I just spent 25 minutes watching a video on how to NOT sand/ finish hardwood floors. I don't even have hardwood floors, nor do i plan on getting hardwood floors. That's how entertaining this was! Thank you! Lol.

I love the irony of the sign in the first guy’s shop.. “work hard, need nothing” and goes on to say “I could have sanded for another 8 hours but I didn’t want to do that” 😂😂

The thing that gave me the most confidence in sanding my own floors is that even these people who have zero idea what they are doing the floor doesn't end up looking THAT bad. I'm taking a lot of care and time with it.

Committed DIYer here. After doing about 800 square feet of NEW solid hardwood in 3 separate projects over 10 years, using various time-consuming approaches, I’m convinced floor sanding and refinishing are jobs for a GOOD professional who cares. The trick is finding one in a job landscape where you cannot even find framers who can build a simple wall square. A video showing failed pro selections would be amusing.

We bought a house and pulled all the carpet, I've been using a home depot drum sander, the drum is not awesome but using the techniques from your videos the floor is flat and smooth, I'm not Saying that I didn't make mistakes but you've helped me identify them and make corrections, my wallet and I thank you bro , the floors look great, thank you very much , THE BEST FLOOR FINISHING VIDEOS ON KZfaq

I've done hardwood a few times (incorrectly at that) seeing common mistakes is way more helpful than just the "do it like this" videos. Thank you for sharing your expertise with the plebs!

I installed a hardwood floor in my house and refinished 2 others. Probably did it all wrong but 30 years later they still look nice and have held up well. There was no you tube to watch back then for instructions.

I had to refinish a floor about as bad as the second one recently as a DIY out of necessity and I thought I did a terrible job until I saw this lol. Thanks for all the videos!

I’ve sanded floors using the larger floor sander I borrowed from a buddy of mine. He upp the horsepower on his machine with a higher HP motor. Starting at 60 grit up to 160 I believe, it’s been a few years so I may be off. After sanding I vacuumed and then edged. Following that I used his large blending sander. There was a learning curve to control the sander but what a difference. This is what I never see in any of these videos. I kept the floors natural with a poly sealer applied with a lambs woolskin applicator. Turned out spectacularly . It’s time consuming but very satisfying.

I wish I would have found this before I sanded the two apts I just did... this format is so much more practical to gaining skill than videos showing success. thank you

When I was still living with my parents, we moved into a wood-frame house that was built before 1790. The wood floor was... Visibly not maintained for generations. We thought it was unrecoverable and probably full of mold anyway. We called a professional for the wood frames and he told us that he could try to recover the floor, just in case. Well boy, he had to sand a fair depth, but it was worth it. We were a bit concerned that the floor would be weakened by how much he had to take away, but these wood planks are thicker than anything of modern standards, we lived there for almost ten years with heavy furniture and never had an issue. We had another part of the house that we renovated later by ourselves, and we try to do the same treatment to the wood floor. We definitely didn't do as good of a job. And, weirdly enough, the biggest difference wasn't just in the look, but more importantly how the floor physically interacted with people, cloth and furniture moving around. While the professionally restored floors are smooth, and you forget you're on an old wood floor, the one we renovated was a nightmare. Moving furniture dipped inside more, you feel the wobbles just walking on it, chips appeared quickly and would catch on your socks, ....

your comments had me laughing out loud🤣 very entertaining way of getting knowledge👍🏻

From one specialist to another… you rock! I hope you keep up the content! Also, it is refreshing to see someone close in age doing what I do, close to how I do it!

I'm about to refinish 50 year old hard wood floors. Will be binge watching your videos. Thank you

I am so glad you are doing this. I used to paint walls for a living and almost every youtube video I watched had some problem with the guy telling you this is how it should be done but have at least one glaring error. Just because you done something once, or several times without looking at the results, does not mean you know what you are doing. Please if you do not have any kind of training or experience do not post anything that is misleading.

