I use sandpaper attached to a snowplough and drive it around my dining room. To remove the varnish, I always spread petrol on the floor and set it alight. For the finish, I use my wife's nail varnish.
As a 30 year wood flooring refinisher, this was one of the most painful things I've ever seen - but at the same time, I got SO many laughs. Thanks for sharing.
Hahaha sir, you saying 30 years its way much and i can feel you .i dont do this job bit i do installation only just been 6 years of installing…and even i felt so bad and in pain after watching this .🤦♂️i wonder why the business and jobs getting cheaper day by day coz in every field there are guys like this who dont know shitttt but can do your job quckly and way cheaper than others ,and the professionals who do know the game ,who just charge by their experience and their way of doing job like pro nicely by considering every small thing in mind to make the job better ,they suffer .Professionals just suffer coz of these guys in every field.Not talking about you here sir but like new guys ..like us who really learned and got skills.coz we charge for skills and good work they charge for mess.As they learned from TH-cam or by doing couple days or mreover 3-4 months with someone.😢🤦♂️🤦♂️
I started watching this and thinking 'holy s**t but then I challenged my own opinion. It's videos like these that help people learn what not to do and with a little bit of research, how easily things can be avoided. Keep up the good work. If you're not learning then you're not living.
Kudos to you Matthias! Your creativity, hard work, problem solving and perseverance are admirable and a rare gem. Thanks for being so vulnerable and sharing your DIY journey with us. You taught more than you intended I’m sure.
Many years ago I horse traded with a guy to do my floors in exchange for my professional services. At the time, I thought I got the short end of the stick, but after seeing this, I'm thinking it was a fair trade. Thanks for sharing Matt
It is incredible how people want to show how knowledgeable they are by pointing out how ignorant others are. To the point of not actually reading the title saying "trial and error" or even finishing the video where he tells you to rent a proper floor sander. I guess it made you feel superior for a few moments. Congratulations, you are a true asset to humanity.
As Henry Ford said, "If you need a tool and don't buy it" (or rent it), "you'll pay for it and not have it." Of course if you're in it for the love of learning, like Matthias, then there's no better teacher than experience.
as a wood industry professional, it is refreshing to hear a DIY youtuber admit "hiring a professional tradesperson is probably a good idea". I'm pretty tired of everyone being told they can do everything themselves. which is technically true but in reality most people should not attempt. thanks, great video Matthias.
As a builder and maker myself, I totally agree with that sentiment. I know there are many home gamers out there who are very capable and do acceptable work. I am merely lamenting the trend of DIY content producers and Pinterest articles convincing the masses that they can do anything themselves! Why should we ever pay someone for their expertise! As a trained finish carpenter I can only put my face in my palm so many times. I felt it was fair to comment that the vast majority of people actually can't "do it themselves" and expect any kind of decent result. Of course, there are lousy "pros" out there too (hacks). In Matthias' case I will say that he did a pretty decent job on prep, considering his tooling. Finishing however, is a fickle art for the uninitiated. I really admire Matthias and the ethos of his channel, my comments are by no means a put down on him. I was thanking him for acknowledging that paying a pro is actually (surprise!) a good deal.
Yes, you're bang on. People forget the money spent isn't just on what you get in the end. It's also what you save having someone else do it. Yes, given enough time, money, energy, etc, most capable individuals can do their own DIY home improvements. The problem is at what cost. I can spend some weekends doing something, but I don't get anything else done. It may cost me a few days pay to have someone else do it, but that means I have a few weekends back. My dad tells me all the time "if you need something, someone's probably already invented it and it's probably cheaper to buy their's than make your own" Now, it's not a true fact statement by any means, but it's a handy way to look at things when working on a project.
That's true but you can go diagonal if the floor board have cuped or bowed and you cross cut it the other direction but after this you must go with the grain
Hello thank you for your video. Your exploration process figuring out how to refinish your floor was very interesting. Although you took a difficult way to get there I've seen worse jobs. If you and your family like it that's what matters. Typical sanding and refinishing is $1.50 per square ft natural process, (meaning no stain), or a $600 minimum. Based on the size of your area you may have been able to get that done for $600. For those that watch this video for instruction. I would recommend using a rental sanding machine (or for a very small area you can use that belt sander if you are patient), starting with a 40 grit sandpaper sanding, with the grain, never across it. Fill your out of Tolerance gaps, meaning larger than the width of a coin (quarter) with wood filler, they sell wood floor wood filler in the appropriate color to your stain. Many of the fillers also accept stain. Sandable wood filler is similar to joint compound. The non sandable putty that he used is for nail holes and cracks that you would use either between coats or after the final coat if you wanted to fill something that you missed. Moving on, then you would use a fine grit sandpaper 80 grit on the Belt machine. You then need to scrape and hand sand the corners, saddles, or wood work that you cannot use the machine on. Next you will use a buffing machine with 120 Grit which spins in a circular motion typically 16in pad and that will make the floor smooth and ready for finish. Or for a small area you could use a palm sander. Next process you would vacuum the floor thoroughly. After vacuuming consider using a tack cloth which would be a towel pushed with a broom to pick up excess dust. Dust is your enemy in wood floor refinishing! Your floor must be very clean! You may like to wet the towel with mineral spirits, as it will not have a reaction with the wood, do not use water. Then you are ready to apply your finish. Apply the finish or stain with the grain of the wood. always use thin coats. You do not want thick puddles. typically you would use a lambswool applicator which is approximately 9 inches wide, or you can use a 4in disposable brush and paint your way out of the room for smaller areas. Lightly sand between coats with 150 Grit, vacuum and Tack cloth, apply as many coats as you like. Typically three is sufficient, four coats with water base. all right folks have fun with your wood floors. Or if you are local to Rye New York you can contact me. Thank you and best wishes
Dude that is one of the best videos for TH-cam I have ever seen. When I want to learn how to do something around the house from a video knowing how the project can go wrong is a great learning tool. And you're floor ended up looking good.
