Refinishing hardwood hallway over a weekend


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Old 04-23-08, 10:47 AM
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Refinishing hardwood hallway over a weekend

Hey guys.
I need to refinish the hallway in our home. Its a small 1-story Ranch, so the hallway is small (only~11x3) but connects all rooms. Meaning, bathrooms/bedrooms are occluded during drying.
My family will be gone this weekend, Fri-Sun, I'm primed to tackle this.
I'm looking for suggestions/tips for timeframes/steps for getting it ready for them to walk on (lightly!) when they return.
And, of course, this is my first time completely refinishing hardwood flooring. Not new to DIY projects by any means though.

Or as an alternative (to just get it done), what would be a reasonable estimate to pay a pro? Like I said it's only ~35-40 sq ft so it seems hardly worth somebody's time.

Thanks in advance!
 
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Old 04-24-08, 08:59 AM
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I've installed a number of hardwood floors over the years as DIY projects with spectacular results. However, I always use a pro to do the sanding/staining/sealing work. Those drum sanders can get out of hand quickly, resulting in a ruined floor - in addition, the typical DIY rental unit isn't nearly as efficient as the ones the pros use. Depending on the condition of your floors, you could need up to three different sandings - followed by three coats of sealer after the stain.

If you decide to tackle it yourself, figure 24 hours between coats of sealer (with a minimum of 8 hours drying time before you can lightly tread on it) - adding however long you think it will take for you to sand it.

Last 4 pro jobs cost me $2.75/sq. ft.
 
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Old 04-25-08, 09:03 AM
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Thanks for the input.
Problem I'm running into w/ pros is the small space - 50 sq ft. Everybody has a minimum charge, $300 is lowest II've found. For that cost, I could have a whole new floor installed!

I've used the drum sanders before, and yes, holy cow it takes some getting used to.
Now, what about orbital sanders instead?
The floor is structurally fine, no big gouges, cupping or anything. The problem is that ,any, many years ago the POs put down carpet w/ the famous black foam padding, it was quite ingrainedi n there. I've goy 99% of it up, but the finish is trashed and has several areas that ended up bare due to having to use mineral spirits and a painstcraper.
Will an orbital sander work?
 
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Old 04-25-08, 10:04 AM
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Originally Posted by RatLabGuy
The problem is that ,any, many years ago the POs put down carpet w/ the famous black foam padding, it was quite ingrainedi n there. I've goy 99% of it up, but the finish is trashed and has several areas that ended up bare due to having to use mineral spirits and a painstcraper.
Will an orbital sander work?
I had the exact same deal going on with my floor with the black stuff and the oribital sander worked great!
before>>after>>
 
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Old 04-25-08, 11:39 AM
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A big orbital is a touch of "overkill" for your small space. An orbital edging sander would kill two birds with one stone... getting your edges and the main floor at the same time (since it's a very small area). Good luck!!!
 
 

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