The Art of Sanding an Old Floor

We fell in love with this house in the spring of 2012.  After purchasing it that summer, we began renovations on the weekends while commuting two hours from our full-time home.  The house had been neglected for  many years and dates back to the late 1700's.  We decided that in order to keep our sanity (and as a reminder that we had done the right thing by buying it) we would have the floors refinished first.  When we walked in for the first time after they were done, we almost cried with relief.  They were beautiful!  We knew then that we were going to love it here for a long, long time.

Where to begin?  Edges are sanded first with a small sander.  You'll notice that the photo is a bit "foggy".  That's the dust in the air!  Always wear a breathing mask when sanding floors.

A large undertaking such as this uses many sanding belts.

All heating grates were removed.

Large fans were put in the windows in order to remove the dust.

We loved the way the grain of the wood "popped" once the floors were sanded.  All old nail heads were nailed down prior to sanding.  We requested that no wood putty was used.  The cracks are part of the history of the floor.

A corner is finished and the floor is thoroughly vacuumed.

All of the grates are cleaned and given a fresh coat of black paint.

When the floors are done, the grates are replaced.

The study BEFORE.

Another study BEFORE.

The study AFTER.  A high gloss epoxy finish was used.

The dining room BEFORE.

Another dining room BEFORE.

The dining room DURING.

The dining room AFTER.  Note:  the lace curtain has since been removed.  We've placed a hutch in the old water closet and use it as an extension to the room.

Another dining room AFTER.  Notice the shims under the table.  Nothing is level in an old house but that's part of the charm!

An upstairs bedroom BEFORE.  You can see that the upstairs didn't receive as much foot traffic as the downstairs over the years.

The upstairs bedroom AFTER.

The living room BEFORE.

The  living room AFTER.  We cut the tree down in the woods of New Hampshire.  We weren't living in the house full-time yet and we were using some cast off furniture in the meantime!  You'll also notice a gas fireplace had been installed and the mantle was changed out.  Another post for another time.

The front hallway BEFORE.  Gloomy?  Not for long.

The front hallway AFTER.  I love the way the sun streams in every morning.  The front door is always open during the summer!