Yep, in my area they have the pro models that are the big drum and disk and one for someone who is afraid they may sand thru their floor with the belt sander or get spin into the wall with the floor disk sander/buffer. It usess 6 6" orbital sanders.
Cliff Hartle I think my place did a deal as I got the rotary edge sander too free. Just had to do the corners by hand. I think the paper/pads/belts cost me about £3 for the whole job. 1 room and none hallway.
For the sanding process, use a "floor buffer" (used to shine the wax on a floor), with a sandpaper disk. That is the fastest and easiest way to sand the entire floor at a uniform level
The first thing he says is that they are getting the floor professionally refinished. He just wanted to experiment, tinker with some methods for fun. It is what he does. That is why he is an amazing contraption builder.
True, but he could have done it himself. Just use 36-, 50- or 60-, and 80-grit sandpaper, along with the corresponding sandpaper for an edger. Use that scraper to get the parts the edger could not reach. And finish with a buffer. Why destroy the floor?
This tutorial is perfect for those who have tons of free time in their hands but no $ in their packets to rent floors machines. So many things could of done right in this video. The right way to sand and refinish a floor 1. Clean floor gaps and fill it in with floor filler before sanding. 2. Sand floor 2-3 steps. 3. Buff the floor. 4. Apply color. 5. Apply first coat of floor finish 6. Buff again 7. Apply another coat of floor finish 8. Check and apply final coat of floor finish. Sounds so many steps but actually is way faster and the results is professional.
@@latonyadalton-anderson8535 it's not about being a hater. It's about knowing what the hell you're doing and being able to prevent accidents and in the end having a pro come fix your mess.
One of my earliest memories is when I was a toddler back in the early 70s, my Dad refinished the oak floors in two large rooms in our house. He sanded it all down on his knees with one of those big chrome hand held belt sanders they had back then. It was beautiful, except for one gouge filled with putty from when he threw the sander across the room in a moment of frustration. I'm guessing you experienced that emotion at some point in this project. Good job on not throwing your sander. These modern plastic tools wouldn't have survived that generations tempers.
Sanding a large surface with a small tool WILL create an uneven surface. The unevenness may be unnoticeable to the eye but each time it's sanded like this, will just get worse. If you don't care about that sort of thing, I'd call it a success. I understand your video is not a guide, but I have a really good floor refinishing video that covers all of the steps in detail.
If Matt is happy that is all that matters. I doubt he is going to jump right on redoing it any time too soon either. In fact I'd put good money on him never doing it ever again.
Yes, you dont want to use a belt sander. Just rent a orbital floor buffer and buy some sanding screens. Sand the edges by hand, use belt sander sparingly.
I''m an amateur floor guy and this hurt to watch lol... I respect your innovative ideas, but why not rent a floor sanding machine? at least if not the big drum sander, get the edger... entire rooms have been done with just that machine.. worst case you could use a random orbit sander, but I'm sure you can guess that's not very strong.. I'm really not gonna pick apart the rest of your methods cause I'm sure that would be annoying... clearly you wanted to experiment on your own so as long as you had "fun" then whatever... :)
Kraven can I just say that most of the time it costs lots of money to clean your floors like maybe he has kids like me I have one kid that’s it and I clean like everyday
Matthias I love your videos and inventions but this one you got wrong as wrong could be. Fairly entertaining but still wrong. You should know that dust is your enemy when finish is applied. And with a surface this big you have to be much more consistent when removing the dust. I do this for a living and my soul is going to need some healing this weekend after watching this 😉 Anyways. Have a nice weekend and always use a respirator when applying varnish 😊
My only thought was that he should have washed the floor (whipe with a damp rag or mop). Would that be correct? I just say that because when I vacuum, if I don't mop the floor after, there's always a tiny bit of fine dust on my feet when I walk barefoot. But I'm also thinking that you wouldn't want to trap moisture in there with the varnish. Anyway, I wish your soul a prompt recovery.
no, reading the basics of what to do from any of the countless resources on the internet is the best way to learn. people have been finishing floors for centuries. yeesh.
Looks like maple, in which case it won’t expand. Those cracks are there to stay unless you fill them. If there’s any flex in the flooring filler will just come out.
+Matthias Wandel I remember an old german advert from the early 1900s, a manual planer that you basically push across the floor while standing, similar to what you did here with the scraper. If only I could remember what it was called or where I saw it!
Do that shit for 10 hours everyday for many years. Stupid idea! I know the business, seen many people have back and joint issues at a young age. USE PROPER TOOLS!
I know you like to use the tools you have, or build a tool for a job, but the only thing that really sands a floor properly is... a floor sander. You can usually find a place that rents them. And use a tack rag to make *absolutely* sure you get all the dust off before each coat of varnish. (And it might be a good idea to wear a dust mask.)
If you've seen the movie "Hidden Figures", you know that the term "computer" originally meant a *person* who, well, _computed_. So what would a "floor sander" have been a hundred years ago?
Cool inventions but they make floor sanders for a reason.
6 ปีที่แล้ว
Those are for door jambs & window casements filled with decades of caked-on paintwork. I've never seen anyone scrape a floor, for anything. Sanding all the way.
