# Hardwood floors finished? A labor of love



## badbert (Apr 23, 2012)

After losing one home to corporate greed, and the next to a house fire, I purchased a 1926 1800 sg ft, 1 3/4 story arts and craft style bungalow. The house is full of quarter sawn white oak. The entire house has 2 1/4×3/4 random length quarter sawn white oak floors. They were of course hidden under carpeting for the past thirty or so years. They appeared to have been redone at one point, as was evident by tell-tale chattermarks of a drum sander. The house had taken on water damage at one time and the floors had suffered. I purchased a 18" x 12" flecto/varathane squar(sic) buff floor sander and about $600 worth of pads, screens, and sandpaper, from a local hardware that had succumbed to Home depot competition. I paid a grand total of $150 for the sander and all of the paper. I also purchased 23 gallons of Pro Finish Crystal clear gloss water based polyurethane… for $200! Bringing the grand total to $350 for enough material to redo my floors and put multiple coats on! We started with 20 grit, and sanded the whole floor flat. We used a 4×24 belt sander with 36 grit to level any low spots and clean up the edges. Once leveled, there was no more need for the belt sander. So I worked my way up slowly to 120 grit. And then screened the whole floor with 150 grit screen. After vacuuming. tacking, and sterilizing the entire floor. I started with two thin coat of sanding sealer, allowing 2 hours between coats, and then after four hours, I put on a third heavier coat. I allowed it to dry for 48 hours (I know it is not necessary to let water based poly to dry so long) and then screened it flat with 150 and then came back for a second pass with a 220 screen. We re-sterilized and put on 4 coats of poly. Allowing two hours between coats. We repeated this process for 3 days. sanding with 220 in the morning and applying four more coats until we reached twelve coats. We allowed it to dry for 72 hours. The floor was shiny, but the finish was slightly orange-peeled. I then buffed the finish first with a red scotch pad and then a white pad. The floor looks amazing! BUT… it does not have that diamond gloss shine that I tried so hard to achieve! Amazingly enough I was afraid the quarter sawn marks would be buried, but instead the finish is crystal clear and the marks are accented! But I want it to have the super gloss finish! What do I do next?


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

Id say that youre going to need to buff it out. Im by no means an expert or floor guy but thats my thought. A good buffing should sine it right up. Id love love love to see some pictures of the floor, as the saying goes around here … no pictures, it didnt happen.

welcome to the gang.


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## badbert (Apr 23, 2012)

Thanks for your answer, Chrisstef, but How? How do I buff it out? Do I need to add a finish? Like "rejuvenate"? What is the best method/product? I have reached the limit on available buffing pads for my squar buff sander.

After weeks of sanding, just before the first coat of sanding sealer.










This is just before we sanded the sand sealer.


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## chrisstef (Mar 3, 2010)

I tell ya that looks really nice, i love the bungalow style homes. In terms of how and what to use im not real sure, i wish i had a btter answer. But from thinking about how id finish a furniture top that i wanted to shine, it would be wax, a clean rag, and elbow grease. Im thinking that by using a floor sanding machine and a buffing pad (kind of like the ones they use for a car) youd get that shine. There's gotta be an LJ out there thats done this ….. just sit tight someone will chime in.


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## badbert (Apr 23, 2012)

I use Mothers California Gold Carnuba car wax on all of my fine finishes, but that would be way, way too slick to walk on, LOL


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## pintodeluxe (Sep 12, 2010)

High gloss kind of flies in the face of traditional craftsman design. I like the floors the way they are. 
Good luck!


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## badbert (Apr 23, 2012)

I gotta agree with you pintodeluxe. I liked 'em best after I sanded the sealer coats. But my LOML wants the gym-floor look.


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

Actually for a period style bungalow (I live in one) the floors really shouldn't be a super high gloss finish anyway. I think you did a great job and after all that work I would just leave it be. Why risk destroying a nicely finished floor that looks terrific?


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## badbert (Apr 23, 2012)

The problem took care of itself! After mopping with plain water and dusting a few times. The shine is perfect!


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## rivergirl (Aug 18, 2010)

That is good news. I am going to be refinishing my floors this summer but need a super resilient product because I have a pile of big dogs, and sandy soil here on the river.


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