In this audio episode The Handyguys address a listener question about how to rejuvenate the hardwood floors in his new old house.

The question from Jeremy:

Hi guys, just found your podcast and I love it. working through the archives right now. I’m planning to refinish the original hardwood floors in the 1950s ranch house that I just bought as my first home. I will be pulling all the base trim off and want to go to a dark color to help hide any flaws in the flooring as well as future dirt. Can you please give me any advise regarding: proper prep work, proper tools, recommend a good stain (from what I read product quality can vary significantly), as well as any tips to make the job go smoothly. Lastly, could you please go over any basic wood repair techniques that would be helpful. i.e. filling gaps with stainable wood filler, patching gouges, etc. There are many projects I’m planning and I’m sure I’ll get some great tips in the archives! Thanks Guys.

The Handyguys respond:

Changing hardwood floors to a dark color

I wouldn’t go dark for the reasons you mentioned. Go dark if you like the look. Flaws can usually be fixed, dirt can be cleaned and dark stained hardwood may actually look dirtier faster than a neutral color.

Preparation of hardwood floors

Prep work will vary depending on the current condition of the floor. If they are in bad shape then all the old finish is usually sanded off, the floors repaired and cleaned before staining and finishing.

Tools for hardwood floor finishing

Again, this will vary based upon what the condition is. Sometimes a floor only needs a light sanding and then a fresh coat of poly. In a case like that a vibrating sander is ideal. If many heavy coats of old finish and some wood need to be removed then a drum sander is called for. Drum sanders can do a lot of damage if not used properly. You may want to hire that part out unless you are super careful and maybe have an inconspicuous place to practice. Your True Value may have a rental store attached that can guide you on sanders.

Hardwood Floor Stains

Tips for hardwood floor finishing

Jeremy sent us this picture in a follow-up email

Floor rejuvenation steps

The Handyguys recommend the following steps to Jeremy and anyone else who wants to rejuvenate their floors without completely removing the old finish.

Jeremy – Those floors do not look like they are in that bad of shape. As you do your other projects take care to not damage them.

1. Sand lightly with  a vibrating type floor sander. Don’t expect this to remove all the old finish. You are just touching up scuffs in the existing finish.
2. Do not apply a stain – You cant stain without completely removing the old finish.
3. Clean, clean, clean. You want to remove any dust. Use a damp rag or a tack cloth to make sure you do not leave any dust on the floor.
4. Apply 3 or 4 coats of water based poly floor finish. Sand with a fine grit paper between coats. Follow the manufactures recommendations here. You could sand in one day and if your water based poly drys fast enough you could get your 3 or 4 coats on in another day.

As always, listen to the podcast for all the discussion.

We were one of the bloggers selected by True Value to work on the DIY Squad. We have been compensated for our time commitment to the program as well as our writing and productions about our experience. We have also been compensated for the materials needed for our DIY project. However, as always, our opinions are entirely our own and we have not been paid to publish positive comments.

Related shows:

1. Installing Wood Floors On Concrete, Dripping Faucets And Finding Stains
2. Hardwood Flooring Tips
3. Fixing a Kenmore Elite Dishwasher that is not Cleaning Dishes

Wood Floors on Concrete, Plumbing Repair and Finding Carpet Stains

This is a very full show covering many different topics. We start off commenting on a article in Fine Home Building magazine about wood floors over concrete, address two listener questions (one on leaky faucets and one on garbage disposals), and then we wrap up the show with a tip from Brian about how to find pet stains in carpet.

Wood floors on concrete

Can this be done? Sure it can. Brian and Paul comment on an article in Fine Homebuilding. The Author, Charles Peterson, discusses a technique that uses two layers of plywood and a vapor barrier to create a stable, floating, subfloor for installation of your finished floor. Check it out and listen to The Handyguys comments in the podcast.

Drippy faucets

The Handyguys love getting questions where the answer is simple and inexpensive. We received this question from Cheryl

I have a leaky bathtub faucet, it started dripping and it has gotten worse, do I need to replace the entire faucet? My house was built in 1953 and I’m guessing the faucet is probably that old too! It consists of two knobs, one of hot and cold and the spigot of course. I think both the hot and cold are leaking, I can’t really determine which one it is! Thanks for any help you can provide.

Cheryl – Thanks for your question. NO, you do not need to replace the faucet. The fix is pretty simple. We assume you mean the drip is coming from the spout, not from behind the handles. Our friends over at hammer zone have put together some instructions. I’ll let you read them instead of my recreating the steps here. Check out HammerZone’s how to replace a washer article and listen to our podcast for details.

There could be a few other issues. Give the washer replacement a try first, its easy to do.

Some possible pitfalls

• The washer screw is broken off
• The seat (what the washer presses against) is damaged
• Parts are corroded preventing removal
• The handle you have may remove differently than in the pictures at hammerzone

If you have trouble please let us know. You can hear our discussion of the issue in the podcast.

Garbage Disposal Smells

This stinky issue keeps generating interest. We have received many tips and tricks. We thought we would answer Dave’s question and pass along his tip.

I always shut off the circuit breaker to the disposal anytime I am going to stick my hand in there. Just to be sure that it will not turn off.

Have you guys used Draino? I had a problem where soft foods weren’t getting shredded enough to go down the drain so I started getting an odor. I poured draino down there and after it sat for awhile I ran it again and the food and smell were gone. Do you know of any problems in using draino in a disposal. ex corrosion or other problems?

Good tip about the circuit breaker Dave, better safe than sorry. As for Draino. Yes and No. It depends on which draino product you are considering. Check the label. The crystals are not recommended for garbage disposers, the gel is fine according to the manufacture. Bottom line, check the label.

Related shows:

1. Deck Stains And Tub Glazing
2. Hardscaping Options – Concrete, pavers or stamped concrete
3. Repair, cleaning and refinishing old hardwood floors