This is my favourite sort of video by you, especially seeing you highlight the mistakes you make and how to avoid them. It's informative and refreshing. Do you get a nice glow of pride when you look at the floor now? Or just regret not paying someone else to do the work?
Matthias Wandel "If you want something done right", I guess :p Also, just wanted to say thank you - you're one of the major reasons I've started a uni degree in engineering, and sparked my love for woodworking
No, you do not have to always go with it. The only purpose of "going with the grain" when it comes to sanding is so the scratches that the sandpaper leaves behind are parallel to the wood grain, making the scratches harder to see. That's literally it. You can go at it at whatever angle you want in the beginning, as long as your final grits are parallel to the grain, so it's harder to see the sanding scratches.. ..which the varnish will mostly fill in anyway. So him sanding perpendicular to the grain is really not a big deal. Same with most wood projects.
10:45 “RENT A FLOOR SANDER” THIS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID! I like that you did all the labor and then you were able to understand why it’s appropriate to pay a professional. There’s too many customers who think it is a rip off to pay a professional. You made this video and you proved to everyone who doubts that it IS appropriate and deserved to pay a professional. Sometimes we think “oh I can do that, why should I pay a stranger!” And you showed us detailed proof that the trained professionals are worth it. You showed us the labor involved is worth paying for. You showed us that it’s very difficult to do alone without proper equipment and professional training. I really like that you were honest. You told the truth and you used your own time and hard labor to show everyone why it’s ok to pay for a quality job done by an expert.
KP Productions i think he did amazing and it looks nice the shine makes the floors look like they have just been moped and waxed and if you don't like how he did it then why are you here ?
Molly Davis you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Literally scraping the finish off is the worst thing you can do. The finish is such a very thin layer that simply sanding will work. Scraping it off ruins the actual wood itself. Wouldn't be suprised if the wood planks have dips in them from him scraping it so much
Well done! I applaud your efforts. The more woodworking I do, the further from perfection I think I become but the more I embrace the imperfections. I like the way it ended up looking and who cares that it isn’t perfect. It was done by your hands and when you put furniture back on it, I think it’ll look just fine. I think I’ve watched just about everyone of your videos and this was the first one that gave me anxiety. The sanding was not bad but the scraper was a bit much. Be honest, how close were you to running to the store and renting a professional sander? Now, I don’t know how far of a trip that might have been which might have been a deciding factor but I’m pretty sure I would have went. Haha.
It’s not to hard. I did my moms floors on my own when I was 19yrs old and literally now experience. I rented a floor sander from the Home Depot and got supplies and went to work. I even rode on the sander at times for hard areas. Lol!... The project came out super nice.
You're actually a sweet guy, you just posted this for people to see and learn from your mistakes. You guys are mean, leave the man alone. He clearly didn't state that this is how you should do your floors, it was just his experiment
I'm glad the comments are no longer disabled. You live and you learn, and this is a teaching moment for others. Great persistence though! Sometimes it's nice to try something on your own, I admire that.
This video is also about showing trial and error and what methods work and which ones don’t. The amount of negative, sarcastic comments are ridiculous. Instead of insulting people on TH-cam, people should offer tips and advice instead. You’re all appalling for talking shit on here. I enjoyed the video and have to redo one of my own floors so this was great to watch 👌🏻 you did a nice job too as well
He was illustrating what possible errors people could make. After seeing the result, people may pay attention what should do and what shouldn't do. This is a very good demo to me.
LOL!!!!! This is probably the funniest video I’ve seen in a while. You were killing me! You probably should have done your research before getting into this. There is a lot of helpful information out there on this subject. Thank you for the laughs!!
All the insulting commenters here are missing the point. He was interested in experimenting with basic tools and inventing jigs to make the job easier. It was the process that intrigued him. Look around at all your modern conveniences and inventions. If the creators had your attitude of not trying anything new, most of the things you use every day wouldn't exist. Tinkering is a respectable trait. You should be praising this guy.
I already commented on my personal channel, but I figured my hardwood channel would be more believable. Sanding this floor would take me a day, and I would have it looking new. I very much respect Matthias, but I'm glad he decided to hire experts. Hardwood floors aren't hard, but very particular in tools and skills. There is a reason contractors hire me to do it instead of doing it themselves. Lol
You did a wonderful job. I respect and admire People Who have the patience and dedication to achieve such exhausting tasks. Greetings from Montevideo, Uruguay
I use sandpaper attached to a snowplough and drive it around my dining room. To remove the varnish, I always spread petrol on the floor and set it alight. For the finish, I use my wife's nail varnish.
C this deserves all the likes
Lmbo!!!!!!!!!!!
Lol hahahahahahaha
LMAO 😂😂😂😂😂 this had me in tears!
Hahahahahaha!!!
As a 30 year wood flooring refinisher, this was one of the most painful things I've ever seen - but at the same time, I got SO many laughs. Thanks for sharing.
Why is that? Can you explain
@@LukaAkhmadkulov one thing is, you always go with the grain, he basically scratched the crap out of the floor boards
Hahaha sir, you saying 30 years its way much and i can feel you .i dont do this job bit i do installation only just been 6 years of installing…and even i felt so bad and in pain after watching this .🤦♂️i wonder why the business and jobs getting cheaper day by day coz in every field there are guys like this who dont know shitttt but can do your job quckly and way cheaper than others ,and the professionals who do know the game ,who just charge by their experience and their way of doing job like pro nicely by considering every small thing in mind to make the job better ,they suffer .Professionals just suffer coz of these guys in every field.Not talking about you here sir but like new guys ..like us who really learned and got skills.coz we charge for skills and good work they charge for mess.As they learned from TH-cam or by doing couple days or mreover 3-4 months with someone.😢🤦♂️🤦♂️
and next week Matthias will be showing us how to drag fingernails down a chalkboard.
