Wood ID and how to improve the aesthetics

[Exploring Flooring]

Hello everyone,

I have a property with some very dingy flooring and I was hoping to improve the situation. My first question is what kind of wood do you all think it is? Next is what I have to do to improve it. Let me know what you think needs to be done to make this look decent. I've included some close-ups and 2 wide-perspective shots.

Thanks in advance!

 

[JPfloor]

I would guess red or white oak. Red is more common.

To state the obvious it needs to be sanded and refinished. Hard to say how deep those black spots are. May be difficult to get them out. A darker stain will help disguise them. As for the spaces between the boards, wood shrinks over time. There’s not a lot you can do other than replace the floor.

 

[C.J.]

Sand n finish that baby. Post some pics when you’re done.

What’s the look you’re going for? You got a Home Depot close by that you can rent some tools from?

 

[Exploring Flooring]

I would guess red or white oak. Red is more common.

To state the obvious it needs to be sanded and refinished. Hard to say how deep those black spots are. May be difficult to get them out. A darker stain will help disguise them. As for the spaces between the boards, wood shrinks over time. There’s not a lot you can do other than replace the floor.

Hi JP, thanks for the comment! In terms of the spaces should I use wood filler or just sand + finish and hope it's not too noticeable? Also, do I have to stain or could I just sand and finish it to get a relatively nice-looking outcome? Lastly, if I recently repainted will sanding stain the walls?

Thanks!

 

[Exploring Flooring]

Sand n finish that baby. Post some pics when you’re done.

What’s the look you’re going for? You got a Home Depot close by that you can rent some tools from?

Hi Cj, thanks for responding. Do you think I would need to stain to hide the black spots or could I just sand and finish? Is wood filler for the gaps necessary/ideal? Or is it fine without filling gaps. Lastly, if I recently repainted will sanding stain the walls?

Thank you!

 

[JPfloor]

Hi JP, thanks for the comment! In terms of the spaces should I use wood filler or just sand + finish and hope it's not too noticeable? Also, do I have to stain or could I just sand and finish it to get a relatively nice-looking outcome? Lastly, if I recently repainted will sanding stain the walls?

Thanks!

Personally I would live with the spaces. If you use filler it looks like... Well, like filler.

I would sand it first and see how it looks. Stain is strictly for aesthetics. If you don't want it, you don't need it. In this case it might help hide some of the imperfections in the floor but still optional.

Given a choice I would sand the floors before painting but it doesn't really matter. It's gonna get dusty but shouldn't stain the walls. Best to have a vacuum with a good filter hooked up to your sander.

 

[Exploring Flooring]

Personally I would live with the spaces. If you use filler it looks like... Well, like filler.

I would sand it first and see how it looks. Stain is strictly for aesthetics. If you don't want it, you don't need it. In this case it might help hide some of the imperfections in the floor but still optional.

Given a choice I would sand the floors before painting but it doesn't really matter. It's gonna get dusty but shouldn't stain the walls. Best to have a vacuum with a good filter hooked up to your sander.

Thank you!

Now I had some more specific questions about the sanding process. I previously sanded and finished another house and the end product felt slightly rough to the touch. What do I have to do in order to get a smooth final product?

What should I do for tight spaces (specifically flooring around a toilet)? If there is paint residue on the flooring do I have to wipe it down first to avoid burnouts while grinding? What are some general tips to get a good outcome without doing any damage? I remember last time the grinder was great up until the last ~30% when it start to quickly burn out the sanding sheets even though I cleaned the area fairly well beforehand.

What's a good grinding gradient to go down? I've seen people suggesting 5 levels and others suggesting 2—I personally did 2 last time. I've also seen people suggesting a fine grind after putting down the first layer of seal, should I do that or is it going above and beyond?

My goals are just to get a decent-looking floor instead of the current ugly and dirty mess.

Thanks again!

 

[Incognito]

I have great respect for the opinions above. My opinion/advice for you is hire a professional hardwood floor refinisher. When he's all done, if you stick around a few minutes and watch all the work required, equipment, skills you'll be HAPPY to pay the man and you'll have a floor that with routine maintenance coats every few years which you CAN easily do yourself will last 10-20 years +

 

[JPfloor]

Holy moley! Now that’s a sander!

Might be a tight squeeze getting around a toilet bowl though.

