When we pulled up the first corner of carpet in the living room, we found something that made us both catch our breath: original red oak strip hardwood, completely intact, just buried under thirty years of carpet padding adhesive. We went room by room pulling carpet and found the same thing everywhere. The whole house was hardwood under carpet. Every single room.
We’d budgeted for the possibility we’d need to install new flooring. Instead, we got to refinish. The total cost to refinish all 1,420 square feet of original hardwood, done mostly ourselves over three weekends: $1,847. Here’s exactly how we did it.
First: Assessing the Condition
Before you rent a drum sander, you need to understand what you’re working with. Old floors have a limited number of times they can be sanded — each pass removes wood, and the boards have a finite amount of material above the tongue-and-groove. In our case, the floors appeared to have been refinished once before, probably in the 1970s, which meant we had one more good sand in them. A floor inspector (some hardwood flooring companies will do this assessment for free) confirmed we had enough material to work with.
Condition issues we found and had to address before sanding: three boards with splits that needed to be face-nailed and glued, a section near the hearth where boards had cupped from old moisture exposure, and about 15 linear feet of boards near the back door that had been replaced at some point with different-width material (we stained these to match after the fact).
Equipment We Rented
We rented from a local flooring supply company rather than a big-box store — the machines were in better condition and the staff actually knew how to use them. The rental list: drum sander (for the main floor areas), edge sander (for perimeter, closets, and tight spaces), random orbital buffer (for the final passes), and a shop vac with fine-dust bag.
Do not skip the edge sander. The drum sander cannot get within about 3 inches of the wall, and hand-sanding that border is exhausting and inconsistent. The edge sander cuts through that work in a fraction of the time.
Total equipment rental for three weekend sessions: $380.
The Sanding Sequence
We started with 40-grit on the drum sander to cut through the old finish and remove the adhesive residue from the carpet padding. This was by far the messiest, most labor-intensive pass. The old adhesive loaded up the paper constantly and we went through far more sandpaper than anticipated.
Second pass: 60-grit on the drum sander, going with the grain. Third pass: 80-grit. Final pass: 100-grit on the buffer. Edge sander ran parallel to each drum pass, using the same grits. The sequence sounds simple but each pass took a full day for our 1,420 square feet.
The single biggest mistake beginners make with drum sanders is stopping the machine while it’s still making contact with the floor. The drum will cut a visible dip in seconds. Keep moving whenever the drum is down, and make sure you’re moving before you lower the machine.
Finish Selection
We went back and forth for weeks on finish choice. The main categories: oil-based polyurethane (very durable, warm amber tone, long dry times, strong fumes), water-based polyurethane (clear/cool tone, fast dry, lower fumes, less durable), and hardwax oil finishes (beautiful look, easier to spot-repair, less protective overall).
We landed on water-based polyurethane in satin sheen. Our reasons: the floors were already warm red oak and didn’t need the amber boost from oil-based; we wanted to use the rooms within 24 hours; and the fume management in an occupied house favored water-based. We applied three coats, sanding lightly with a screen between coats two and three.
Finish cost: $280 for three gallons of Bona Traffic HD, which covered our entire floor with a bit left over.
What We’d Do Differently
Three things. First, we’d rent a dustless sanding system if our rental company offered one. The dust was extraordinary — it got into everything in the house despite plastic sheeting over every doorway. Second, we’d do all the floor work before painting the trim, not after. We re-touched trim in every room because we got polyurethane on the baseboard despite careful masking. Third, we’d hire out the edge sanding on the closets. The closets were small and uncomfortable and the edge sander in a tight space is genuinely unpleasant to operate. In a closet, that’s about $200 worth of professional labor that’s absolutely worth it.
The Final Numbers
Equipment rental: $380. Sandpaper (went through more than anticipated): $145. Finish (Bona Traffic HD, water-based poly): $280. Stain for the mismatched boards: $42. Sealer for the gap near the hearth: $38. Shop supplies (plastic sheeting, tape, respirators): $62. Total for 1,420 SF: $947 in materials and rental. We valued our labor at $0 because we wanted to.
A professional quote we got for the same work: $6,200. We saved $5,253, did work we’re proud of, and have a skill we’ll use again. Not a bad weekend project.