Can't wait :D
I had to mute the sound when he did it, sent shivers right down my spine.
comment of the month
Dust Bunny professional black board scraping machine...
Of course it will be a machine like the slinky treadmill.
I started watching this and thinking 'holy s**t but then I challenged my own opinion. It's videos like these that help people learn what not to do and with a little bit of research, how easily things can be avoided. Keep up the good work. If you're not learning then you're not living.
Kudos to you Matthias! Your creativity, hard work, problem solving and perseverance are admirable and a rare gem. Thanks for being so vulnerable and sharing your DIY journey with us. You taught more than you intended I’m sure.
Expected a Rumba Sanding robot at some point
good idea!
a wooden one
And painted green
Entirely made of wood, with the exception of the motor.
Including the motor. I think he needs to step his game up a little! ;)
Many years ago I horse traded with a guy to do my floors in exchange for my professional services. At the time, I thought I got the short end of the stick, but after seeing this, I'm thinking it was a fair trade. Thanks for sharing Matt
your professional services? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Disgraced lawyer. Sigh. The good old days.
Max Power Well, he said something about a short stick too...
My dad does professional floor sanding and he traded his services for around 1000 dollars worth of coupons at the restaurant he did the floors at.
I love all your videos because of how clever you are. but this one was like watching someone clean a monster truck with a toothbrush.
Jeffrey Restrepo hahahahahaha seriously bro. after watching this I'm jumping off a bridge
@@christorres1159 lmao 😂💀💀💀💀
i love this guy, he’s a MAN who fixed his own floor, didn’t pay a crazy amount or anything, diy’ed some shit, LEARNED from his mistakes??? king.
These days in really cheap to have some one come in and do it, but if you want to spend a week on your floors more power to you
"Fixed" you see that beautiful reflection on it at the end? XD dude is definitely a single parent
Hapalon G
Smart people are born that way, wise people learn from mistakes.
Why am I agreeing with you? 🤔🤨
Smart people listen to what is said in the beginning part of the video...
Need me a man who’s gonna be dedicated as much as this guy is dedicated to perfecting this floor
So you want a man who cuts corner?
Does a shit job.
ConTrollYourself r/whooosh
Me too lol
@@controllyourself8144 lol that's too funny
He just do not know
This is the polar opposite of ASMR.
Why? It's quite relaxing to watch
1255XL the sounds of the scraping and sanding, it’s visually relaxing buut sound wise😬
Im getting so many goosebumps
It literally sent a chill down my spine hearing it
Flornmonk this video shattered my teeth.
Your level of patients is beyond compare.
I hope not. He's a woodworker not a doctor.
...Jim.
It's a Kevin ... what a surprise. Jk
Kevin Carpenter belt sander did more work
Patience
Thanks so much. After watching this I hired someone to refinish my floors!
OMG hahahahaha
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I think that was definitely the point of this video.
davebauerart - so did he. Did you listen at all?
OMG
It is incredible how people want to show how knowledgeable they are by pointing out how ignorant others are. To the point of not actually reading the title saying "trial and error" or even finishing the video where he tells you to rent a proper floor sander. I guess it made you feel superior for a few moments. Congratulations, you are a true asset to humanity.
Legend says he’s still perfecting his floor to this very day
this comment had me laughing my ass off as I watched the video
“Perfecting” meaning replacing them now
As Henry Ford said, "If you need a tool and don't buy it" (or rent it), "you'll pay for it and not have it." Of course if you're in it for the love of learning, like Matthias, then there's no better teacher than experience.
as a wood industry professional, it is refreshing to hear a DIY youtuber admit "hiring a professional tradesperson is probably a good idea". I'm pretty tired of everyone being told they can do everything themselves. which is technically true but in reality most people should not attempt. thanks, great video Matthias.
Self sufficiency and self ingenuity are the spices of life. I'm glad I never listened to your kind.
As a builder and maker myself, I totally agree with that sentiment. I know there are many home gamers out there who are very capable and do acceptable work. I am merely lamenting the trend of DIY content producers and Pinterest articles convincing the masses that they can do anything themselves! Why should we ever pay someone for their expertise! As a trained finish carpenter I can only put my face in my palm so many times. I felt it was fair to comment that the vast majority of people actually can't "do it themselves" and expect any kind of decent result. Of course, there are lousy "pros" out there too (hacks).
In Matthias' case I will say that he did a pretty decent job on prep, considering his tooling. Finishing however, is a fickle art for the uninitiated.
I really admire Matthias and the ethos of his channel, my comments are by no means a put down on him. I was thanking him for acknowledging that paying a pro is actually (surprise!) a good deal.
Good reply. I agree.
Yes, you're bang on. People forget the money spent isn't just on what you get in the end. It's also what you save having someone else do it. Yes, given enough time, money, energy, etc, most capable individuals can do their own DIY home improvements. The problem is at what cost. I can spend some weekends doing something, but I don't get anything else done. It may cost me a few days pay to have someone else do it, but that means I have a few weekends back.
