't need to be "rubbed in" but of course that depends from can to can. Read what your can says for how to apply. If it doesn't mention rubbing in then don't do it. Almost all stain (...
- 732
2
votes
Accepted
Add more Polyurethane to recently refinished hardwood flooring?
For anyone reading this I did as I said and it came out really well. Process was to get a 220 grit screening pad and hand sand all the edges. Then I cut a piece to go on my finish sander and hit the ...
- 31
2
votes
can this antique douglas fir floor be saved?
Old post here but if anyone else is considering this. I recommend not even bothering to pull the floors. If you have a crawl space underneath, encapsulate it instead to prevent draft, make the house ...
- 21
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