Finally tackled the scratched oak floors in our living room. Rented a drum sander, did 3 grits (36, 60, 100), then two coats of water-based poly. The dust containment was the hardest part. Anything you’d do differently?
Nice work — 36/60/100 is exactly the right progression for old oak with worn poly, most weekend refinishers skip the coarse grit and pay for it in hours.
A few things we do on jobs that would’ve helped:
Dust: tape off the cold-air returns and set a box fan blowing OUT of a window before you start the drum sander — negative pressure pulls the fine dust out instead of letting it settle in every other room. Cheap and it works.
Edges: the edge sander leaves swirl marks that only show up after the first coat. A quick hand-screen with a 120 pad along the perimeter before coating blends them.
Poly: two coats of water-based is the minimum — on a living room we’d do three, with a light screen (220) between coats 2 and 3. Water-based builds thinner than oil, so the third coat is what buys you the next ten years.
How did the colour come out — did you stay natural or stain? Photos would be great if you have before/afters.
Flooring choices have come a long way! If you’re deciding between materials, consider the room’s moisture levels, foot traffic, and whether you have radiant heating. Have you looked into the latest waterproof luxury vinyl planks? They’re incredibly durable and realistic-looking these days.
Regarding your post about Refinished my hardwood floors over a weekend — what I learned — Thanks for posting this! What’s your specific situation — material, size, budget? The more details you share, the better advice you’ll get from the community. Photos help tremendously if you have any!
Hey sarah_diy, welcome to the forum!
36/60/100 was the right call on grit progression — BuildersLTD nailed the advice above. I’ll add a couple things I’ve learned from projects in Mississauga:
On dust containment: the box fan trick works great. One extra tip — tape a cheap furnace filter (MERV-8) to the intake side of the fan. It catches the fine dust before it hits the fan blades and sends way less particulate back into the room.
On your next project: if the rental place near you has a dustless sanding attachment (the ones with the shroud + shop vac hose), it’s worth the upcharge. Cuts cleanup time by about 70%.
What brand of water-based poly did you use? Bona Traffic HD darkens less over time than most alternatives if you ever redo — and for oak especially it keeps that natural golden tone instead of going amber.