Hardwood floor

[flyenby]

Hi , I am in Orange County , calif. I need a floor refinished , any recommendations ,
Thanks

[look 171]

You have a PM

[Rick V]

Originally Posted by look 171

You have a PM

I hear this guys knows his stuff

[look 171]

Well, thanks Rick. I want to send solid folks to my Pelican bros. In this town, if they have 30 bucks to rent a sanding machine at Home Depot they are floor installers.

[Steve Carlton]

I thought sanding was extra.

[Hugh R]

If sanding a floor with a belt sander for the first time, PRACTICE on a space like in a closet. Or a corner that people don't see much. Those puppies take off wood like you can't imagine. DO NOT hire the guys hanging out in front of Home Depot to use a belt sander.

[flyenby]

Thanks Rick, I will call him I am a retired contractor Believe it or not lic# 601911

[look 171]

My number is in the low 7s, so you must not be that old. Mr. B. Rose is solid, and no tricks. Good guy. Good luck with the floor.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

If sanding a floor with a belt sander for the first time, PRACTICE on a space like in a closet. Or a corner that people don't see much. Those puppies take off wood like you can't imagine. DO NOT hire the guys hanging out in front of Home Depot to use a belt sander.

What are you talking about, those guys can do anything, full on electrical service, structure steel welding, hill side foundation and everything in between. They do it all for $10 bucks an hour. You just need to speaka Espanish.

[flyenby]

They get 15.00 an hour for brain surgery...and you have to buy them lunch

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

If sanding a floor with a belt sander for the first time, PRACTICE on a space like in a closet. Or a corner that people don't see much. Those puppies take off wood like you can't imagine.

Good idea...'think I'd buy me a 4'x8' plywood sheet 'n practice.
Them baby's can be hungry.

[E Sully]

A friend of mine rented a sander and decided to do his own floors. You could easily see the light high and low wave from not sanding evenly. At least the stain and finish looked nice.

[john70t]

I recently did the floors for a rental in a pinch. It sucked.
Floors are really a week job but I hacked it in three days with a 3x21 handheld belt sander.

Any high-low big waves should be cut perpendicular to the lay/grain with 80/50/40.

There is a huge difference with those grits:
(-) 80 gums up very fast with existing poly and wood.
Expect to buy hundreds of dollars more in sandpaper and late night trips while very tired and wanting to get done.
(+) 40 cuts through everything, but will leave deep black burn lines.

It should be done on warm dry days.
Vacuum residue then wipe with appropriate solvent.
A wipe with a wet towel will show the true smoothness.
Look at the shine bounce from a southern window to determine smoothness.

Use Minwax oil poly instead of water based.
If possible.
It will amber/darken slightly but has been a good consistent product for me 5+ times.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by john70t

I recently did the floors for a rental in a pinch. It sucked.
Floors are really a week job but I hacked it in three days with a 3x21 handheld belt sander.

Any high-low big waves should be cut perpendicular to the lay/grain with 80/50/40.

There is a huge difference with those grits:
(-) 80 gums up very fast with existing poly and wood.
Expect to buy hundreds of dollars more in sandpaper and late night trips while very tired and wanting to get done.
(+) 40 cuts through everything, but will leave deep black burn lines.

It should be done on warm dry days.
Vacuum residue then wipe with appropriate solvent.
A wipe with a wet towel will show the true smoothness.
Look at the shine bounce from a southern window to determine smoothness.

Use Minwax oil poly instead of water based.
If possible.
It will amber/darken slightly but has been a good consistent product for me 5+ times.

Holy smokes man, the entire house with a lil' belt sander? How's your back?

[john70t]

Only a larger combo room. No time for rental b.s.
The back is peachy. Just peachy. Thank you.
The surgery recovery was the whipped cream. After laying on the floor trying not to cry for half an hour, the rest of life seems so much easier.

I tell 'ya these small time LLs have got it made:
Fixing holes in doors and walls. Doors pulled off their hinges. Laying poly in the dark at 2 am. Paying $20K in bills on another day. Getting an earful on the phone. The paperwork. Chasing after incorrect checks every month and tenants who don't know what a 9V battery is.
Those guys are absolutely swimming in gravy.

As a contractor you've been familiar with it all...

[look 171]

Sorry about your back, John. That's not something to mess with especially when it comes to having someone do the heavy lifting or bending over for 4 hours coating a floor.

I know all too well about having to deal with tenants. I am the small time LL. My wife deals with the communications aspect of the that mostly through email and text. I just let them screw it up and ask them again and again to not screw things up then I just have someone go in and fix it. I don't get bend out of shape about it unlike my wife. Stupid people just drives her nuts. Thankfully as a contractor, we don't do any maintenance for other people, just our own. That enough and it drives my men crazy having to deal with pulled hinges and broken towel bars. Custom work is our niche market, that and itself is a big enough headache. Thanks goodness we don't chase after too many bad checks. They have been pretty good over the years with the exception of a few folks. I have been very lucky.