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G'day all i'm thinking of ripping up the carpet in some rooms and hallway in my house and sanding and varnishing. My question is to those that have done this befor Successfully and unsuccessfully.
Is it worth doing it yourself or get a flooring specialist to do the job, i could do the the job but doing fifo work i would take me a at least 2 months to do the job. And how did you find using the floor sander, would you do it again.
It depends on how fussy you are and how much you're willing to spend.
I'd sum it up like this:
If you have the money and want a really good mirror finish, go for a pro. Their equipment normally leaves less dust floating around the house as well.
If you don't mind a good days' hard work and aren't concerned about getting it mirror flat, have a go yourself. It will still look good albeit perhaps a bit distressed. You'd probably end the day asking yourself whether 'twas worth it, but a good nights' sleep (or six) cures that. :D
If the floor has already been sanded at some time in it's life before the carpet, and only needs light sanding to restore it, well... that's a no-brainer.
BTW, I won't recommend the belt sanders rented by Bunnies, etc, as they take practice to use without leaving "snipe" marks. The big orbitals, or a rotary floor-polisher with mesh sanding disks, are easier to use and obtain a good result with, but I can't say they're readily available for rental.
Would I do it again? Probably. With some dozen or so under my belt so far I may even get it right next time! But I have mates in the trade I can annoy until they "lend" me the gear... if not a hand. ;)
I would suggest having a go at the hallway first and then see what you think.
Using a professional will give you a better job but you won't have the "I did it satisfaction".
I used a belt sander and it was hard to control at times but at least it didn't cost me anything.
Doing it yourself may leave blemishes in the floor, particularly if you done use a finishing sander. Tally up the cost of hiring a floor sander, edger, finishing sander, filler, sandpapers and the lacquer and applicators(roller or lambswool cloth) etc. Factor in the time it would take you to do it, and the hiring charges in case you plan to hire the gear more than once - then get a few quotes. If you are fussy about the finish - i would suggest getting a pro to do it.