Yeah I think your critique of their videos help me to understand this so much. I'm not sure if you kept making videos like this over the year but this is a brilliant idea! Thank you so much for helping the world be better!

I Think one thing which is setting expectations is the amount "distressed" finishes there are in furniture and woodwork, particularly reclaimed timber from pallets and the like, the patchiness is has been even added after to give a "rustic" character, you see alot in pub refurbishment, particularly budget ones, reclaimed timber is not re-sawn or milled back to a flat timber surface, even to the extent that new timber is sometimes used given an uneven "stain" to simulate distress or even flamed. Question is what do you want? Chatsworth house or the Dog and Hedgehog post 2015 refurb. Mostly I suspect its the later. in which case a patchy finish is actually OK, particularly the is a mat and some furniture in there after

Im having a full on laugh watching this constructive criticism and learning at the same time 😂

You're such a huge help mate! I can't even tell you how many videos I have watched (including these) with clearly the wrong process. Also, loved the production value increasing over the years!

Great video Ben! Watched quite a few of your videos. I am a DIY'er and tackled a very challenging job this weekend, but can clearly see how much paying close attention to the details and doing this properly is paying off. I am 1/2 way through the job and it looks like I am going to end up with a beautiful result. (no really :) ). I was an aircraft mechanic when I was younger and a rule you learn is that you MUST use the right tools for the job (always) and there is no substitute for experience. :) Thanks and all the best.

Hahaha. Just about to this for the first time. Good thing I didn't find these guys first!

I think if these people are happy with their floors, then let them be. The problem is when they are claiming that it is how to do the floor. As with my channel, I share my experiences and my projects, and then I ask for advice with what I did wrong and how to do things better. I use it as a learning tool and hopefully make a few people laugh at my inexperience. I think it's important not to mislead people when doing these types of videos.

Hey heard you talking about using a roller instead of the lambs wool applicator. Every time I have used a roller it left bubbles. Not super bad but enough to where I didn’t want to use it again. I did use oil base finish. I loved the ease of application using a roller, but have gotten pretty good with just the lambs wool applicator. what would you suggest doing differently?

I appreciate you not being so nasty with the DIY floor finishers in this one like you were in the first one. Constructive criticism is always better.

Instructions given to DIY'ers say to avoid rollers because there will be bubbles in the finish, and to do many thin coats vs. a few thicker coats. They also say no need to sand between thin coats if you apply the next coat as soon as it is dry to ouch; only if it dries longer do you need to sand between coats.

The first video.. I just started woodworking and with a 5” sander and 3m cubitron sandpaper.. it takes me an hour to sand like 6sqft of bare wood. 80, 120, 180 grit (only go up by 50% grit)

This video is so useful since youtube removed downvotes for videos. It used to be quite easy to tell if someone knew what they were on about and if their video was worth watching.

I occasionally use an orbital sander on floors but I start with 60 grit, or 40 if I can find it, and work up to 120. Also, and most importantly, I know what to expect. It will not make the floors look new, just better if done right. That guy's floor looks terrible. By the way, I watched your video about diagonal sanding and you have enlightened me. I don't sand floors very often, but that will be my method moving forward. Thank you for sharing that.

Wow. I've got a 223 yo farmhouse with original yellow pine floors that I'm trying to salvage. This video was VERY informative to learn what mistakes look like. Thank you! Upstate NY in the states, close to the Canadian border.

These failures made me feel good about my amateurish floor exploits! It's too bad I didn't make a video for you to critique. I like natural wood, but I hate dark polished, shiny surfaces. I hand sanded the pine floorboards (yes, it took days and days) so it was nice and evenly flat. Then I took some industrial black Sikaflex (an automotive adhesive and sealant), masked the boards, and filled the gaps (vacuumed first), pulled the masking, Let it set solid. Then used a roller to work in boiled linseed oil. Rubbed away the excess. Let that dry and then rubbed in some more by hand. Let it dry and that was it. The black strips against a dark pine finish actually look really nice. It sets off my shabby chic wood furniture. It has a nice rustic look - better than all of these guys managed.

