Refinishing hardwood floors: Should I remove baseboards?
I’m preparing to refinish the hardwood floors in my home. Three bedrooms, a dining room, and large living room. The floors are about 60 yrs old. I was originally planning on just using a hand-held belt sander around the baseboards, possibly just pulling up and replacing the buy prescription drugs on line quarter-rounds, but I’ve had a lot of people tell me to pull up the baseboards and sand the whole way to the plaster/drywall. I’ve received both recommendations, but I’m looking for a consensus, and any input from those who’ve done this.
I’m somewhat motivated to pull them up, because they could honestly use a good refinishing themselves, but that is a whole other can of worms which personally I’d enjoy both in process and the final result, but it’s a new house & and my wife would like to move in sometime this year!
Any other input on the floors is appreciated! -what brand of stain and polyurethane do you prefer?
Thank you!
My advise is to not try to refinish hardwood floors unless you really know how and have the right equipment! You can take up the base or not, It won’t make any difference in how the floors look when you are done. There is a piece of equipement called an " edger" which is used to go around the edges. Do not try a belt sander as it won’t work when you go cross grain! They can be rented but they take a lot of practice before you can do it right. Also the belt sander takes practice or you will have an uneven floor. Also you will need #35, 60, and 100 grit sand paper for both machines. You will also need to screen it down with a buffer to make it ready for stain. Buy your stain and urathane from a floor supply store, not from a paint company. This is a near impossible job to do on your own so Good Luck!
I would pull them up and get them in good shape too, so they will look good next to your newly refinished floors.
Pull them up! It would drive me insane to see any evidence of the previous condition of the floors peeking from under the baseboards.
Gotta pull up the baseboards. Unless you don’t mind cutting corners but it won’t look as nice.