Getting ready to refinish these floors and have questions
I have been working on my childhood home and am ready to tackle the floors. It was built in 1890 in western Kansas. I’m almost positive they are pine floors, and the perimeter has been stained/varnished with the center left unfinished. Apparently that was what they did back then, placed a rug in the center of the room and only finished the perimeter. One room has been sealed but I don’t believe it was ever stained, the other 3 rooms have just the perimeter stain/varnish.
I’ve done loads of research and did some test spots that turned out well. I sanded with 60 and then 80, applied a wood conditioner, and then did a mix of 3:1 early American + dark walnut and also a mix of 2:1 special walnut + dark walnut just to see which I liked bette. I did one coat of polyurethane on the test spot. Of course when I do the floors I will do 3 coats of polyurethane, this was just to get a feel for the coloration. I’m happy with how it looks but would appreciate opinions!! I’m trying to avoid. It looking too orangey and am wanting a warmer brown than traditional pine flooring.
I did contact a couple of floor guys to have it done by a pro. One is booked for another 6 months out and the other “doesn’t stain pine”. I realize pine tends to be blotchy and can take stain uneven. I am not looking for perfect brand new wood floors. I ripped up carpet and just want to enjoy the wood floors with its character and flaws, but in a warmer shade of brown 😆
The test strips were done in the entryway, which unfortunately has severe water damage and I will actually be tiling over. But it was a good place to test on the undamaged area. It is however the worst looking section of flooring with many pits. But again this was just for testing.
I’ll add pictures of the rooms, the ones with just perimeter stain/varnish and the one with that had some sort of poly on it way back in the day before carpet was laid down. Also include my stain test spots. I just want to get opinions on if I’m doing this correctly, if there are any additional steps I should take given the perimeter color and the fact that it’s pine. Basically any tips and tricks would be appreciated!! From what I’ve researched, the perimeter should be sanded with 40 grit first, then a 60 grit on the entire floor followed by 80 on the entire floor. Does this sound correct?
Also, the pictures were taken in the midst of everything. The house has been rewired, replied, and drywall is now finished. It’s been a journey!