As for the original poster, I would suggest removing the toilet bowl. You could rent a sander (that job looks like it will need a belt sander) and an edger for the perimeter. Start out with about 36 grit and work your way up. You should do a final screening with about 150 grit with a buffing machine before applying any finish. Another machine to rent. Remove the molding first if you can. Not sure what you mean by a grinder but that sounds like the wrong tool.

Although you will save some money doing it yourself you could take Incognito’s advice, hire a pro, and sit back and have a beer…. A very good plan.

 

[Incognito]

Holy moley! Now that’s a sander!

Might be a tight squeeze getting around a toilet bowl though.

As for the original poster, I would suggest removing the toilet bowl. You could rent a sander (that job looks like it will need a belt sander) and an edger for the perimeter. Start out with about 36 grit and work your way up. You should do a final screening with about 150 grit with a buffing machine before applying any finish. Another machine to rent. Remove the molding first if you can. Not sure what you mean by a grinder but that sounds like the wrong tool.

Although you will save some money doing it yourself you could take Incognito’s advice, hire a pro, and sit back and have a beer…. A very good plan.

I wasn't allowed to drink on the job.

 

[JPfloor]

Seriously though if you want to tackle it yourself there’s a lot to know. 4 passes would be best with different grades of sandpaper 40, 60, 80, 120, then a final screening with 150 to get a smooth finish.

You use the term grinding? I hope that’s just a Canadian term for sanding. A grinder will Tear your floor up.

Do your homework, there’s plenty of thorough articles online. More than we can type here.

Hardwood Floor Sanding: Do It Yourself Tips

Follow these hardwood floor sanding and refinishing tips from a veteran floor refinisher to achieve a smooth, professional-quality finish.

www.familyhandyman.com

 

[JPfloor]

I have great respect for the opinions above. My opinion/advice for you is hire a professional hardwood floor refinisher. When he's all done, if you stick around a few minutes and watch all the work required, equipment, skills you'll be HAPPY to pay the man and you'll have a floor that with routine maintenance coats every few years which you CAN easily do yourself will last 10-20 years +

I'm still intrigued by that machine. Do you run two different grits at the same time? Plus that baby's gotta draw some amperage? Different circuits? Or wired direct to the breaker box?

 

[C.J.]

I’ve got a Clarke Hydra Sand. It’s a game changer. It’s 7 bones but it makes it so much easier to get professional results.

American Sanders HydraSand Multi Head Sanding Disc

The HydraSand attaches to any rotary sander allowing you to operate with six 5" drive pads for maximum sanding performance. 16" diameter.

www.tools4flooring.com

Rent you an Easy 8 and an edger from HD. Since most of your finish looks like it’s already worn off I’d prolly start with 60 grit. Hit everywhere you can with the Easy 8 then do your edging. Switch up to 80 grit and do it again. Vacuum the floor in between grits.

Now is where I switch over to the Hydra Sand. Of course you’ll need a floor buffer but HD has them too. I use a 5” palm sander to get right up to the edges and in the corners, other than that it’s buffer time until you’re done. I’d start with a 60 grit on the Hydra Sand and palm sander. Jump to 80 grit then 100 grit. If you like how things are lookin then you’re done sanding. I suppose you could take it up to 120 grit but that’s up to you. If you’re gonna stain the floor then you’ll want to take it up to 150 and you’ll have to water pop the floor before you apply stain. Just between you n me, do yourself a favor and don’t stain the floor. Dark floors show every single imperfection and you’ll likely have a few.

Did I mention dust containment? There’s gonna be dust. So much dust you’ll be pickin boogers next year from this job. The first sand n finish job I did was in my own house. I had fans in windows and put a cardboard box over the buffer to try and keep the dust down. I have dust containment and HEPA air scrubbers now. What do you have? Better to ask and come up with a plan now than when you’re in the middle of it and your wife is freaking out.

Finish. Water based? Oil based? What kinda time frame you got for this job. I’m gonna swamy this and say you want Bona Mega satin finish. It’s water based, easy as pie to apply and you can walk on it and recoat it in 2 to 3 hours. I’m gonna say 4 coats. First coat is a seal coat so you’ll end up with 3 solid coats when you’re all done.

After your first coat you’ll wanna feel the floor to see how smooth it is cus dust n crap gets stuck in the finish. A quick scuff with a screen will smooth things right out. Don’t scuff it too much, just enough to get the little tits off the floor and that’s it. Vacuum, tack and continue applying coats.

