Sanding a floor- worth the effort?

[Sunnysidegold]

Basically I have a carpet being eatencouraged by carpet moths and it is driving me mad. I have been hoovering madly, moving furniture and spraying stuff and they have got better but I have massive holes in the bedroom carpet which are very visible now that I've been moving furniture around. I think the floorboards are in reasonably good nick so was wondering if anyone had experience of hiring a sander to sand them. Was it hard? Was it worth the effort? Did you varnish or paint the floor after?

[kkkkaty123]

Hi I did this in my bedroom. Yes it was bloody hard work but worth it. I did it all on my own and was very proud of myself. The only thing I would say long term is that it let a lot of dust through the boards.

[kkkkaty123]

Ohh and I varnished it. I really enjoyed doing that floor. It is now covered in carpet though

[Autumnchill]

Definitely worth it! Did it in front bedroom. Stained twice with a walnut stain and then clear varnish to seal it and make it glossy.

[AgentProvocateur]

No, by the time you've hired the sander and bought all the sandpaper, and paid for the divorce lawyer... it's cheaper to get a professional in.

[JustCallMeKate]

This is our floor in our snug. Definitely worth it and I love it.

[kkkkaty123]

Justcallmekate that's lovely. Mine was a bit more gappy Rustic lol

[Autumnchill]

Agent might have a point! We argued within minutes of him starting the sander and the paper snagging four times on something sticking up. We didn't speak for 4hrs

[Bluntness100]

Just get a company in. Think we paid a grand for full downstairs and one room upstairs, but they are very big rooms. They sanded it seven times in varying degrees of fineness then put four layers of varnish on,I went for an industrial strength one as dogs and heels in and out and didn't want it scratched. Totally worth it and will last at least twenty years.

What would a single room cost, a hundred and fifty quid? Max? Unless you know what you're doing it's going to be money well spent to avoid the faffing.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

I wouldn't bother. They tend to be an alarming orange colour unless you also stain them. It also won't solve your moth problem if they live under the boards feasting on all the hair and dust that comes through the cracks.

For your moths take up the carpets, spray with chemicals (ideally do it again a couple of weeks later) and then lay manmade carpets. Then spray regularly and monitor activity with pheromone traps.

[letyoufly]

Have recently had an original floor done in my house by professionals! 100% worth it, it looks amazing

[JustCallMeKate]

Half of my post didn't post for some reason. DH did ours in a weekend and hired a huge belt sander thing. BUT OMG the dust.....you clean up and two days later it's back again.

[Bluntness100]

That's not quite true. Firstly it depends on the type of wood. Different woods go different colours, A clear varnish may make pine go orange, if her boards are pine, but she should try different shades of varnish till she finds the colour she likes.she can do anything from a deep dark walnut through to a pale oak. She can then just sand the tester area back.

My boards are oak, so they went a very pale honey with clear varnish, which was our choice, but if we had fancied them darker, or even orange, or even different shades we could also have done that.

[Bluntness100]

Oh and the other thing with proffesionals. No dust. None at all..

[Wondermoomin]

Yes it is worth it but - when deciding whether to go for a professional or DIY - pull back the carpet a bit near the edges to see exactly what's under there. This depends on the age of your house, but before the days of wall to wall fitted carpets people would often have carpets that were more like giant rugs, going to within a foot or so of the walls. They would paint the floorboards round the edges but the paint can be thick gloop that's almost like tar and that stuff is murder to sand away. As long as you don't have any of that, it's very satisfying to sand, stain and varnish yourself.

[JustCallMeKate]

They tend to be an alarming orange colour Was this a little dig at the photo I posted? The boards look brighter in the photo than they actually are if you were having a little 'dig'. I just thought I'd drop that piece of information in.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Was this a little dig at the photo I posted?

No it wasn't actually. I would have thought in the context of the rest of my post and the op it was obvious I was talking from personal experience. My hallway, front room and bedroom are all alarming shades of orange that won't be staying long term. I didn't even click on your photo when I read the thread.

If I want to say something I'll just say it. It's not all about you, you know

[DancingLedge]

I love sanded floorboards, have done this in every house I owned.
Back in the day, varnishes used to yellow over time, but current water based ones don't.
I used to hire a sander and do it myself, but found the machines got heavier [ just like the print got smaller, and people don't speak as clearly as they used to], so last time I paid someone to do it - wow, I was amazed at the difference a professional machine to a hired one: faster, better, and SO much less dust everywhere.

[SwedishEdith]

"We" did 2 bedrooms. Cost £60 each room, I think, to hire the sander. Then pay for the paper. And then the Osmo oil stuff which did make them slightly orangey. No dust at all. I think they could have had a few more goes with the sander but I shall never say this out loud.

[SwedishEdith]

Agree, needs someone strong or two people to lift it upstairs.

[Bluntness100]

My hallway, front room and bedroom are all alarming shades of orange that won't be staying long term

Did you do them yourself? It's not difficult to get a coloured varnish and pick the colour you wish. Did they change colour over time and how long ago were they done? They shouldn't just turn orange

Mine have been done two or three years and still the same pale honey they were went initially done. I don't think they will change colour, never mind go orange,,

[JustCallMeKate]

If I want to say something I'll just say it. It's not all about you, you know hmm

I realise it's not all about me, however, did you mean to be so rude in your reply? . There really was no need for the reply I received to my question.

[MovingOnUpMovingOnOut]

Err, you suggest that I am petty and nasty enough to make a dig at you, when I don't know you and you have no reason to think I would pick on you (or indeed anyone), and you think I'm rude? Get over yourself JustCallMeKate. Really your continuing arrogance about this is astonishing. If you had any manners you'd apologise with good grace. I'm not interested in continuing this silliness, so if you will persist, you'll have to carry on without me.

Bluntness100 I didn't do these ones myself - the woman we bought the house from did them. She was very proud of them and gave me lots of details. I did research re-sanding and staining them but they're pine, have woodworm damage in places and are quite gappy so in the circumstances I am going to buy a nice new floor. Probably oak in a pale shade in the living room and probably reclaimed parque with Victorian tiles in the hall.

I have done other floors and stripped wood. Ime with pine it's quite a lot of work to avoid the oranging. There's a lot of information about this online because it's a well known effect.

[JustCallMeKate]

Get over yourself JustCallMeKate

I'm completely "over myself" whatever I have to get "get over myself" about about I have no idea though I have nothing to apologise for unless I'm missing something I'm happy to carry on the thread discussing sanded floors with or without you.

Here's some and for you moving as you sure as hell need them by the tone of your posts.

[wobblywonderwoman]

I did mine myself with a hand sander (was my first home and little money)

I enjoyed it. I wasn't in any rush. Years later I covered them with laminate as the noise downstairs was quite loud and I rented my home out.