My dad tells me all the time "if you need something, someone's probably already invented it and it's probably cheaper to buy their's than make your own" Now, it's not a true fact statement by any means, but it's a handy way to look at things when working on a project.
shieeet, i built my own spacecraft in my backyard after i read the instructions online
You should always sand wood with the grains.. Not just rub the machine all over the place...
This isnt a DIY giude xD
And he also explains his reasoning and, while I'm no expert, I think it's pretty solid
That's true but you can go diagonal if the floor board have cuped or bowed and you cross cut it the other direction but after this you must go with the grain
But it different story with the edgers
That's what i thought as well
This guy might not know exactly how to do the floor but i was impressed with his well made inventions for his tools good job
*heres another gap*
Violently makes it bigger
Why am I watching someone scrape their floors
Emerald it's lit
Cause we're all weird
Emerald was on my recommended
right 😂😂
Envy
At three am too.
Matthias, you're buying tools? Someone, please check his temperature - I think he's sick!
Nope. You're dropping that hand plane one the ground on purpose. Looks to me like you're fine :)
EXACTLY MY THOUGHT :p
"based on the attrocity I just carried out on my floor, i conclude that you shouldnt bother and just hire a pro"
How To Sand A Floor ur username😂
I forgot about this comment, I wonder if this is the reason that this cretin decided to frivolously copystrike my video
Plying@@realrererocks2949
Weird Science ah yes, here we have the casual and not so subtle sexist comment from your everyday too much testosterone male.
I would be ashamed if my wife knew I was out here planning in hiring a pro to sand my floors
Hello thank you for your video. Your exploration process figuring out how to refinish your floor was very interesting. Although you took a difficult way to get there I've seen worse jobs. If you and your family like it that's what matters. Typical sanding and refinishing is $1.50 per square ft natural process, (meaning no stain), or a $600 minimum. Based on the size of your area you may have been able to get that done for $600. For those that watch this video for instruction. I would recommend using a rental sanding machine (or for a very small area you can use that belt sander if you are patient), starting with a 40 grit sandpaper sanding, with the grain, never across it. Fill your out of Tolerance gaps, meaning larger than the width of a coin (quarter) with wood filler, they sell wood floor wood filler in the appropriate color to your stain. Many of the fillers also accept stain. Sandable wood filler is similar to joint compound. The non sandable putty that he used is for nail holes and cracks that you would use either between coats or after the final coat if you wanted to fill something that you missed. Moving on, then you would use a fine grit sandpaper 80 grit on the Belt machine. You then need to scrape and hand sand the corners, saddles, or wood work that you cannot use the machine on. Next you will use a buffing machine with 120 Grit which spins in a circular motion typically 16in pad and that will make the floor smooth and ready for finish. Or for a small area you could use a palm sander. Next process you would vacuum the floor thoroughly. After vacuuming consider using a tack cloth which would be a towel pushed with a broom to pick up excess dust. Dust is your enemy in wood floor refinishing! Your floor must be very clean! You may like to wet the towel with mineral spirits, as it will not have a reaction with the wood, do not use water. Then you are ready to apply your finish. Apply the finish or stain with the grain of the wood. always use thin coats. You do not want thick puddles. typically you would use a lambswool applicator which is approximately 9 inches wide, or you can use a 4in disposable brush and paint your way out of the room for smaller areas. Lightly sand between coats with 150 Grit, vacuum and Tack cloth, apply as many coats as you like. Typically three is sufficient, four coats with water base. all right folks have fun with your wood floors. Or if you are local to Rye New York you can contact me. Thank you and best wishes
Dude that is one of the best videos for TH-cam I have ever seen. When I want to learn how to do something around the house from a video knowing how the project can go wrong is a great learning tool. And you're floor ended up looking good.
I did mine...just rented a floor sander...big beast but fast and really cheap. £50 for 3 days if I remember rightly.
exactly... rent a floor sander... lol
Yep. Time is money. renting the right tool is the way to go
Yep, in my area they have the pro models that are the big drum and disk and one for someone who is afraid they may sand thru their floor with the belt sander or get spin into the wall with the floor disk sander/buffer. It usess 6 6" orbital sanders.
Cliff Hartle I think my place did a deal as I got the rotary edge sander too free. Just had to do the corners by hand.
I think the paper/pads/belts cost me about £3 for the whole job. 1 room and none hallway.
I found it truly painful to watch this with Matthias using a what a 4" wide belt sander even with the handle.
For the sanding process, use a "floor buffer" (used to shine the wax on a floor), with a sandpaper disk. That is the fastest and easiest way to sand the entire floor at a uniform level
OMG that sound! My ears are bleeding!
But nice work though
Thiago Roman what are you talking about
My dads been doing floors since he was nine and worked with his father , I showed this to him and it triggered him 😂😂
My dad has been doing it for years but when I showed him it he almost pissed him self laughing
The first thing he says is that they are getting the floor professionally refinished. He just wanted to experiment, tinker with some methods for fun. It is what he does. That is why he is an amazing contraption builder.
Korrale you are not wrong. But I bet when the professional came in and saw that varnish mess at the end. I promise you he did a mental face palm
Dire Axe - Or, being a professional, they just did their job. Shoot, he probably told him what he did anyways.
True, but he could have done it himself. Just use 36-, 50- or 60-, and 80-grit sandpaper, along with the corresponding sandpaper for an edger. Use that scraper to get the parts the edger could not reach. And finish with a buffer.
Why destroy the floor?
SO IF YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY REFINISHED WHY SCREW IT UP FOR THEM BEFORE THEY START. YOU MUST HAVE A LOT OF SPARE TIME ON YOUR HANDS.