I sanded floors for quite a while and was taught by a guy that did it for his entire career. You said that you don't have experience with lambs wool applicators, I can speak a little to that. I found that they work quite well for large floors but I wouldn't use them to put down final coat, I wouldn't even bother breaking them out unless there was an open room that was at least 500 square feet. The guy didn't seem to be feathering with it properly (or at all really). The way that he poured the finish on the floor and was doing wide passes is correct for that application, but without feathering he'll have puddles everywhere he pushed away from himself and throw drips (you have to be very careful about throwing drips even when feathering).

i’ve sanded about 20 floors in my time, and only ever screwed it up once, and that was when i went across the boards. I cried.

I made the mistake of using a roller with an all in one stain/ poly. It applied unevenly. I ended up resanding it and applying it with a soft bristled brush. Mind you that this was a very small 10 x 10 room. So the brush was no trouble. It could have turned out better, but I learned for next time.

Thank you...I've been looking for a video to see if this was a possible DIY and your recommendation of a video helped.

Should I clean/remove dust on my floors using a wet/damp microfibre mop prior to applying the sealer?

I have to admit ... in my rustic 100 year old all-timber house with original floors that have never been finished (full of circular saw marks) I think "Deck of a ship sanded by a drunken sailor" sounds great. Now not sure whether to hire a drum sander or buy a case of rum.

Awesome Video. You are an excellent Commentator and professional! This was very needed to help me learn to do the very best I can in someones home.

this is exactly how to sand your floor by yourself, right before you have to call a professional to come redo it all.

It sound kind of uncool, but it's actually great to learn, you're not going to screw a floor just to teach us, and sometimes even if you show us how to do it properly, it's very evident when you see the mistakes and the consecuences. Great Video Mate !

I love your videos. I meant to ask.. should you fill in the gaps between floorboards when they're are small gaps.. if so wood putty then sand or ..... Wood filler ?

Thank you so much for your time 👏👏👏👏👏

I love youtube. The amount of business i get from people that watch a video and decide to try refinishing or installing their floor, completely screw it up, and have to call a professional is immense.

Any recommendations on the best way to sand a narrow area that is too small for a drum sander. I know you mention being against a random orbital sander for first cut since it doesn't go deep enough does that include the floor random orbital sanders as well? We have floors in our hallway that are in great shape we just want to change the color but plan on using stain so we want to make sure we go deep enough.

Brilliant, thank you for your video! So important to pin point cowboys like these! I felt sick to my stomach to see them going across the boards and then convincing you it looks beautiful!😂 Much appreciated! Golden rule: If you don't know how to do it, dont even start!

Hi, love the channel always full of great advice. How do you sand out deep drum marks on a 3 1/4 maple in a dance studio of around 150m2. Should I go diagonally or completely cross grain to start with 24 or 36 then cut with the grain at 36 or 60? Cheers

I did finish carpentry and installation at a 4 mil plus home that had some of the worst flooring installation I’ve ever seen. They didn’t allow the flooring to acclimate and there are 16th” to 1/8” gaps everywhere across the whole house, not to mention they brad nailed a bunch of pieces in. I made my concerns known to the designer so the homeowners could do a walkthrough before final payment. I’m honestly not sure how they’ll fix it other than filling or complete removal and redo but I’m glad I knew enough to let them know the flooring was not done correctly. Love the vids man. I’ve learned a lot. Mostly to not do shit that’s outside my wheelhouse. Granted, I legitimately believe I could’ve done a better job than those guys it was pathetic. Edit: It was a new install not a refinish

I use to joke and tell my crew I was going to make goof videos on how to refinish floors, watching this it's good I didn't bother. There is already tons of them.

