We refinished them in several rooms and they looked great. These floors, through the action of the sap, generate spectacular colors over time. Learn how your comment data is processed. If the existing finish shows no evidence of having been waxed, has only surface scratches, has no obvious wear areas and is largely intact, it is possible to do what is called a screen and recoat. You can use this for a lot of your wood-specific home improvement projects.. You won’t need many tools for this project, and it is really easy to stain this kind of wood, once you get the hang of it. Most people prefer a clear oil finish. Then you are ready to move onto more physical endeavors, like choosing your tools and finish. You will need to dissolve the crystals in water and then apply the solution onto the stains with a cloth or sponge. Books, websites, and magazine articles abound in how to refinish your hardwood floors. Different types of pine wood also vary in how hard they are and will differ in the sandpaper grits you can use on them safely. Hi, Hi Philly, You didn’t state how big the gaps are. No I didn’t sand, I cleaned the floor … Apply a thin coat of oil- or water-based floor enamel with a paintbrush or foam applicator. This can net you added confidence in your endeavor as well. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. Refinishing any type of floor is messy and you don’t want the dust and debris to end up all over your home. Half the room was at one time an open porch so the floor is not in real good shape. We welcome your comments and I think from my reading that floors need to breath or you have a moisture problem with the subfloor. As you work through to higher grits, the finest of grit sandpaper will give the wood a polished finish that will really enhance it, perhaps even more so than the stain or varnish will. Pamela. Antique pine flooring is milled from salvaged timbers, and compared with new pine, will typically have tighter grain and a darker color. Or, saving the old wood for patching the other two rooms, plus saving it for repairs down the road can make sense too. Countersink any nails that have worked their way up to keep them from damaging the sander. One was the floor paint we put on 35 years ago. Or vice versa. We have stripped the pine floor in our home, there are some discolorations through the wood. tried it on a sample and it looked like hell . You need a floor sander and buffer and the finish of your choice, including sealant and/or stain. If you intend to use polyurethane for your top coat, choose an oil-based substance, as opposed to one that is water-based. The basement is below so there are a few gaps I am concerned about airflow coming in from the basement. Load a small amount of paint on the foam roller and roll it over the stencil. Make sure to sand between coats for a smooth final product. You have to make a few decisions before the project is done, so this article will help. Any suggestions? I really enjoy reading your blog, it is very useful for us. Our floors had been covered with underlayment, then vinyl, then padding and carpet. It was cheap and readily available, so, safe to say, it's everywhere. Unfortunately i tested for lead and it came out positive. Your pine flooring will have many nails driven into each of the wooden planks. Recoating & Refinishing Recoating & Refinishing. If there is still stain deep down in the … More recently my DH and I lived in a house with wide pine planks for flooring that were structural as well. This may be the most stressful part of refinishing pine flooring, but if it is done right, it can make your floors beautiful. Any thoughts? Hello, Generally, hardwood is much more durable and resistant to the wear, tear, scratches, and gouges, whereas pine is particularly soft. I found pine floors with center match under that. Removing Mortar from Concrete Slab Floor: A Practical Guide, How to Make Engineered Hardwood Floors Shine – Easy Tips and Tricks. Refinishing hardwood pine floors often sounds like more work than most people want to do, but it can be done by most do-it-yourselfers if you plan and prepare correctly. So to re-cap. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. You can DIY it or hire it done. In some places you coudl see light shining through but they were plenty sturdy for our son and two big dogs. Refinishing pine floors is a big project. Let it dry, sand it lightly with a pole sander and 150-grit sandpaper and vacuum the floor. Refinishing pine floors is no different. He suggested using that wood to do repairs on the other rooms that are in better condition). The gaps range in size. This involves using a buffer with a 180 grit screen to lightly scratch the top layer of finish so that a new layer of finish will bond to it. Step 6: Start Installing Your Pine Floor. I definitely recommend it. Even though originally these pine floors were probably intended to be covered by wall-to-wall carpet, they look beautiful. If the boards are damaged all the way through, they may need to be replaced. home improvement and repair website. Use one corner of the putty knife to scoop a fingernail-sized dollop of putty out of the jar. Let us know what you end up doing. Pine floor planking is in the category of a soft wood, whereas most wood floors are commonly referred to as hardwood. I’ve read about using strips of the same wood (which may be a possibility if we replace the flooring on the 3d floor rather than refinishing it) but I think it would be too costly for us from a labor perspective. Most pine flooring (and pine steps) can be sanded and refinished. Preparation for the room is an essential part of refinishing pine floorings. If you want to get creative you could use the old floor to make an interesting design. That is not to say that is not worth it, or that … If you aren’t careful you could oversand the floors in places, leaving them gouged and damaged. ... We also do a ton of reclaimed heart pine that is sold in original-surface or clean-milled. We are having our old pine floors refinished and the contractor suggested filling in the gaps with filler – he didn’t say what kind. Good luck! Make sure the room is properly ventilated with a fan, and wear a dust mask when sanding. An orbital sander should work fine to screen or sand the floor. These supplies are the largest ones that you need, but you may need others, depending upon your room. How to Lighten Varnished Knotty Pine Pan... How to Lighten Varnished Knotty Pine Paneling. Dar, The original under that is a black looking finish that i believe is shellac or varnish that has discolored over time. question i redid my floor but do not seem shinny do i need to re wax then or put another coat on. Several different grades of sandpaper may be needed to help you get the smooth surface that your floors need. Refinishing pine floors is no different. By cordoning off this room from the rest of your home, with tape and plastic, you will help reduce most of the dust from spreading throughout your home. Sealing with at least two coats of sealant is important to keep the floors looking great so you don’t have to go through this effort again any time soon. In order to prep my... [left]I have 1950-1960 knotty pine cabinets that I sanded down and refinish... Refinishing 100 year old pine Floors- Help. You want to make sure that you can handle the floor sander so that you can sand lightly and evenly, keeping the beauty of the floors intact. MATERIALS. Apr 10, 2016 - refinished old pine floors in attic bedroom. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent Mr. Sandless is the company that invented Sandless refinishing! Always sand in the direction of the grain. The experts show how to repair a water-damaged subfloor. It seems very soft and am wondering how durable they will be? Because you will eventually need to cover the planked subfloor at some point in time. Best Way To Cut Vinyl Plank Flooring And What Tools To Use, How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Concrete – Step-By-Step Guide. If your subfloor is concrete and doesn't contain visible cracks, chips or discolorations, you might choose to keep it as your regular flooring. Hire the Best Wood Floor Repair Companies in Madison Heights, MI on HomeAdvisor. My question in about putting down a moisture barrier if I put a new unfinished wooden floor down. Hi Stacy, Adding new life to old floors is a great way to make your home more beautiful and inviting, as well as add value to your home. Polishing it with white pad might help bring up some shine also. do not use white glue and sawdust to fill any gap. The softer your wood, the higher the grit you should start with. Education will help you make the decision and proceed on either path. There does come a time, however, where it will be necessary to think about refinishing your pine floors. the best thing to do is go and ask a dealer/ installer what to use. Paint or stain concrete subflooring if you want to give it a finished appearance. Once the paint is dry, seal the floors with several coats of sealer. Some people say you shouldn’t try to DIY refinishing pine floors because of this, but if you are patient and are of the mind that imperfections add character then this is a totally doable project. I like the idea of not having gaps b/c of the dirt, etc. When it comes to purchasing and finding a reputable and consistent supplier for reclaimed flooring, that can be a challenge. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Choosing the right finishes is also important. problems contact webmaster@doityourself.com. Move the stencil to the next section and repeat until complete. These supplies are the largest ones that you need, but you may need others, depending upon your room. Even a lot of pros have problems sanding and finishing this wood. • The sap will make the sandpaper load up quickly—change paper frequently. Thank you, How to Repair a Water-Damaged Subfloor Over time, a sink or refrigerator water leak can damage and even destroy flooring materials and the subfloor below it. I love the old floors and I would hate to harm them. Refinishing hardwood pine floors can help to give them new life, whether you do it yourself or you pay to have a professional do them. the sander will heat up the glue and turn it black. But if you want to create a certain look, match wood tones or want to add a healthy glow to the pine floors, stain is important. As you know, you don’t have to use it, but you will run the risk of blotches if you don’t. I am biased towards low VOC stains and sealants because it’s better for the environment and your health. Most are around 1/8th inch or smaller but some are a quarter inch. Would laying a new floor ontop be a better investment of time and money in regards to long-lasting durability? Pine is a softwood, so an old pine floor is usually distressed, which is part of its charm. If your subfloor is smooth or looks like it has a coating, then sanding will help with adhesion. To finish the floor, we'd probably go with three coats of polyurethane. Of course, you could always apply a … But it’s also a project you may want to leave to professionals. We also plan to have kids and I think it would be much better not to have cracks if there are children playing on the floors. For those interested in how to finish plywood, we put together this guide on how to stain plywood. It was a nuisance and had to be cleared from the land in order to build houses. Builders who intend to install linoleum, carpet or thinner hardwood over the subflooring usually try to make the subflooring as tight and smooth as possible. Bona NaturalSeal; Bona Novia – Satin; Bona Traffic HD – Matte (3) 10 mm microfiber rollers; Paint brush for edging; Paint Tray; Paint Tray liners (optional) Broom handle for paint roller; Paint roller frame; Sandpaper for between finish coats (220 grit) STEPS Get Quotes & Book Instantly. (We are having two rooms refinished and he suggested replacing the floors in the third room that has old pine b/c three would need to be repairs done to 1/3 the floor in that room and he didn’t think it would turn out well. Only two coats of finish have been put on these floors. Do you have a recommendation for a wood bleaching product to bleach the wood surface from the stains, so we can refinish with polyurethane? It is very easy to create a divot or low spot on the floor if you are not paying attention. Thank you for letting everyone know these results. Occasionally, I have seen floors that have been refinished so many times and it’s time to replace them, but this the exception to the rule (perhaps this occurs in 5% of floors). Start with educating yourself, as you are doing now. View our Privacy Policy here. There are a number of products on the market that can help lend some durability to pine wood while maintaining and enhancing the beauty of its unique grain. Whitney. The house I grew up in was built in the 1920s and had fir subfloors. We refinished our pine floors and they look absolutely beautiful. What would be the best way to refinish them? Most low VOC products use less petroleum products, if any at all, thereby reducing our reliance on oil — especially foreign oil. Hardwood pine floors can be found in older and newer homes, because of their great beauty and durability.