Floor refinishing
#11
I want to refinish a bedroom floor that is in pretty good shape.  Since the room is only about 135 sq. ft and the floor boards are in the short axis, I don't want to rent a drum sander which seams over-kill and clumsy. 

Question 1: Has anyone rented the orbital floor sander from HD, and did it leave swirl marks in the floor?  I will finish with a clear coat of polyurethane, no stain. 

Question 2:  I'm also considering just scratching up the existing finish by hand before adding a new coat.  I think the existing finish is polyurethane, but I'm not sure.  If it's not, should I worry about compatibility, or does polyurethane go over most anything?  Thanks.
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#12
(08-29-2019, 01:18 PM)Bach1750 Wrote: I want to refinish a bedroom floor that is in pretty good shape.  Since the room is only about 135 sq. ft and the floor boards are in the short axis, I don't want to rent a drum sander which seams over-kill and clumsy. 

Question 1: Has anyone rented the orbital floor sander from HD, and did it leave swirl marks in the floor?  I will finish with a clear coat of polyurethane, no stain. 

Question 2:  I'm also considering just scratching up the existing finish by hand before adding a new coat.  I think the existing finish is polyurethane, but I'm not sure.  If it's not, should I worry about compatibility, or does polyurethane go over most anything?  Thanks.

I think HD, etc. rent walk behind ROS.  I've heard they do a great job but haven't used one so no direct knowledge.  

Polyurethane definitely does not stick to most anything; in fact, it often doesn't like to stick even to itself.  So if you go with option 2 you definitely want to clean the floor really, really well, and do it again twice over if it was ever waxed.  Then you will want to scuff sand it with 150 grit or something similar to give the new finish something to adhere to.  When in doubt read the instructions for the product you are thinking of using.  

John
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#13
I have used that HD ROS floor sander.  It is so much easier to handle than a drum - slower - but so much easier.  Go through the grits as recommended.  I would  make sure the floor is smoothed using the lowest grit first.  Then use the rest of the grits like you would using a hand held ROS.  Just take your time and do the final sanding more than you think you should. 

You might be able to get by with just roughing the finish then recoating.  The only finish I wouldn't cover would be a factory applied - that's really hard to rough up.  The rest of finishes out there you can rough up.  Since it is a bedroom there is a lot less traffic so my guess is that poly will hold up well.
John

Always use the right tool for the job.

We need to clean house.
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#14
(08-29-2019, 02:35 PM)jteneyck Wrote: I think HD, etc. rent walk behind ROS.  I've heard they do a great job but haven't used one so no direct knowledge.  

Polyurethane definitely does not stick to most anything; in fact, it often doesn't like to stick even to itself.  So if you go with option 2 you definitely want to clean the floor really, really well, and do it again twice over if it was ever waxed.  Then you will want to scuff sand it with 150 grit or something similar to give the new finish something to adhere to.  When in doubt read the instructions for the product you are thinking of using.  

John

HD's web site calls them just "orbital sanders", so I don't know if there's a difference.  They're only about $45/4 hrs. which seams like plenty of time, so I'll probably do that.  Since I've never had any problems in the past with applying a new coat over old, I just assumed there were no issues, so good to know that about about poly.  Thanks.
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#15
I did 3 BR in 2 days.  They have a bag attached which picks up a lot of the dust.  If you can put a fan in the window and cover the air vents.
John

Always use the right tool for the job.

We need to clean house.
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#16
(08-29-2019, 04:38 PM)John Mihich Wrote: I did 3 BR in 2 days.  They have a bag attached which picks up a lot of the dust.  If you can put a fan in the window and cover the air vents.

Good to hear first hand experience.  Three bedrooms in two days just for sanding, or finishing too?  Drum sanders are fast, are the orbital sanders that much slower?
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#17
I have used the ROS from Lowe's. It does the job. I used a sharpened house scraper to get in corners, and under shoe molding. Followed by my ROS.
Go through the grits ... get plenty. What you don't use return.



If it can't kill you it probably ain't no good. Better living through chemicals.

 
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#18
(08-30-2019, 11:05 AM)fishhh4 Wrote: I have used the ROS from Lowe's. It does the job. I used a sharpened house scraper to get in corners, and under shoe molding. Followed by my ROS.
Go through the grits ... get plenty. What you don't use return.

Thanks, again good to hear it does the job.  I have such a small area so I'm guessing one sheet each probably starting at 80 and stopping at 150?

Also, I'm going on distant memory here, but is it best to do the first coat with a thinned gloss and follow up with second coat that has the sheen you're looking for?  As I recall, a thinned gloss finish adheres better than one with low luster.  I'll probably go with satin for the final coat.

Any product recommendations?  My impression is that it probably doesn't make much of a difference, but I'd be happy to hear thoughts.  Thanks again.
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#19
(08-30-2019, 12:48 PM)Bach1750 Wrote:   I have such a small area so I'm guessing one sheet each probably starting at 80 and stopping at 150?

purchase more then take back what ya dont use.
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#20
(08-29-2019, 04:57 PM)Bach1750 Wrote: Good to hear first hand experience.  Three bedrooms in two days just for sanding, or finishing too?  Drum sanders are fast, are the orbital sanders that much slower?
Just for sanding.  It is slower for sure.  But the time included removing the baseboards.  I was painting the place and fixing the baseboards; some ion bad shape.  I have done I several jobs using the ROS from HD.  I plain on using it to redo my deck.  A friend did his and it really turn out nice.
John

Always use the right tool for the job.

We need to clean house.
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