When we moved into our home, we took up all the rugs and found what appeared to maybe be pet urine stains in the wood. We sanded the floors and they looked, spectacular! We loved the new shade that the sanded wood had now. We were so happy. We put the polyurethane on and when we came back in the morning to admire our floors, they looked the exact same way they looked before we sanded them! Pet stains and all! Anyone have any advice on removing dark urine stains and also how to keep the wood the light color they become after the sanding?

Thamks so much mate. Very helpful and constructive. I can honestly say ive learned so much. Cheers from New Jersey USA

My dad does flooring and I grew up going with him on my summers (I loved going and learning the trade). The lamb applicator part was wrong, he would have left very visible lines. You need to lift it like an airplane would at take off. The way it was shown you would have very visible lines left on t he floor. Edit: forgot to say that you also start the same way an airplane lands, smooth and moving. The moment you just place and drag/push you get horrible lines left in the finish.

Been watching KZfaq guys using a spp pad then applying 2coats poly. Won’t this cause peeling due to not having enough abrasion for proper bonding? Thanks for any feedback about these preparation pads.

I’m finishing pine floors. What do you think about doing a light coat of polycrylic for the first coat then skipping sanding before the second coat? (I’d sand in between 2nd and 3rd) My reasoning is that a light coat will mostly be absorbed into the porous pine. (I noticed this after applying one coat of polycrylic to the knotty pine doors I have. Couldn’t even tell I applied a coat of poly at all due to *I’m assuming* it soaking right into the wood.) I fear that any sanding at all after the first coat would strip the poly completely. Thoughts from the master himself would be greatly appreciated.

Brilliant. Thanks for doing this video

i was expecting floors that are getting ruined, but actually they got improved of what the floors was. not bad at all

Refreshing not watching a DIY video w a person looking spotless who explains how SIMPLE, FAST & EASY it is to do! 😂

Haha. I only watched the second guy’s video yesterday and thought, this is great 😂. Glad I watched this, thanks.

Quick question for you sanders out there do you guys ever wet your floors before staining I'm in canada so I don't know if you guys do it the same way

I use a 40 grit. 60 grit. Skip the 80 and go to 100 grit, (lagler machine) but for some reason recently it seems like I haven't even sanded the floor after I use the 100 grit and go to polivac the floor. Any tips or reasons why this could be happening. Other than I'm getting close to quitting.

Can I ask a general question please? I need to replace about 10% of my solid oak floor and one company says to sand the 90% first and then later refinish them both together, while another company says to install the new and then sand it as one, and then refinish. Are both approaches valid or is one preferable? Many thanks

How long do you need floor sander for usually? I know staining etc has dry times but switching between grits sanding should be fairly speedy like few hours? Rental place has 1 day $79, days, or week price $316. Thinking about doing few small bedrooms and 12x20 living room.

Really well put together video. Professional touch. Make mine look like a five year old did them whilst wearing roller skates.

The first video, honestly his floor didn't look bad, it's not always gonna look amazing but if it looked like that I'd pay

Bruh you crack me up! As soon as im thinking something while watching along you end up saying it hahaha. Cheers

I have no plans to sand any floor but here I am watching this for fun.

Did an old plankfloor last week. Usually do like 36k diagonally if uneven and then 50k along the planks with a lägler hummel, water i down, then use a flexisander 80k och 120k. Make it nice and smooth.

Im late to the party, but question. I can use an orbit, if its just for a small area. It's not really hardwood, but just wood put down. just want to return it to the original wood and then stain it. Can I do it with the orbit?

"I don't think to make mistakes," haha. This man! :D I get it; you just do what you've learned during your career, but it sounds hilarious when you say it like that.

Hilarious and helpful; thank you! ⭐️

I feel like Ive reached a new low in my KZfaq life when I'm watching someone on KZfaq react to someone else on KZfaq who is sanding their floors lol

these videos just get better and better bro😂😂😂

11:35 "yeah that's stunning mate" 🤣

Some of the work that's passed by so called professionals is a disgrace bravo for exposing this.

i am sanding my floorboards atm .i have watched your video's before i am so glad i did tbh .Even though i am not a pro i learned a lot from your video's thank you ,PS i am not uploading my flooring video lol

good to have you back .....lol too funny

The seckond one would have been a top candidate for a soap fiish. I don't know if you do that in britain like we do here in sweden but it could have made a nice rustic look.

