DIY Experts (laminate flooring)

AmDaMan · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:39

Hi, I told my parents I would help them with the living room as i've got time off uni now and some free time.

Anyway just about done with stripping the wallpaper (pita) and i just lifted the carpet up to check how level the floor was etc..

Anyway I found this already there and was wondering if it was possible to get a large sander (room is 32m2) and then maybe varnish it, or is that silly?

I'm not quite sure what wood it is, looks like beech so how would this look? Also it has gaps unlike the click type laminate stuff.

thanks,

PsiFox · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:42

Looks like proper wooden floorboards.

Hire a sander and then varnish.

will look lovely.

Zip · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:44

AmDaMan said:
Anyway I found this already there and was wondering if it was possible to get a large sander (room is 32m2) and then maybe varnish it, or is that silly?

Thats what my Girlfriends parents did and it comeup a real nice deap brown wooden colour :cool:

Dave M · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:51

Thats not laminate

You probably don't even need a sander, just scrub it up, let dry, then varnish (get the stuff for floors). If you want to sand you're best off getting one from a tool hire for a day, it's a great big thing that you push about like a hoover.

The gaps are normal and it will look a million times better than horrid laminate and last forever (just re-varnish when it gets a bit worn).

Zip · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:56

Telescopi said:
Thats not laminate

You probably don't even need a sander, just scrub it up, let dry, then varnish (get the stuff for floors). If you want to sand you're best off getting one from a tool hire for a day, it's a great big thing that you push about like a hoover.

The gaps are normal and it will look a million times better than horrid laminate and last forever (just re-varnish when it gets a bit worn).

A sander still would be good, Due to it having carpet on it there would be some bad marks on it that a sander would remove.
Pluss there would be a few dents and scratchs from all the stapples he would have had to remove and from the carpet gripper on the side

AmDaMan · 4 Jun 2007 at 13:59

wow that's good news!! Lot's cheaper too I bet.

When you say varnish, do you mean after staining it or just varnish? Won't that just make it shine but no colour?

Zip · 4 Jun 2007 at 14:01

AmDaMan said:
wow that's good news!! Lot's cheaper too I bet.

When you say varnish, do you mean after staining it or just varnish? Won't that just make it shine but no colour?

Staining is what im talking about

I though varnishing and staining was the same thing

Dave M · 4 Jun 2007 at 14:05

Zip said:
A sander still would be good, Due to it having carpet on it there would be some bad marks on it that a sander would remove.

It adds character

AmDaMan said:
When you say varnish, do you mean after staining it or just varnish? Won't that just make it shine but no colour?

I used a coloured varnish - ronseal something or other.

Bill101 · 4 Jun 2007 at 15:17

Check that there are no large gaps between the boards (ideally there should be none) and then take a large hammer and punch to get all the nails below the surface before you sand otherwise they will rip the sanding belts. Normally when you hire one of those large sanders they give you a wad of sanding belts and you just pay for what you use so you do not want to destroy them.
Once sanded you can then decide if you just want a varnish or a stain. Even plain varnish will darken the wood a little, if you wet a small area that will give you a rough idea on how dark it will look.

alexakasloth · 4 Jun 2007 at 16:06

PsiFox said:
Looks like proper wooden floorboards.

Hire a sander and then varnish.

will look lovely.

As said, though I would stain (I think staining and varnishing are slightly different).

Dave M · 4 Jun 2007 at 16:32

$loth said:
As said, though I would stain (I think staining and varnishing are slightly different).

Stain is colour, varnish is shiny, you can get both in one but if want a matt finish just use stain.

darreny · 4 Jun 2007 at 17:37

tip of the day - if you need to fill anywhere mix the sanding dust with some glue and use that

alexakasloth · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:32

Telescopi said:
Stain is colour, varnish is shiny, you can get both in one but if want a matt finish just use stain.

Thanks for clearing that up

Schofield · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:36

If i were you i would'nt stick with it...its only cheap softwood floor boards.....it will look tacky, deffo not beech as beech is a hardwood and the grain isn't tight like it is on hardwoods, all it is, is plained crappy softwood flooring you use on valleys on roofs....up to you tho, even with varnish it will mark like a sucker....id go with something else, but at the end of the day its your choice

and dont mix saw dust up with glue youll forever see it.....id just use some clear wax like bees wax or something to fill in any minor imperfections....

if the flooring isn't secret nailed...if its nailed through the tops of the boards you best get on your hands and knees and punch all them nail heads down or you'll be splashing out more money on sanding belts than i dont know what......the time and effort its going to take it would be cheaper and easier to put something else down

Sumanji · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:47

Sorry to hijack the thread, but which company/shop sell the best quality laminate flooring (at a reasonable price)? Hardwood isn't really an option as it's too expensive, and I live in a flat so I think it's concrete under the carpets.

Cheers,

Suman

Schofield · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:48

Sumanji said:
Sorry to hijack the thread, but which company/shop sell the best quality laminate flooring (at a reasonable price)? Hardwood isn't really an option as it's too expensive, and I live in a flat so I think it's concrete under the carpets.

Cheers,

Suman

nip to BQ

alexakasloth · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:57

As said B and Q have laminate which looks fairly good. Going to be using it when I re-decorate my room.

Chabsy · 4 Jun 2007 at 18:57

Fter to fist coat the grain will lift a bit (become rough) give it 1 sand before you stain/varnish then another lighter sand after to 2nd coat laminated floor is horrible unless you remove the skirtings and get decent stuff

Schofield · 4 Jun 2007 at 19:22

Chabsy said:
Fter to fist coat the grain will lift a bit (become rough) give it 1 sand before you stain/varnish then another lighter sand after to 2nd coat laminated floor is horrible unless you remove the skirtings and get decent stuff

not true in so many ways...as laminate can be fine without lifting skirtings....you would just apply a nice quadrant around and it looks just as nice as if it were under the skirtings

AmDaMan · 15 Dec 2007 at 20:39

Hi Chaps!! Quick update!

Only just got around to doing this tonight :eek:

Here are a few pics:

Looking good imo.

Before

Another before shot.

Comparison shot

Getting Better!

Just have to go over it again with a finer grade now and it should be ok for staining! Got a medium oak Ronseal stain.

Should I have painted the skirting before starting this btw? :/

It was a major ballache nailing all the nails in with a punch, also removing all the staples but hopefully it will be worth it.