Getting Started with the Floor
So I walked into this sports hall in Oakland NJ yesterday, and man the wood floor looked terrible. Scratches everywhere, some spots worn down bare like old tires, and that nasty yellow color nobody wants. I thought, “Okay buddy, you’ve fixed floors for years – time to make it shine again.”
Tearing Everything Apart First
First things first – cleared out all the sports junk. Basketball hoops folded up, volleyball nets stuffed in a corner. Swept like crazy with a stiff broom to get rid of all the dust bunnies and gum wrappers stuck under the corners.
Then came the sanding beast. Rented this huge drum sander from the hardware shop – thing vibrates like a jackhammer! Did three passes across the whole floor:
- Started with 36-grit paper to murder all the old finish
- Medium 60-grit to smooth out the war zones
- Finished with 100-grit like sanding with silk
Pro tip: keep that sander moving or you’ll dig trenches like last summer when I messed up my neighbor’s deck!
The Dust Tornado and Stain Situation
After sanding? Holy dust storm! Looked like a flour bomb went off. Spent two hours wiping every single inch with damp rags until the water stayed clear. Forgot my mask once – coughed up gray gunk till midnight!
Went with Golden Pecan stain – looks professional but hides scuffs great. Brushed it on slow like painting a fence, watching the wood drink it up. Almost spilled the whole can when I tripped over the extension cord (always tape those down).
Sealing the Deal
Let it dry overnight – smelled like a lumberyard in there! Came back next morning with water-based polyurethane. Did three thin coats:
- First coat: feather-light with my best brush
- Second coat: still super careful
- Final coat: thicker for armor
Wait time between coats felt longer than airport security lines. But rushing this part means sticky disaster – learned that lesson fixing my church gym floor last fall!
The Big Reveal
Finally peeled off the painter’s tape this morning. Sun hit that fresh coat – wow! Like honey poured over the wood. Even the old water stains near the bleachers disappeared. Total job took 3 days, cost about $350 with rental fees. Still finding wood dust in my ear though!