 

[Incognito]

I'm still intrigued by that machine. Do you run two different grits at the same time? Plus that baby's gotta draw some amperage? Different circuits? Or wired direct to the breaker box?

They have to bring a generator. Navy inspector required it to be properly grounded. The machine is already grounded but it was easier (faster) to run to Home Depot, buy a copper rod and drive it into the ground than try to find all the proper documentation for the integrity of the unit as designed by the manufacturer.

My Navy/Gov Inspector was a notorious............hardass. But in the long run his integrity and pressure forced my superiors in the company to COMPLY and not F around like they often choose to do. There was no choice but to comply. Eventually this became a $50 million dollar account. So we spent a few hundred bucks buying a copper rod and some heavy amp wire.

 

[Incognito]

grit?.......I'm not sure it was about 8 years ago and all I can recall was reading the specifications and the guy kind of laughed at me. Came out REALLY beautiful. I realized he was a pro and I just let him do his thing. But like you said, I think he did go 40/60 and 80/100 using two different grits at the same time. The the screening with the buffer. They were incredibly meticulous. It was a couple from Oregon and they were enjoying a working, all-expense paid vacation in Ventura. I really enjoyed working with them.

 

[JPfloor]

Wow! Serious operation.

I’m surprised that guy’s not wearing a respirator. Did they have a ride on vacuum too?

 

[JPfloor]

I’ve got a Clarke Hydra Sand. It’s a game changer. It’s 7 bones but it makes it so much easier to get professional results.

American Sanders HydraSand Multi Head Sanding Disc

The HydraSand attaches to any rotary sander allowing you to operate with six 5" drive pads for maximum sanding performance. 16" diameter.

www.tools4flooring.com

Rent you an Easy 8 and an edger from HD. Since most of your finish looks like it’s already worn off I’d prolly start with 60 grit. Hit everywhere you can with the Easy 8 then do your edging. Switch up to 80 grit and do it again. Vacuum the floor in between grits.

Now is where I switch over to the Hydra Sand. Of course you’ll need a floor buffer but HD has them too. I use a 5” palm sander to get right up to the edges and in the corners, other than that it’s buffer time until you’re done. I’d start with a 60 grit on the Hydra Sand and palm sander. Jump to 80 grit then 100 grit. If you like how things are lookin then you’re done sanding. I suppose you could take it up to 120 grit but that’s up to you. If you’re gonna stain the floor then you’ll want to take it up to 150 and you’ll have to water pop the floor before you apply stain. Just between you n me, do yourself a favor and don’t stain the floor. Dark floors show every single imperfection and you’ll likely have a few.

Did I mention dust containment? There’s gonna be dust. So much dust you’ll be pickin boogers next year from this job. The first sand n finish job I did was in my own house. I had fans in windows and put a cardboard box over the buffer to try and keep the dust down. I have dust containment and HEPA air scrubbers now. What do you have? Better to ask and come up with a plan now than when you’re in the middle of it and your wife is freaking out.

Finish. Water based? Oil based? What kinda time frame you got for this job. I’m gonna swamy this and say you want Bona Mega satin finish. It’s water based, easy as pie to apply and you can walk on it and recoat it in 2 to 3 hours. I’m gonna say 4 coats. First coat is a seal coat so you’ll end up with 3 solid coats when you’re all done.

After your first coat you’ll wanna feel the floor to see how smooth it is cus dust n crap gets stuck in the finish. A quick scuff with a screen will smooth things right out. Don’t scuff it too much, just enough to get the little tits off the floor and that’s it. Vacuum, tack and continue applying coats.

Now we’re talkin!

Air scrubber must come in handy…

 

[Incognito]

Wow! Serious operation.

I’m surprised that guy’s not wearing a respirator. Did they have a ride on vacuum too?

I made him wear one eventually. I offered to help and they let me bag the dust.

 

[C.J.]

Air scrubber must come in handy…

I use that thing all the time. Customers like it but I really got it for me.

 

[Exploring Flooring]

Thank you for the help, everyone! I consulted with a local flooring company and they got me an excellent price on some luxury vinyl flooring. so I redid all the floors in the house (including the hideous linoleum in the entry and kitchen but I didn't include those pictures). I've included some photos if anyone is interested.