Hello all,

I was looking for some advice before I lay down a finish…

I recently moved into a 100 year old two storey home. The 400 square foot main floor is mostly red oak. And the boards seems to be quite thick. Now, I should mention the house is not perfect, so it would be silly to have immaculate floors and nothing else. But they were rough enough to require SOME attention, which is what I gave them.

There was some sort of finish on them that came off as brown when I wiped with a varsol soaked cloth, but when I tested a small spot with a palm sander it came off as powder and did not gum it up in the slightest, for that reason I thought it was not wax…

Anyways, I took a drum sander to the floor over the weekend (36 – 60 – 80) (did not get gummed up at all). I had already touched a couple edges with the edger with 80 and it just ate through the top layer. For that reason, I went around the entire edge with 80 after the 36 drum, and it seemed to fine (the 36 on the edger just seemed way to aggressive), though of course, did not blend at all. After doing the 80 on the drum sander, I quickly went over the entire floor with a square buff sander and 120 grit screen… This blended the edges fairly well. However, there are still some low spots a couple inches from the wall that the buffer didn’t get and I have since returned the buffer.

I am thinking of couple things…. I don’t think I can get it looking “perfect” / professionally done, but I would like it looking good.

1. (I know this is a controversial question to ask)… What finish best covers sanding mistakes that I cannot see yet: oil-based or water-based and satin or semi or gloss??? I did an oil based on my maple kitchen and I found it highlighted every mistake.

2. What is best to get rid of marks the buffer missed, i.e. the low points a few inches from the wall? I have a pole sander and some 120 grit screen???

3. There is one gouge about 2 inches long and 1/3” deep at it’s deepest. Do I HAVE to fill this? I’d rather leave it as I think it adds more character than a big thing of filler would.


I would appreciate any input

You should use a scraper to help smooth the low spot. Then use 80 grit paper to sand with the grain. No sense in going over the floor with anything finer than 100 grit. You are going to go with a natural finish, no stain, aren't you?
Oil modified poly-urethane is the best that you can use. Some brands yellow more than others over time. Two heavy coats are all you need. Follow directions for spread rate.

So the “low spot” is like a ring that follows the perimeter of the room about 6 – 10” inches from the wall. The buffer with 120 smoothed the floor quite a bit. Would anywhere sanded with an 80 be highlighted after I put a finish down?

And yes I am using a natural finish… likely an oil based satin. The wood is quite nice.

If you hand rub the perimeter with 80 grit , you should then go over it with something finer like 120 grit so that it blends with the field again.Lots of so called pros leave halos around the rooms they sand so it's very important to spare no effort in making sure the edges are the same as the field.

If you are planning to stain the floor you can get a darker ring around the floor if the edges are rougher than the field. Use a natural poly-urethane finish and you will not have a "halo" on you oak floor. The scraper closes the grain and can cause chatter if not done carefully. The scraper will help smooth the edges faster than an orbital as it makes shavings rather than dust. The fine 80 grit will help smooth the surface.
An orbital sander after the 80 grit won't hurt anything.

So, 80 grit with a sanding block, then 120 screen on a pole sander, just on the edges?

and just to clarify: The very edge seems to be pretty close to the main field, but a few inches from the edge there is a ring that must be slight lower than the edge and the field as the buffer didn't get it.

By natural poly, do you mean like a clear oil-based varathane? i was thinking of using varathane pro oil-based satin.

I have heard that stains highlight sanding flaws really bad. Do clear finishes not highlight them as much or at all?

Sanding flaws will be noticed in a reflection. Oil poly will not show a difference in color with different surface preparation like other finishes. 80 grit scratches with the grain will not show with two good coats over the floor. Clear is a term used by the industry, however oil poly will yellow with age. It is one of the best finishes for a homeowner doing their finishing.

I attempted to hand sand it a little best last night and i wasn't making a dent.

I am tempted to go and rent a square orbital and go over the entire floor with 100 grit (it is at 120 right now). Does that make any sense?

The majority of the floor seems to be smooth and even with 120... but the edges are all different. and not just like an inch from the wall, but a range of 2-10inches.

Better to keep the field as is and use a random orbit sander to try and smooth the edges.
If it was you who put the deep spots at the edge you worked too hard on the edger. You need a less aggressive tool to smooth up your mistakes. Just try to make everything smooth not necessarily flat. You will take off too much wood.