If the original floors are in decent shape I would agree but if they are in bad shape and look like crap you may just be better off putting in brand new hardwood floors.

It's just one of those things in life that's worth every penny. I put it up there with movers. Today, I paid two college jocks $20 bucks apiece plus a couple bottles of cold beer to move a frig, sink, range, countertop from the 3rd floor to the curb - worth EVERY penny.

If you have nice oak or pine floors, I would almost always refinish rather than put the new stuff on top. You just can't buy the .5-1" thick wood from decades ago. If you need to replace a couple boards, it's fine. If you need to replace a good portion of the boards, then I might consider an alternative. I would rather carpet and let a future owner have an easy chance to restore the original floors.

I said almost always. I have a friend who lives in the Garden Court condos and we found out that she had nice oak floors in her dining room. It was a tiny dining room, but it was a PAIN to refinish ourselves. First of all, there were 4-5 layers of previous floors - it was like doing archaeology. You could see the evolution of style over 80 years. The only thing that got the black stuff off was loosening it with chemicals first before sanding. This is one instance when putting new floor on top might be worth it.

Sounds like a good plan, but you need the polyurethane to dry overnight each time and there are serious fumes. We felt terrible when we found out our neighbors had to sleep with their windows open in the winter. You will need to rent a drum sander (the one with the rolling/rotating cylinder sander, NOT the disc sander) and possibly hand sander if you have nooks. Home Depot rents them. A file is good for the edges where the sander can't reach. I think with all the sanding equipment plus finishing products you could do it for under $500. The sanders should cost $200-300 to rent for 4 days, the sandpaper will cost you a $100 or so, the finishing stuff another $100. If you want to buff in between layers, it will cost you more b/c you need the disc sander for that.

If you called around, I wouldn't be surprised if someone did it for the low teens.

In terms of cost, I did both my living room, my dining room and my stairs. About maybe 700/800 square feet? I rented the sander for a day--I think that was about $90. I should have sanded more--but more just meaning with a more coarse sandpaper to begin with. I didn't have any major repairs to mine that wood putty couldn't fix--if you do, I suggest hiring a professional. I rented an all-directional (orbital) sander--don't! Rent one that only goes forwards and backwards and you'll thank me. (All of them are really heavy but if I can lift them, you can!) You will always need a hand sander for the perimeter of the room. The job requires taking up your toe molding. Some will inevitably break and you'll have to replace it--you'll also want to caulk the toe molding when you put it back and probably repaint it. Then my sandpaper/tack paper/buffing pads cost about $60. Make sure not to leave any exposed nails anywhere that aren't flush to the surface because they ruin your sandpaper and each sheet is pretty pricey. You can't do this job without a shop vac because it's imperative to get all the dust up before polyurethaning. Use your vac, then go through with tack cloth. Then you'll need polyurethane for the floor. Buy more than you need and return what you don't. You'll want to put on 2 coats at the very minimum--4 is optimal--you put it on with a wool pad that attachs to an extension rod for a painting roller. Yes, let them dry overnight. Then when you're all done, you need to wait about a week before replacing furniture on it. Heavy heavy furniture I'd wait about a week and a half. Yep, it sounds like and is a giant pain in the @rse.

As far as old floors go, it's amazing what professionals can do with them. And they will be there long past when you will. The new floors just don't measure up at all.

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Resident of Fishtown, Moderator of Fish/No. Libs/Kenzo forum, Real Estate Agent-Prudential Fox & Roach

You're right archaeologist, this is not a difficult but rather labor intensive task. I have done this a few times...this past time I rented a drum sander instead of the radial sander I was using previously. It made a night and day difference. The sanding was more consistent, which in turn made the few coats of poly adhere and seal more evenly. I very much would not walk on this for 24hours (after applying the poly), and then would sand with a fine toothed sandpaper after the first coat of poly dries overnight, this removes any bubbling and other imperfections. Then add another coat of poly.

Something to note, after sanding with a drum sander the first time you more than likely will need to apply a coat of stain (depending on the type of paper you use, I have found it strips most of the stain right off. Which is not a bad thing as the floors then look brand new).

The key is taking your time or it WILL look rushed.

If you decide to go with a pro, don't make the mistake we did and go for the water-based. It's more expensive but quick-drying, so it can be done in a day. We let ourselves get talked into it and have regretted it ever since. It lasted maybe a year (and that's with 5 coats because of our dog).

We also used Keystone (because we saw them on the Furniture Guys, yes, we're just that stupid) and they were awful. Poly-ed over sawdust in several places, etc. Their web site is impressive but they aren't.

Our friends used a joint out of Montco, did the traditional poly, floors were amazing for years and years. Let me see if I can dig up that name.

Wan's Sanding Floor
"Old Floor Make Like New"
856.317.1519
856.317.1493
1718 Lexington AV
Pennsauken, NJ 08110

around $600 for about 500 sq.ft, but it gets cheaper for the larger areas, since most of the cost is just getting the equiptment there. Free Estimates.

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I just bought a house in East Falls and had my floors done. To have 2 bedrooms, the hallway, stairs and the living/dining room area cost me $2000 but my floors are parquet so it was a little more expensive. The guy I used was excellent - he did the floors for other friends and family of mine.

His name is Bob Lowe and his number is 610-394-3044. He'll work all over the Phila/Jersey area. I highly recommend him.

Hey Sugar...congrats on the house...east falls is really coming along, I like the direction it is heading, and the house prices aren't totally crazy. I almost bought a duplex there, but the street was shady and the house was cut up really weird.

Welcome to the blog

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I need someone who sells/installs engineered hardwood floors.

~700sqft
concrete subfloor

Suggestions? The big box stores want too much, and the local guy I know only does 1500sqft+ and he will not make any exceptions.

Thanks!