"This definitely isn't a guide on how to finish a floor" How true!
Had to laugh when I saw the scraper roller contraption, classic Wandel. The makeshift tuned mass damper makes it perfect.
Keyword in the title is Trial And *ERROR*
The one word all of these elitists apparently didn't read before raging in the comments.
I’d say they saw but still it’s so cringy you can’t say nothing
This tutorial is perfect for those who have tons of free time in their hands but no $ in their packets to rent floors machines.
So many things could of done right in this video.
The right way to sand and refinish a floor
1. Clean floor gaps and fill it in with floor filler before sanding.
2. Sand floor 2-3 steps.
3. Buff the floor.
4. Apply color.
5. Apply first coat of floor finish
6. Buff again
7. Apply another coat of floor finish
8. Check and apply final coat of floor finish.
Sounds so many steps but actually is way faster and the results is professional.
This is the best ASMR video i ever came across. God bless this man.
1:57 is THE worst sound known to man kind😑
Bailey Broton apparently u haven’t heard it’s everyday bro jk XD
Bailey Broton I now
No it’s the sound of the butter knife and the stale bread rubbing together
Ugahhck
Naw it’s not as worst than nails scratching on a chalkboard
and i was wearing a headphone. it should come with a warning! gahhhh
this is a good video for how NOT to do your floors.
There is some point where he is running out of ideas or he dosent know what he's doing.
Hater
How about you try to do it
EXACTLY
@@latonyadalton-anderson8535 it's not about being a hater. It's about knowing what the hell you're doing and being able to prevent accidents and in the end having a pro come fix your mess.
Edddy made the first intelligent comment on here other than mine.
And here is me thinking that it would take me the same time to make the "belt-sander jig" that it took you too sand the entire floor XD Much respect!
You mean like a rumba dragging a palm sander? I could build that!
Only if I had just 1% of his patience
Same
True...
😂😂
lol
But not even 0.000000001% of his knowing absolutely nothing approach
I wish my mind was as free and open as yours. Keep on doing what you're doing: you're kids will thank you.
I don't know... if he was my dad and this is how he taught me how to do things... I'd resent him.
One of my earliest memories is when I was a toddler back in the early 70s, my Dad refinished the oak floors in two large rooms in our house. He sanded it all down on his knees with one of those big chrome hand held belt sanders they had back then. It was beautiful, except for one gouge filled with putty from when he threw the sander across the room in a moment of frustration. I'm guessing you experienced that emotion at some point in this project. Good job on not throwing your sander. These modern plastic tools wouldn't have survived that generations tempers.
Sanding a large surface with a small tool WILL create an uneven surface. The unevenness may be unnoticeable to the eye but each time it's sanded like this, will just get worse. If you don't care about that sort of thing, I'd call it a success. I understand your video is not a guide, but I have a really good floor refinishing video that covers all of the steps in detail.
If Matt is happy that is all that matters. I doubt he is going to jump right on redoing it any time too soon either. In fact I'd put good money on him never doing it ever again.
thank you Paul.
Yes, you dont want to use a belt sander. Just rent a orbital floor buffer and buy some sanding screens. Sand the edges by hand, use belt sander sparingly.
I''m an amateur floor guy and this hurt to watch lol... I respect your innovative ideas, but why not rent a floor sanding machine? at least if not the big drum sander, get the edger... entire rooms have been done with just that machine.. worst case you could use a random orbit sander, but I'm sure you can guess that's not very strong.. I'm really not gonna pick apart the rest of your methods cause I'm sure that would be annoying... clearly you wanted to experiment on your own so as long as you had "fun" then whatever... :)
Kraven can I just say that most of the time it costs lots of money to clean your floors like maybe he has kids like me I have one kid that’s it and I clean like everyday
The dust in the cracks idea killed me dude lol
@@barbiegirl2281 he payed a lot of money for 2 belt sanders. Could have hires a professional to restore the floor!
@@bensadler6108 but he did so many stupid things with those sanders and to his floor, he'll get multiple uses out of them 👍
Besides all the bad commenting the fact that you have so much patience and the perkiness to give it a try, it's admirable.
You show the world how many work make a wood floor, but wood floor is amazing
Matthias I love your videos and inventions but this one you got wrong as wrong could be. Fairly entertaining but still wrong. You should know that dust is your enemy when finish is applied. And with a surface this big you have to be much more consistent when removing the dust. I do this for a living and my soul is going to need some healing this weekend after watching this 😉 Anyways. Have a nice weekend and always use a respirator when applying varnish 😊
He calls it varnish but I think it's water-based Varathane floor finish.
Learning from mistakes is the best way to learn.
Learning from others is the best way. And the cheapest 😉
My only thought was that he should have washed the floor (whipe with a damp rag or mop). Would that be correct? I just say that because when I vacuum, if I don't mop the floor after, there's always a tiny bit of fine dust on my feet when I walk barefoot.
But I'm also thinking that you wouldn't want to trap moisture in there with the varnish.
Anyway, I wish your soul a prompt recovery.
no, reading the basics of what to do from any of the countless resources on the internet is the best way to learn. people have been finishing floors for centuries. yeesh.
You might need those gaps in the floor for the expansion and contraction of the wood?
Well at least we'll get a follow-up video out of it where he shows us how he fixes buckling
It’s not really necessary on a floor that old, they’re usually pretty settled by then
the floor will still pick up more moisture in the spring and summer and expand
Looks like maple, in which case it won’t expand. Those cracks are there to stay unless you fill them. If there’s any flex in the flooring filler will just come out.
