3rd Floor: Refinished Hardwood Floor DIY

Cross it off the list-- our 3rd floor hardwoods have been refinished!!  And, they're drop dead gorgeous.  Words cannot describe how happy we are with the outcome.  My industrious husband, Dave, did everything from start to finish.  And, his obsessive attention to detail really shows.  The refinished floors look terrific.  :) 

Just to refresh, here are some pics of the floors from last month (at this point, we had finished the wainscoting, hung the trim, and painted everything)...

 
As you can see, the floors were in rough shape but worth saving (some areas were worse than others).  Our center hallway was covered in a dark shellac, and the hardwood in the bedrooms was completely unfinished.  We did a little bit of research on removing the shellac and came up with mixed reviews.  Most people concluded that it would be a BEAR to remove-- some suggested stripping the floors, others suggested going through countless sheets of sand paper.  The shellac sort of  looks like paint.  It's opaque, yet it has a lighter/thinner finish.  When you try to remove it, it feels almost like tar and tends to gum up the sander.  But, Dave decided to sand it off (rather than strip the floors) and ended up with decent results!  We were pleased.  So, if you have shellac on your floors, don't worry.  It can be removed with little to no damage.  The floors in the hallway look AMAZING now.  Who would have known that all that gorgeous graining was hiding underneath a layer of ugly shellac all these years?

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Our DIY project can be broken down like this:

step 1:
Prep your floor -- pull any nails or staples, address the gaps between planks (either fill with wood filler or replace planks entirely).  Make sure to secure any loose boards.  When you're finished, vacuum the space thoroughly.

step 2:
Sanding-- we rented a drum sander from the Home Depot to sand the majority of the floors.  Then, Dave used an edging sander to get near the walls and corners-- places that the drum sander can't reach (if you have spaces where even the edging sander can't reach, you'll need to use a paint scraper to remove that layer of old finish).  He started with a 36 grit paper and went over the entire floor, following the grain of the wood.  This rough grit will aggressively remove the top layer of wood (our floors needed it!).  When he was finished, he repeated this step with a 60 grit sand paper.  And then, finished using the 100 grit paper.  By going over the floors three times with the drum sander and the edger (using a gradual progression in sand paper every time) you will create a smoother, more even finish.  And, your hardwoods will be better prepared to accept the stain.

drum sander

step 3: 
Popping the wood (this is an optional step, but we did it, so I'm including it as "step 3") -- lightly mist the floor with water from a pump sprayer (something like this).  Do not over water, since this can create water stains.  Just lightly LIGHTLY spray it.  The water will open up the grain to allow for a better buffing, which happens in the next step...

step 5: 
Blend the edges -- use a vibratory sander (we rented one from the Home Depot) to blend the areas where the edger and drum sander met.  Dave used 100 grit sand paper.  By blending (or buffing) the two spaces you will create a seamless finish.

step 6:  
Clean up -- vacuum the entire floor to make sure that you've cleaned up all the dust and debris (we did this twice with the shop vac).

step 7: 
Stain -- now it's time to apply that beautiful stain!  We selected oil-based Minwax "Jacobean" stain, which can be found at any Home Depot store.  We wanted a dark floor that complemented the tone of our original banisters.  "Jacobean" was the perfect fit for us.  Dave applied the stain with a natural bristle paint brush, and immediately followed with a rag (we used an old t-shirt) to remove excess stain.  Wiping the excess with a rag will allow the wood grain to shine through.  Allow the stain to dry for at least 24 hours.

 

"Jacobean"

 

checking our sample piece with the original banister finish-- it's a winner.

 applying the stain

step 8:
Polyurethane -- the final application!  Apply 1 coat of polyurethane (we used Lenmar Polyurethane Wood Finish in "satin").  We used a roller with a 3/8" nap, and then used a brush to get in the corners.  Allow approx. 12 hours of drying time.  After the poly has dried, sand it with a 220 grit sand paper.  Now, REPEAT this step 3 times.

step 9:
Wait -- wait for the final coats of polyurethane to completely cure before moving furniture (or area rugs) onto the floor.  RESIST!  It's very difficult to be patient, but trust me.  The poly needs to fully cure. We let it sit for almost a week, just to be safe.  But, you could get away with 3-4 days of drying time.

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And, here is what the refinished floor looks like today:

 

a little "before & after" comparison...

I'll be back tomorrow to talk about the lighting we selected for this space.  So excited to share the final selections.  :)

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if you're interested, a few previous blog posts on this 3rd floor renovation...

our DIY Wainscoting

the inspiration for this project

installing drywall and selecting the paint

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3rd Floor: Trim Paint

3rd floor renovation UPDATE: Dave managed to hang all the salvaged original trim over the last two weeks, and then we painted EVERYTHING.  This step took much longer than we anticipated for some reason.  There was just SO MUCH TO PAINT.  It seemed like there was always something we needed to touch up, or a section that needed an additional coat.  Oy.  Glad the painting is over.

Here is a sneak peek at the progress...

Spent one weekend working this contraption.  All of the wainscoting needed to be sanded and caulked.  All of the baseboards, the door trim, and the window trim needed caulk.  Managing the caulk gun was something that this 8-month pregnant girl could handle.  :)

  Before Dave and the boys removed everything for demo, I went in and labeled all the original trim with a magic marker.  So, when it was time to hang it back up, we knew exactly which room it was in and exactly where it fit.  (In this photo, we had already primed the baseboard with white primer, but the base cap had not been painted.  All the trimwork used to be this hideous shade of peach.  Glad that's gone).

original trim, with caulk, before paint

Like I mentioned in a previous post, we decided to paint everything on the 3rd floor with Farrow & Ball paint.  The walls are "James White" and the doors/trim are "All White" in a semi-gloss finish.   When deciding on a trim finish, I debated over using an eggshell or a satin finish, instead of the semi-gloss (I worried that the semi-gloss might be too shiny?  Too dramatic?  What if it shows brush marks?).   In the end, we both decided to go for the semi-gloss and we LOVE the results.  The brush marks are hardly noticeable, the gloss is even and consistent, and the overall look is terrific.  We love the extra SHINE from the wainscoting, doors, and trim.  SO HAPPY.  So glad we went with semi-gloss.  :)

Here are the old baseboards with a new coat of paint

 

  

windows and trim with paint

windows and trim with paint

 the original door trim with fresh paint (looking so crisp!)

