How to fix damaged timber floor?

[pnelson]

 

Hi, throughout our house we have flaking (I assume) polyurethane and deep scratches.  To repair this level of damage are we looking at a re sand and recoat? Or is there a less dramatic treatment?  If re sand - assume it’s a belt sander? 120 sandpaper? What product suggest to re coat floors.  Thanks

[Jason]

Hi @pnelson,

Welcome to Bunnings Workshop. It's great to have you join the community. We're sure you'll get loads of helpful advice and inspiration from our clever and creative members.

Your timber floorboards definitely need re-sanding. Fortunately, the Bunnings team has a complete step-by-step guide with video - How to sand timber floors. There is also some good advice in How do you rejuvenate timber floors.

You can hire a drum sander from Bunnings. The team will assist with sandpaper and how to use the machine. Your floors are fairly rough, so you might want to consider starting with a rough 40-grit paper or perhaps a lighter 60-grit. The finer 120-grit sandpaper would be used for the second pass.

Once complete, you can then move onto How to seal timber floors. Let me tag a couple of our resident Bunnings D.I.Y. experts in @EricL and @MitchellMc to recommend an appropriate finish for your timber.

Thanks,

Jason

[EricL]

Hello @pnelson 

I totally agree with Jason regarding re-sanding the floor. I'm afraid the damage is too severe and can no longer be touched up of patched. My best advice is to cover your permanently fixed cabinets with painters drop sheets in combination with masking tape. This will prevent the sanding dust from settling on your cabinetry and open shelves. Make sure to open your windows and doors so that you have good air circulation while you sand, although the sanding bag will catch the majority of the sanding dust a lot of it will still be swirling around in the air.

Please make sure to wear personal protection such as gloves, goggles and a heavy-duty mask when working on your project.    

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[MitchellMc]

Hi @pnelson,

I thought I'd just add my recommendation on a coating and that would be Cabots CFP. It's a fast-drying and highly-durable product. It's also available in a water-based and oil-based version. My preference is the water-based version due to the ease of cleanup.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[pnelson]

Thanks Jason.  I feared sanding was going to be required! 

[pnelson]

Thanks Eric.  I have sanded before and never thought about covering the cabinets - I was cleaning for weeks! 

[pnelson]

Great advice - thank you.  I always prefer the water based products - so much easier to work with.