No, the gaps between the boards need to be filled. There should be a 1/2 to a 3/4 gap along walls for expansion.
In the intro he clearly states he's experimenting and will get it professionally redone.
Why am I watching this at 2am in the morning.... WAIT HOW DID I GET HERE?!
Try 4.15am.. wide awake..
Liv4Eva87 almost lol 3:45am here 🤪
It came out nice! How does your back and knees feel?
Back was sore from hours working on the floor. Knees - no issues.
+Matthias Wandel
I remember an old german advert from the early 1900s, a manual planer that you basically push across the floor while standing, similar to what you did here with the scraper. If only I could remember what it was called or where I saw it!
traderjoes is
traderjoes He's a young Buck!
Do that shit for 10 hours everyday for many years. Stupid idea! I know the business, seen many people have back and joint issues at a young age. USE PROPER TOOLS!
I know you like to use the tools you have, or build a tool for a job, but the only thing that really sands a floor properly is... a floor sander. You can usually find a place that rents them. And use a tack rag to make *absolutely* sure you get all the dust off before each coat of varnish. (And it might be a good idea to wear a dust mask.)
If "the only thing that really sands a floor properly is... a floor sander", then what did they use for centuries before the invention of electricity?
If you've seen the movie "Hidden Figures", you know that the term "computer" originally meant a *person* who, well, _computed_. So what would a "floor sander" have been a hundred years ago?
@purplealice haven't seen the movie. I guess you're trying to say a sanding block.
Cool inventions but they make floor sanders for a reason.
Those are for door jambs & window casements filled with decades of caked-on paintwork. I've never seen anyone scrape a floor, for anything. Sanding all the way.
David D read the desc
At least he is VERY honest at the end. "It is not meant to be a guide".... but to observe all the goofs he made. BRAVO!
I need some of his type of time..🤷🏽♀️ love his Dedication to wood floors.. Great job!!
This is my favourite sort of video by you, especially seeing you highlight the mistakes you make and how to avoid them. It's informative and refreshing.
Do you get a nice glow of pride when you look at the floor now? Or just regret not paying someone else to do the work?
We have paid others to do some work around here, and that is not the best experience either. Lots of my time involved too, and they take shortcuts,
Matthias Wandel "If you want something done right", I guess :p
Also, just wanted to say thank you - you're one of the major reasons I've started a uni degree in engineering, and sparked my love for woodworking
His back must hurt so bad...
Monica xo not with good posture it won’t.
I don’t think he is smart enough to realize it if it did
No doubt! I had to take 2 Tylenol just watching this vid 🤕🤕🤕🤕
Just rent a floor sander and be done with it.
Why because it looks like crap.
Yeah thats kinda what he says at the end, thanks for adding your brilliance
God bless this man and his determination to not get the right tools for the job and to use the completely wrong methods for 70-80% of things.
Very honest video of what to be expected in DiY project. Thank you
I don't know why this was in my recommended but I'm not disappointed
For Chris sake just buy the right tool for the job
why would chris care about my experiments?
What in the name of Dave are you talking about?
Nunya Biznes what spayne007 meant was for for Christ sake and Mathias replied as a joke why would it matter to Christ what tools he used
Spayne007 read the title and the desc moron
God damn McGyver of refinishing floors
Do what makes you happy, I like your little innovations.
Don't listen to the haters, it's your house.
Matthias- my hats off to you sir- ive never seen anyone invent their own big machine. Your innovations are ahead of their time 👍👍👍
I absolutely died whenever you went against the grain. You always go with it.
No, you do not have to always go with it. The only purpose of "going with the grain" when it comes to sanding is so the scratches that the sandpaper leaves behind are parallel to the wood grain, making the scratches harder to see. That's literally it. You can go at it at whatever angle you want in the beginning, as long as your final grits are parallel to the grain, so it's harder to see the sanding scratches..
..which the varnish will mostly fill in anyway. So him sanding perpendicular to the grain is really not a big deal. Same with most wood projects.
OH MY Gosh...
You go with the GRAIN... NOT in Circles!!!
This pains me to watch this video...
I agree..this guy doesn't have any idea how to do a finish Harwood floor job
I was screaming this!
@@GinaLB1967
RIGHT!!!
Why is a skilled floor restorer watching this video?🤔
Only on last sand 100 grit
Put the belt sander down. Never go against the grain.
Exactly! I'm thinking what are you doing!?
You still made it look better than a lot of " pro Sander" in fact most professionals given the lack of tools. they could never achieve what you did.
10:45 “RENT A FLOOR SANDER” THIS WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU SAID! I like that you did all the labor and then you were able to understand why it’s appropriate to pay a professional. There’s too many customers who think it is a rip off to pay a professional. You made this video and you proved to everyone who doubts that it IS appropriate and deserved to pay a professional. Sometimes we think “oh I can do that, why should I pay a stranger!” And you showed us detailed proof that the trained professionals are worth it. You showed us the labor involved is worth paying for. You showed us that it’s very difficult to do alone without proper equipment and professional training. I really like that you were honest. You told the truth and you used your own time and hard labor to show everyone why it’s ok to pay for a quality job done by an expert.
This is painful to watch. This is the worst way to refinish woodfloors
so much work and then screw up everything in the end. And looks really horrible that glossy finish
Or a way how not to
KP Productions i think he did amazing and it looks nice the shine makes the floors look like they have just been moped and waxed and if you don't like how he did it then why are you here ?
