My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our Property forum for renovation, DIY, and house selling advice.

Property/DIY

Stripping wooden floor boards

14 replies

Gingerandproud · 08/02/2013 20:33

Hi, just wondered if anyone could help me with a query. We have been lucky enough to buy our first house. It the house I have wanted since I was a little girl - a semi detached Edwardian house.

There are wooden floors (floorboards) in the house running throughout the downstairs. They have obviously been sanded and treated at some point some time ago. We want to get them redone and have been saving for a while to enable us to get a company in to do this for us (we do not have the time, knowledge of patience TBH to do it ourselves.)

We have had several quotes and think we have chosen the company. One company we think we may go with are several hundred pounds cheaper than the other quotes. He seemed to know what he was talking about (from conversation with practical FIL) but we want to get him back round again to just double check what he would do etc.

Anyone with any knowledge of this what kind of things would you be asking him about thh process he uses etc? Any help much appreciated.

OP posts:
Report
Freddiesmother · 08/02/2013 21:55

just about to have ours done too. I think four coats of varnish is what is needed. we had a huge variety of quotes and just went.for the cheapest fingers crossed! we are going for a super Matt finish.

Report
PigletJohn · 08/02/2013 23:53

At that age they will be square-edged hoards so very draughty, as well as cold like all bare boards.

Can you get underneath to insulate between the joists?

Clean out the air bricks and don't block them because of damp and rot through poor ventilation.

Report
ouryve · 09/02/2013 00:02

If it's fairly new but worn varnish, he'll probably just take it back with a belt sander and recoat it 2 or 3 times. It's not actually hard to do yourself in a couple of weekends.

Before forking out for any interior decorating jobs, it would be a good investment to fork out £20 for a good DIY manual so you can see what's involved. Several hundred pounds difference between quotes makes me think that they must be both pretty eye watering.

Report
Pan · 09/02/2013 00:10

Agree with ouryve - several hundred pounds cheaper sounds like all companies involved will be stripping off more than just your floor boards.i.e your wallet.
DIY is dirty and noisy but no less so than having someone doing it. Do internet searches for advice, or on here how to do it. Unless of course ease and less personal mither is that attractive?
But as the god that is PigletJohn says, make sure the vents under your floors are clean first, before sealing the gaps.

Report
Gingerandproud · 09/02/2013 07:33

Thank you all for your advice. I must admit the ease of getting someone else to do it was part of the attraction pan but am having second thoughts as it is A LOT of money we can spend elsewhere. I will look into doing it ourselves as well and then at least we have something to compare it with.

Piglet - I am afraid I have not idea If we can get underneath to insulate the joints but I'm at DP parents this weekend and his dad is quite good at this kind of thing and he has been to the house so he might have a better Idea.

Whatever we decide I now have some questions to ask, so thank you.

OP posts:
Report
FishfingersAreOK · 09/02/2013 16:23

If it helps for a cost comparison I paid £500 (ish) for our bedroom and wardrobe to be sanded, big gaps sealed and then the whole lot varnished/sealed. The space is about £25 square meters. There was not much he had to do re sticky up nails etc. It took him a day.

Report
PigletJohn · 09/02/2013 16:43

did the previous owners sand the floors, then fit carpet because they couldn't stand the cold?

Report
Gingerandproud · 09/02/2013 17:43

Fishfingers - tanks for the comparison our lowest quote came to £650 for a large sitting room and open plan dining room and snug type room. It quite a big area thinking about it.

Piglet - no they did not have carpets down, they had the floors as we have them now. Its not too cold actually.

OP posts:
Report
Gingerandproud · 09/02/2013 17:44

Freddie - what effect will supermatt get you? I was thinking of goign for satin!?

OP posts:
Report
Gingerandproud · 09/02/2013 17:50

sorry for bad spelling, obviously meant thanks and going!

OP posts:
Report
Freddiesmother · 09/02/2013 19:49

I think the floor boards will look natural and unvarnished, but the varnish will still protect the boards. pigletjohn should I not get the gaps filled In then? I hadn't considered the damp implications.

Report
Freddiesmother · 09/02/2013 19:50

oh and that it what we are paying too for a double living room if it helps. I am usually one for doing things myself but it's messy work so taking the plunge!

Report
PigletJohn · 10/02/2013 00:02

you can fill the gaps between floorboards, bit there has to be good airflow under the floor. There should be enough unobstructed airbricks on all sides of the house to feel a cool, dry draught under there, with no stagnant air-pockets (which often happens when somebody has built an extension that blocks the flow)

Report
Gingerandproud · 10/02/2013 10:35

I will check regarding the extension re air pockets,

We have decided to go with company to do it as my lovely DP parents have offered to put some money towards it.

Thanks for all your help!

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.