Floor Sanding/Polishing - DIY v experts

[buzzlightyear]

In the process of finalising either a DIY or bring in an expert to sand/polish my floorboards. It is approximately 120 sqm.

Have been quoted $20 per sqm (cash) to do the work. For those people who have hired professionals, how does this compare?

For those who have done a DIY job, would you recommend doing it? Was it difficult? Did you ruin the skirting boards? How long did it take you? Were you happy with the quality of your own job?

 

[boods99]

where do I start...

 

[buzzlightyear]

where do I start...

Anywhere you like....

 

[ozi]

Buzz,

Save yourself the trouble and just give it to a pro, trust me! I recently had about 60sqm done in an IP which also cost me about $20/sqm cash . This included punching in the nails and filling the holes, sanding the floors back, applying a coat of clear gloss, then repeating the sand/gloss a further 2 times. All up it took them 1 full day + 2 half days (3-4 people working!!). Also, the amount of dust and fumes these guys put up with is enough to put me off the idea of DIY!

In my opinion, $20/sqm is a bargain!

Cheers,
Ozi

 

[geoffw]

I've done this on small 1BR units where the quality was not the most important thing. It was aimed slightly above the lower end of the rental market.

You can do it, no question.

But the quality was only suitable for the rental (1BR) unit.

And it was hard work (I did 6 units all up, one at a time- and the quality did not improve much).

My only question would be-

Is it PPOR?

If it's a rental, don't bother about the cash in hand offer. Pay the normal price, get the paperwork, and get the deduction (even it it is only depreciable)- it wil save you in the longer term.

 

[MichaelW]

Hi Buzz,

Definately go a pro for the sand and polish would be my advice. I laid all the tongue and groove blackbutt in my house over two levels and the full internal staircase, then got the pros in to finish it. Laying it was easy, but the finishing process is an art. The total cost was only $1K so I was stoked. But I saved about $20K by sourcing the blackbutt at auction and laying it myself.

Spend the money for the finish...

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[LynnH]

Buzz

Just let the professionals do it - much less hassle and a MUCH better job. $20/sqm is a good price.

Cheers
LynnH

 

[Refugee]

Easy as 1 2 3
1. http://www.somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3165
2. http://www.somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3166
3. http://www.somersoft.com/forums/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=3164

We did about 250sqm. Taught us a lot, saved us a ton of money and something we can be proud of accomplishing. Its our PPOR however and I would probably get a pro in for a rental to claim the expenses.

It was hard work and probably would think twice before doing it again.

Filling in every nail hole with putty, plus my wife had 3 different tones of putty and tried to match the putty to the different tones or floor board.

Sanding rough, sanding smooth, sanding smoother. Cleaning, varnishing, sanding, cleaning again, varnishing 2 more times. Nooks and crannies the hardest as the large sander does not fit and you have to use the orbital which is harder to hander and does not give a nice finish in my opinion.

The sanding does not damage the skirting however the varnish needs to be cleaned off before you repaint them.

 

[TommyR]

Buzz,

I went to an auction on the weekend - polished boards, very ordinary looking uneven sanding, bubbles and streaky finish. Just looked like somebody thought they could do a quick tart up and sell -

I would use a experienced operator every time, it's a tedious job which is easy to muck up, but looks so good when well done!

Tom

 

[kegger]

Buzz

I have done both a DIY and a 'Pay the Experts'. After doing on our PPOR, I would NEVER do it again (actually we did our previous PPOR as well).

The first house was old pine boards and was only 2 rooms - easy.

The 2nd (current PPOR) was Jarrah throught the entire house. Silly me didn't think of that and just went ahead. 3 days later we finished sanding, another 3 days later we finished the sealer. By this time, my family was somewhat distraught as we were sleeping in a dome tentin the backyard at 36 (I think) pregnant. Moved back in asap (with all the windows WIDE open) and bubs was born at 38 weeks !

It was a hell of a job and not something I would ever do again. We did an IP and it cost $1100 for 3 bedrooms, longe room and hallway. The finish was superb and I didn't have to lift a finger.

If it's an IP you are doing, also remember that when you are doing a depreciation schedule, you cannot include your own labour costs. Floorboards may not be able to be depreciated in the same way as carpets anyway....not sure on this one.

Let us know how you go !

 

[wylie]

I have two funny floor sanding stories.

1. First time we ever did a big renovation, we got in some big brothers whose father taught them the business. They were lovely big fellows with HUGE hands, and forearms, probably from holding six tonnes of sander day in and day out.

Anyway, they were all rugged up in several layers of clothes. They did one sand, swept, vacuumed and took off one layer of clothing to remove any dust on their clothes.

Second sand, same story, removed another layer of clothes. At this stage, I called hubby to ask him how many sands they should be doing, because I was getting worried they were going to end up naked

2. Next house we did the whole house, so had to move out. Had three little boys, one only a baby and we stayed with my parents for two weeks. I had to laugh because we moved back in the day of Lady Di's funeral. While we moved furniture around, I had the TV on. I could see hubby getting all worried that after two weeks abstinence, he was going to miss out that night as well because watching a funeral was not really the evening he had planned

 

[bronwynt]

Hi Buzz,

We did the floors in our PPOR ourselves and will never do it again. It took us so long to do and was backbreaking hard work.
The result was really good, but for the $20 p/m you can't go wrong.

Bronwyn.

 

[LynnH]

Geez, Wylie - you sure have some funny IP stories!!!

All ours are bland and boring in the extreme - indeed the only 'excitement' we've ever had was a tenant threatening to move out. Was really looking forward to that - nothing wrong with the tenant, but I wanted to renovate and crank the rent up!! Then the bl@@dy tenant decided to stay!

Cheers
LynnH

 

[depreciator]

I'll never sand a floor myself again. I still have nightmares and if I close my eyes I can still see the gouges I put in the cedar skirting boards.

My mate won't try it again either.

I'm sure I've told this story before. Dopey Matthew had to sand the floor of a holiday house his family owned. It was on the Central Coast - typical timber framed fibro 50s cottage. So the carpets were up and he had the sander ready to go. Now, the sanders these days might be a bit easier to control, but this was a big, heavy drum sander. He turned it on, lowered it to the floor, the paper grabbed, and the thing shot out of his hands across the room. It went through the wall of the house and landed on his car which was parked beside the house.

Don't forget that if you have owned an IP for a while and take the carpets up and do the floors, it can be claimed as a 'repair'. There is either an ATO Ruling or ID on this.

Scott

 

[wylie]

The house behind us and one over actually had the sander drop through the white ant damaged floorboards and landed with a big loud crash on the cement slab under the house. Lucky nobody was playing under the house.

 

[LynnH]

What the ... ??? I would have thought they would check the floorboards for whiteants before attempting to sand them! I mean, this is Queensland - and the little munchers are everywhere??!!?? Maybe I've missed something .....

Cheers
LynnH

 

[wylie]

According to the people who lived in the house and moved (and still live) next door there was evidence of white ants but nobody thought the damage went right through the boards.

Our pest man has told us of pianos falling through floors that have been weakened by white ants.

 

[LynnH]

Thanks for that info, Wylie.

As I said in another post, you sure do have some funny stories to tell about renos!!! The mind boggles at thinking of a piano falling through the floor!!! Not to mention the resultant mess!!

Must just be me (maybe I have OCD), but I always have the pest man in every year to check all our houses - an ounce of prevention is better than thousands of $$$$ worth of cure! (But no good stories in that! ).

Cheers
LynnH