Molly Davis you clearly don't know what you're talking about. Literally scraping the finish off is the worst thing you can do. The finish is such a very thin layer that simply sanding will work. Scraping it off ruins the actual wood itself. Wouldn't be suprised if the wood planks have dips in them from him scraping it so much
Mookie6209 - And he hired a professional to refinish. Did you listen to him at all?
Well done! I applaud your efforts. The more woodworking I do, the further from perfection I think I become but the more I embrace the imperfections. I like the way it ended up looking and who cares that it isn’t perfect. It was done by your hands and when you put furniture back on it, I think it’ll look just fine.
I think I’ve watched just about everyone of your videos and this was the first one that gave me anxiety. The sanding was not bad but the scraper was a bit much. Be honest, how close were you to running to the store and renting a professional sander? Now, I don’t know how far of a trip that might have been which might have been a deciding factor but I’m pretty sure I would have went. Haha.
EVERYTHING IS DONE HORRIBLY
DO NOT APPLAUD OR SUGGEST THIS TO ANYONE
It’s not to hard. I did my moms floors on my own when I was 19yrs old and literally now experience. I rented a floor sander from the Home Depot and got supplies and went to work. I even rode on the sander at times for hard areas. Lol!... The project came out super nice.
This week I have 6000 sq.ft of hardwood floors refinishing. I will use your method. Thank you for the video. 😀
Can we get a 4-year update on your project? Bet you're almost halfway there, don't give up!
I LOVE how you engineered that tool 😀😀😀
999,208 subscribers. Almost 1 million!
I want to see a wood play button with a pantorouter
That's usually where the comment section turns to shit. I hope this channel will be an exception.
KillionaireUnggoy I think he'll lose 200k subs after this one
999,773 now. So close!
shut up, who cares ?
It seems no one listened to you at the beginning of the video. Everyone is so quick to comment.
Is this guy one of those who thinks the most difficult solution is always the best
Sounds like every dad out there!
You're actually a sweet guy, you just posted this for people to see and learn from your mistakes. You guys are mean, leave the man alone. He clearly didn't state that this is how you should do your floors, it was just his experiment
I'm glad the comments are no longer disabled.
You live and you learn, and this is a teaching moment for others. Great persistence though! Sometimes it's nice to try something on your own, I admire that.
Wow this is hilarious. I'm sorry this is just too funny.
3:50 when all the scraping is over :)
Matt K YOURE AN EAR AND CRINGE SAVER
Use petroleum jelly on your hands after you use construction adhesive.
I also noticed WD40 can help for some construction adhesives : rub your hands with WD40, then regular wash them with soap and water.
Just tried and and you are correct
I am all about doing things for myself. I love your ingenuity. Amazing looks great! $2500 minimum to $300 to yourself. Awesome.
This video is also about showing trial and error and what methods work and which ones don’t. The amount of negative, sarcastic comments are ridiculous. Instead of insulting people on TH-cam, people should offer tips and advice instead. You’re all appalling for talking shit on here.
I enjoyed the video and have to redo one of my own floors so this was great to watch 👌🏻 you did a nice job too as well
What the f did I just see??? He did by all definition everything WRONG!
He was illustrating what possible errors people could make. After seeing the result, people may pay attention what should do and what shouldn't do. This is a very good demo to me.
And yet it still looked better after than before. SoOOOOOOoooOOoo who looks ass?!?!
Disappointed there was no pantosander action on the floor.
but I really do enjoy these practical vids.
Gotta give you credit for attempting to re-invent the wheel.
Should have made it rounder.
Thank-you for sharing these mistakes it will save me much effort.
This video was actually pretty freaking intense in a very weird way. Very suspenseful. 10/10 would watch again. sequel?
Rent a floor sander. 10x faster
If Matthias did that, there would have been no cause to create this video for us. Besides we all know Matthias is an excessively frugal engineer type.
why this time not green paint?
For the love of God use wood filler!
LOL!!!!! This is probably the funniest video I’ve seen in a while. You were killing me! You probably should have done your research before getting into this. There is a lot of helpful information out there on this subject. Thank you for the laughs!!
All the insulting commenters here are missing the point. He was interested in experimenting with basic tools and inventing jigs to make the job easier. It was the process that intrigued him. Look around at all your modern conveniences and inventions. If the creators had your attitude of not trying anything new, most of the things you use every day wouldn't exist. Tinkering is a respectable trait. You should be praising this guy.
He did say that he plans to get a professional to do it, but, wow!
You sir are ingenious af ! Great job! Looks great . You helped me out ALOTT! 👍
Rent a floor sander get it done in 5 minutes
Never five minutes. More like 40 sheets of sand paper and 6 hours for a bedroom IT SUX
an instructional video of how not to do floor...or you're a joker.
Lolol
Can u send me the link to your How to video ?
Just a guy doing it himself with the tools at hand. Not as good as pro, but shows it can be done.
@@joelkton1 amen brother
This guy is trash
I already commented on my personal channel, but I figured my hardwood channel would be more believable.
Sanding this floor would take me a day, and I would have it looking new.
I very much respect Matthias, but I'm glad he decided to hire experts. Hardwood floors aren't hard, but very particular in tools and skills. There is a reason contractors hire me to do it instead of doing it themselves. Lol
You did a wonderful job. I respect and admire People Who have the patience and dedication to achieve such exhausting tasks. Greetings from Montevideo, Uruguay
Are you gonna do a thing for reaching 1 million subscribers?
(Wait for a sarcastic response)
Absolutely. First I'll reach 999990 subs, then 999991, then 999992... all the way up to 1000000
See? I knew it!