 The new walk-in closets, trimmed out-- we found a similar door trim for these spaces.  It's a very close match to the rest of the house, and I'm happy with it. 

The new closet doors are being primed and will be hung next week (after the floors have been refinished).  The original bedroom doors will be finished this week as well.

 And, here's a look at the wainscoting (that we so meticulously DIY'ed)...  with a fresh coat of semi-gloss "All White" by Farrow & Ball:

 

Making good progress, so far.  This week, Dave will be refinishing the original hardwood floors himself.  They're in pretty decent shape, with some minor exceptions, so they should be beautiful when it's all said and done.  We're not looking forward to this huge phase of the project, but this is it for the 3rd floor.  After the floors have been stained and set, we can start furnishing the spaces (something I've been looking forward to since we bought this house, 3 years ago).

Next on the list:

• repaint and hang the original trim that we so carefully saved (minus the shoe molding)
• install molding around the windows
• paint molding around the windows
• paint new closet doors
• strip/refinish, or paint the original doors (TBD)
• install wainscoting up the stairwell, onto the landing
• paint newly installed wainscoting
• refinish the hardwood floors
• install shoe moulding
• final coat of "James White" on the walls

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Vintage SALE (25% OFF!)

We're running a pretty awesome sale in the store this week, in celebration of 4th of July!

We'll be adding new goodies to the site each day, so the vintage inventory will be changing all week.  Sale ends on Friday at midnight, EST.

Click HERE to start shopping.

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3rd Floor: DIY Wainscoting and Trim (Update)

Some updates on our 3rd floor renovation: we've added wainscoting and window trim!  Let me show you some pictures and tell you how we did it...

We measured the entire hallway, and brainstormed over the correct proportions...

Then, I drew the proposed plan in AutoCAD.

image illustrating the wainscoting at the stair landing

Then, we gathered our materials. 

Materials:  first and foremost, you will need a miter saw and a table saw  (we bought this and this).  Other supplies include a trim nail gun (we used this one), construction adhesive, a level, tape measure, and a whole lot of THINKING.  As you can imagine, this job required a lot of math and common sense.  :)  But honestly, if you're committed, anyone can DIY this type of project. 

We ordered the majority of our poplar wood paneling from a local craftsman/friend.  The rest of the trim came from the Home Depot.

Wood delivery!  Lots of poplar 1" x 4" and 1" x 6" pieces.

Getting started: we marked where each stud was located. 

We applied 3-ply sheeting against the newly installed drywall (they are sold in 4' x 8' sizes, so we had ours cut to size).  This will be the foundation for the flat-panel wainscot (nail it into the studs and use construction adhesive to apply it against the wall).  Then, we added a new baseboard on the upper landing (see where the new meets the old stained oak baseboard at the top of the stairs).  In this photo, we had already added the lower horizontal panel above the baseboard.

The sheeting is up, as well as the new baseboards (we could not save the original baseboards in the this hallway).  The original door trim has been re-applied.  We had to cut a small opening in our newly drywalled ceiling to access the attic fan (I didn't want to do it here, and suggested every possible alternative, but it had to be done).  The original attic opening can be seen here.  We made the new access point smaller and centered on the middle door.

Vertical pieces are going up!

Belly shot.  :)  Being 7 months pregnant, I'm more of a "helper/gopher" on this job.  I watch Dave work, hand him any necessary tools, bring him water, run to Home Depot for supplies, and discuss the design details ad nauseum.  I think he really likes working with me.

All the paneling has been applied...

Progress shot of the stairway...

More progress-- the baseboard cap piece has been installed, and we've framed each inset panel with 3/4" trim.  The trim on the inset dresses it up a bit and adds a lot of additional interest.

Close up picture of the inset trim, as it was being applied.  Love that simple scallop.

Looking down towards the floor: once applied, the entire wall treatment projects about an inch from the wall.  Now, we need to add a chair rail!

Will this work?  We decided that we needed something a bit chunkier...

 Perfect.  This will be our chair rail combination.

And, here it is installed!

Close up detail of the new chair rail combination. 

Dave, sanding everything smooth.  :)

We still have a lot of prep work to do before we can prime and paint (we need to fill nail holes, caulk, etc)  But, that's the progress so far!  We are SO BEYOND THRILLED WITH THE RESULT.  Like, can't even describe how happy. 

Once the wainscoting was up, we needed to complete the window trim.  The 3rd floor is the only floor of our home with NEW windows.  The originals could not be saved up here (after years of neglect and serious rot), so we had them replaced with solid wood windows in the same style of the original.  

We applied the new window trim this weekend, and I am LOVING the way it turned out.  

this window looks over the backyard-- you can see a bit of the carriage house through the window.

That's the progress so far! 

Next on the list:

• repaint and hang the original trim that we so carefully saved (minus the shoe molding)
• install molding around the windows
• paint molding around the windows
• paint and hang the new closet doors
• strip the paint from the original doors, sand, and stain to the natural wood
• install wainscoting up the stairwell, onto the landing
• paint newly installed wainscoting
• refinish the hardwood floors
• install shoe moulding
• final coat of "James White" on the walls

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