Floorboard sanding etc on tiny budget

[CardboardPlastic]

I want to sand the old Victorian floorboards of a small dining room (3x4m) and hallway (1x3m), and fill the gaps between the floorboards, and seal/varnish the wood. I'll hire the sander and edger but I know there are various ways to fill the gaps, some methods you do before I think and sone afterwards. Can anyone suggest an approach to all this that is the cheapest way possible!!

To fill the gaps - if you collect up the wood dust from the sanding and mix it with pva then you can fill the gaps with that mixture - only cost is the pva.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2011/dec/16/1?client=safari

I found this useful just as a summary of options. Haven't done any of them yet!

Thanks both. Can I just ask, bluemarble, I've heard about that technique and wondered how the mixture doesn't just sink fall through the cracks. I guess it's to do with consistency. If you use that technique would you do it before or after sanding?

It depends on the size of the gaps (and consistency of the mixture as you say), if the gaps are larger than say 5mm probably best to put a sliver of wood in first before the mixture.

You do it after sanding (you won't have the sawdust to make the mixture until after sanding )

There are products you can buy to fill the gaps but the cheapest is sawdust & pva

Thanks bluemarble. Yes, good point about not having the sawdust til after!