# Floor refinishing



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

This is a floor I'm refinishing for a long time customer. I don't do many floors, but I've known this guy for a while and to be honest, I kind of enjoy it. I applied two coats of Bona Amberseal and this pic shows one coat of Street Shoe satin by Basic Coatings on top. I applied a second coat of Street Shoe today and I think it came out good. I had never used it, and I absolutely could not believe how well a water based finish can level! The amberseal was a HUGE pain to put down, and there are still some lap marks here and there. I still have to get the hang of a T-bar...


----------



## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Looks great! :thumbsup:

I've done a few floors at my own houses over the years, but never with the water base. Have used Basic Coatings in the past though, and agree that they make a good product. Do you have your own sanders, or rent?


----------



## [email protected] (Feb 24, 2008)

Schmidt & Co. said:


> Looks great! :thumbsup:


Agreed!


----------



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

A friend of mine owns a U sand machine (which is basically four 6" random orbit sanders on the bottom of a humongous electric motor) and I borrowed that. It's tediously slow, but I have never seen a floor so flat as this machine will make it! I went down to 150 grit paper and buffed/tacked between each coat. I used a Festool RO150 as an edger (it's not mine, it's my brothers), and a dremel multimax to hit the corners


----------



## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Thanks mpminter. The last time I did my floors I had an employee that used to do them for a living. He had his own edger, and was able to borrow a 220 drum machine for the sanding, and a buffing machine so we could screen them between coats. It was a nice change of pace for me, but I think I'll stick with painting. :yes:


----------



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

I had a chance to try a Hummel 220V belt machine at the flooring supply place the other day and I was impressed! If I had the right tools I think I would definitely add it as a service. I've actually started keeping an eye on craig's list. Those Hummels are over $5,700 new, and then you still need an edger and a buffer!


----------



## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

Here ya go!

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hummel-Floo...ultDomain_0&hash=item35b5cefff9#ht_500wt_1202


----------



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

Wow, nice unit! Unfortunately it will probably sometime next year before I can start seriously looking. I need to try and stockpile some cash for the winter.


----------



## JNLP (Dec 13, 2007)

Looks good! :thumbup:

Question for those who may know. How well do refinished floors hold up vs new floors? I was talking to a floor guy and he said that refinished do not hold up good do to expansion/contraction cracking the clear, and eventually chipping away as the lips are not individually wrapped over like from the factory. Makes sense I guess, but is there any truth to this?


----------



## Workaholic (Apr 17, 2007)

Thanks. Looks good. :thumbsup:


----------



## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

JNLP said:


> Looks good! :thumbup:
> 
> Question for those who may know. How well do refinished floors hold up vs new floors? I was talking to a floor guy and he said that refinished do not hold up good do to expansion/contraction cracking the clear, and eventually chipping away as the lips are not individually wrapped over like from the factory. Makes sense I guess, but is there any truth to this?


That would completely depend on the floor and moreso what the floor is built on. Many older homes (80+ years) the floor joists are fur and overspaned.... they are sagging. A maple floor is going to act much different than a red oak. 

I think the big difference is when you refinish an old floor you are victim to how it was built. You are trying to make it 'one'.

Lots of new floors are pre finished and pieces laid individually and for even more forgiveness, beveled. Therefore if there is movement there is nothing bridging the gap to crack. If you are laying a new floor that will be finished after instal you have an opportunity to lay a sub-floor....big difference from 45 degree planks you find under old floors.


----------



## Schmidt & Co. (Nov 6, 2008)

I just remembered that Aaron dose floors also!


----------



## Wolfgang (Nov 16, 2008)

Looks nice! I've used the 4-disc sander a couple of times and really liked. The drum type is great for deep strippiing, you just have to be careful. As far as lap marks, just be careful of how much product you're trying to move around on the floor. Couple more rooms and you'll have it down pat.


----------



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

I did ok with most of it, but my problems came when I was trying to back out of a room and also on the edges. I had a couple thick streaks in the middle of one room too. I ended up sanding the whole thing quick with 120 and putting down a second coat with a roller. The roller one band of lap marks in one room and then a very visible band around another. I managed to feather it in somewhat with a sander before putting on the first coat of finish, but I still notice it. My wife doesn't see what I'm talking about and she thinks it looks great.


----------



## straight_lines (Oct 17, 2007)

We end up doing several each year. What where you applying as as finish? I don't use a roller, rather a microfiber or lambswool pad for oil.


----------



## bikerboy (Sep 16, 2007)

I remember years ago watching old timers refinish a floor on a jobsite. They took the sawdust from the belt sander, mixed it with something, trowled it into the gaps between the boards filling them. Of course the floors were then sanded again with no spaces or gaps between boards. They did beautiful work. Does anybody even do that? If not, why?


----------



## daArch (Mar 15, 2008)

Adding floors as a service could be a big plus. BUT, you will need to be REAL good at it. I see so many floors that, even though done by "professionals" who specialize in floors, look like crap.

The machine has cupped areas, the finish has dust in it, and in two years show unacceptable wear.

It the old days no floor was factory finished. Oak would be sanded and then finished with orange shellac. Now THERE'S an art unto itself. Try getting a even finish with orange shellac !

These floors would then be waxed with something like Butcher's Floor Wax, and they were bullet proof. You could move furniture on them, and as long as there were no specks of dust under the feet, there would be no scratching.

Also, touch ups where a wet plant pot had blackened the shellac was easy.

But, there is a market for doing floors correctly. I am always surprized at the lack of quality in that industry now.


----------



## Paint and Hammer (Feb 26, 2008)

This is why









This is my floor. Done, two years ago. They did the saw dust and fill technique. Most of it has popped out and my floors looks like crap. 

My house is 85 years old and in 'typical' build quality of the era. 

If anyone has a solution to this without having to completely redo them....I'm all ears!


----------



## mpminter (Mar 21, 2011)

daArch said:


> Adding floors as a service could be a big plus. BUT, you will need to be REAL good at it. I see so many floors that, even though done by "professionals" who specialize in floors, look like crap.
> 
> The machine has cupped areas, the finish has dust in it, and in two years show unacceptable wear.
> 
> ...


I would have to agree Bill. It kind of reminds me of our industry. It's interesting to me that often the one thing that separates good contractors from great ones is attention to detail patience. The guys who rush the job are the ones who miss the little things. I am interested in adding floors, but it will probably not be any time soon as I need not only the equipment but also someone to teach me some of the tricks of the trade.


----------