For the first video, I commented about the 100-grit paper, and he replied. He said that he did not know how much more the floor could be sanded. I was still like 100-grit will not remove enough of the finish.

I like your choice of Headphones Sony MDR7506's ..unfortunately that's about it.. Ps seen you do plenty of things wrong over the years floor sanding. Plenty..

Thanks!

13:58 Thank you so much for the tip! And... for the first sanding with 36-60 paper, isn't he suppose to sand diagonal? From my research, it is to avoid waves on the wood floor.

That second just, they literally just didn't sand enough and then didn't fill properly, I wouldn't want them doing my floor. I've dealt with a floor like this and it was a nightmare.

LOL what a video! I'm looking to move into a house hopefully within a year (but its really expensive here in California)...If I have to redo hardwood floors, I am going to record it so you can judge me. But I THINK from watching your videos I have a pretty good idea on how to do it. Maybe you will be rescuing my floors lol.

I literally just watched the second video right before finding this one. We have an 1897 farm house that has particle board sun floor over the original board. Going to pull out some of the particle board and see what’s underneath. They were covere up in 1980 before my dad’s purchase of it in 1983. Now that it’s ours, we want to bring it back to period as much as we can. Just trying to figure out how. It’s 55 miles from nearest town with a floor/refinish company

The first sander we rented turned out to have a problem with the way the drum was adjusted, so we spent the entire weekend passing over the same floor again and again with 36 grit to remove the finish. The only good thing about this was that we had a whole weekend with an extremely gentle drum sander to learn how to use the stupid thing correctly.

this happens often with any trade, contractors under bid to get the jobs then hurry employees to finish quick and get out.

You have some good pointers.

We need a part 3!!!!

Is it impossible to run a line of blue tape around the edge if they aren't bothering to at least pop the base trim off? Did that guy think brushing stain and varnish up onto the baseboards is just no big deal?

If you Don't sand that floor off 3 1/16 or More, It will Not be level sanded, some stains Penetrate, farther than that, Its not 1-2 and done, Doing a nice Job takes time, and only ,Perfection, comes with Time, Patience is a Virtue. Great video

What grit do you generally start with?

Shouldn't be underemphasized: if you mess it up, then you might have lost your chance to do it right. There's only so much wood you can sand away before your floor would be too thin to sand again. I'm surprised none of them used a finish sander. That's what I found really helps give it a uniform look.

" i know there are people who disagree with me, but they are wrong" great comment and yes they are.

I have not seen the other video but I guessing that you tell everyone to sand at a 45° angle so that you still cross the grain, but you don’t ride the wave of the boards while leveling the floor / stripping. Then sand with a finish sander down the grain

Yo are the best..you are the king..you are the master. Where can we buy a picture of you to put on my floor sanding shrine.

So the one with the floral wallpaper I've used that machine its from menards and that machine leaves so much behind when it hits the wall leaves 4 inches of untouched space and need to rent this giant round edge sander that is horrendous on your back he did a good job but could have been alot better if he got a different sander I will never rent that again

good content.. from another flooring specialist

He's wearing a gopro on his head, the phone has the gopro app showing whats being recorded, it helps make sure you're recording properly. @How To Sand A Floor

Your videos are the greatest you are my hero

I sand these kind of floors all the time. After cross cutting, you need to 45 it both directions & then you can sand with the grain.rental companies do not usually rent 240 volt machines (liability issues). 129 volt machines on these floors are akin to tinkling up a rope. these floors look like dog crap.

He's putting those knees to work😄

At 8.30 you can see a sander go over a nail and spark... good stuff.