Refinishing Hardwood Floors, Transitions

[joey]

Hi -- I've refinished hardwood floors before but have a new (to me) situation. In my current house, the main floor is 2 bedrooms, a hallway and a living room / dining room (one big room), all hardwood floors. I'd like to refinish the floors but I can't do the entire job at once. I'm planning to use a U-Sand or the varathane rental machine.

There will be transition areas where I sanded and refinished one area and then later (a week or so) did the other area. I guess I'm looking at feathering in the between the two areas? Is there a type of finish (poly or other) that makes the feathering part more likely to be reasonably invisible when it's finished? Any tips on this? I know it's best to do the entire floor at once, for various reasons it's not possible this time. Thanks for your input!

[skhardwoods]

Depends on how the wood runs through the door, if you can break it at a board in the doorway, sand just past, and cut in careful, then sand back over that board and recoat when you do the other room. If you can't break it, suck it up, and git 'er done.

[Kman]

I've never tried this before, but I thought I might someday if I needed to.

At a doorway or other out-of-the-way location, put a strip of masking tape where two boards meet. Finish right up to the tape, doesn't matter if you get a little on the tape. Pull the tape while the finish is still wet, then you'll have a sharp line to work up to when you do the next part. Don't tape the newly finished part unless it's completely cured, though, or you'll mar the new finish. A break between a lighter board and a darker board would be a good stopping point. I doubt you'll see break in the two finishes.

If you try it, let me know how that works.

[Nick Arrera]

When i used to pull coats in the bowling alleys we use to tape the fowl line with a sheet of aluminum foil under the tape , and pull the last little bit of finish right onto the foil .. No pull backs of extra finish ..

[joey]

Ok thanks for the input everyone. I'm going to try the masking tape idea.