Short term (ASAP): Fix small room

Dimensions: Height 8ft (x8.5x9). One wall has wallpaper; it needs to be removed, then the whole room painted white.

Hardwood floor is heavily scratched and it needs to be reconditioned.

There is a ceiling fan slightly out of balance - it needs some rebalancing.

Two wires hang from the ceiling and need to be fished behind the wall from the room above

Photos: http://goo.gl/q5wOU

2 months:

floodlights - keeps getting burned, must be a short somewhere (placed hire than existing wall power wires exit, so there is a pvc conduit pipe keeping the wires)

replace two windows 64x45 in

Hallway - about 20 ft long, narrow, 5 doors (small paintable area) needs to be painted

replace 2 toilets with newer models

replace bathtub water taps with lever-style

replace another bathtub or plastic molding (58 x 30) + 10 in

infrared light switch

summer:

retaining wall backyard

install / remove downspout - rainbarrel

install OTA antenna + FTA satellite

floor : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdWir1StyN8

murphy bed?

https://skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?cid=b9742bc7159477e0&resid=B9742BC7159477E0!108&parid=B9742BC7159477E0!104&authkey=!ABfiJnmZ0NcG4pY

http://goo.gl/q5wOU

Resources:

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/how-to-repair-floors3.htm

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-fix-scratches-in-hardwood-floors.html

http://www.myhomeimprovement.com/?page=prev_ques&qid=4865&m=68

http://www.doityourself.com/forum/solid-hardwood-engineered-laminate-flooring/385840-hardwood-floor-reconditioning-bruce-fresh-finish.html#b

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-fix-dents-in-wooden-floors-furniture-with-an-iron-166696

How to Repair Hardwood Floors

If you are tired of floor coverings and want to restore the natural warmth and beauty of hardwood under the carpet, the job is difficult, but it can be done. You will have to remove the old finish and strip the floor down to the bare wood. Only then can you apply the new finish.

You'll need a drum sander with a dust bag attachment and a disk sander or edger, available at a tool rental store. The store can supply or recommend sandpaper. Buy open-coat sandpaper in 20, 40 and 100 grits.

Before you start, move everything out of the room. This includes curtains and draperies, pictures -- everything. Floor refinishing is messy, especially during the sanding operation.

Caution: Be sure to wear a safety mask and safety glasses to keep finish and wood particles from eyes and lungs during this process.

Step 1: Seal off all heating and cooling outlets with masking tape, and seal around all doorways except the one you will use (seal that one, too, when you are ready to start). Some sanding dust will get into the rest of the house, but sealing doorways and duct outlets will help reduce the mess.

Step 2: Carefully remove all quarter round, baseboard, and other molding at the floor. Check the entire floor for nails, and countersink any that protrude. Open the windows.

Step 3: For the first sanding, use 20-grit paper in the drum sander. Go back and forth over the entire floor, with the grain, overlapping each pass about three inches. At the end of each pass, you will have to lift the sander and move it over -- but be careful in doing this to avoid digging into the floor. Go slowly. Use the disk sander or a sanding block in areas near the walls where the drum sander cannot reach.

Step 4: Repeat the procedure with 40-grit paper, and then again with 100 grit. When you are satisfied that you have removed the old finishes, you can return the rental equipment.

Step 5: Vacuum the room thoroughly, including the walls and around windows, to remove all the dust. If you do not remove all the dust, you will obtain an inferior finish.

Step 6: If your floor is pine, use a pine floor primer to seal the wood. Give the primer an hour to dry before applying your finish. If your floor is oak, rub some turpentine on a small section to see what the wood would look like with a natural finish. If you like the way the floor looks, you need not stain it. If you decide to stain the wood, apply the stain evenly and let it dry thoroughly according to the directions.

Step 7: Apply the finish. Clear-finish polyurethane varnish is ideal. The first coat will tack-dry in about 15 minutes and will be ready for the second coat in about an hour. When the second coat dries, buff the floor. For a high gloss, wait overnight and apply a third coat using a mixture of one part reducer to four parts finish. Let this coat dry overnight before use. After the third coat, the floor can be shined with a dry mop. If you prefer, natural varnish is a traditional finish coat that requires more care to apply. It is slower drying, and there is more chance for dust to foul the finish. It is subject to checking as it grows older, though when applied properly it dries water-clear for a beautiful finish. Follow it with a coat of wax and buff.

Note: If a prefinished flooring is installed, refer to the manufacturer's instructions for refinishing and maintaining the floors.

Now that we've dealt with the major operations, we can divide and conquer some of the minor floor repairs. In our next section, we will cover squeaky floors and stars and carpet burns.

How to Recondition HardwoodFloors

Reconditioning hardwood floors can add great equity to your home.Hardwood floors are also easier to maintain than carpeted floors; if you spill something on hardwood it can be easily wiped up with a cloth, whereas it could stain carpeting. If you have original hardwood flooring in your home it can be beautifully reconditioned.

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Difficulty:

Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• • Orbital sander

  • 36-grit circle sandpaper

  • 50-grit circle sandpaper

  • 80-grit circle sandpaper

  • Hand sander

  • Sandpaper for the hand sander

  • Shop-vac

  • Varnish

  • Varnish applicator

  • Paint tray

  • Broom handle

• 1. Preparations

     • 1

       • • • Remove all furniture, rugs and window treatments from the room in which you are going to recondition the floors. Curtains hold on to dust and particles that circulate in the air, and it is important in the finishing process that the room be free of dust.

     • 2

       • • • Rent a sander from your local hardware store. Sanding your floor is a required step because it removes existing varnishing and levels out any imperfections in the floor. You will need an orbital sander because it covers a larger area at once than a hand sander would. The hand sander will be used for areas that are hard to reach, such as corners and near walls. So you will also need to purchase one of those as well as the sandpaper for it, if you do not already have one.

           • You also need sand paper for the orbital sander. These come in circular discs that stick to the bottom of the sander. You need several packages of three different grits, 36, 50 and 80. The lower the number sandpaper the more coarse it is.

     • 3

       • • • Select the polyurethane finishing, or varnish. Varnish comes in several different colors, so think about how light or dark you want your floors to be. You will also need an applicator, as well as a removable broom handle to screw into the applicator.

• • 1. Sand the Floor

• • • 1

      • • • Begin with the lowest grade sand paper and work your way up. Typically you would go over the floor multiple times with each grit. When you operate the sander, walk behind it slowly. With an orbital sander you don't necessarily have to stay in a straight line. You can also go backwards if needed. Sanding the floor can take several hours (and a lot of patience) depending on how rough the surface is and how much old varnish is on it.

    • 2

      • • • Use the hand sander and go over areas that the orbital sander could not reach. Take care that you do not overdo any areas as this could cause dips in the floor. After you have finished with the hand sander you may wish to go over the floor again with the orbital sander.

    • 3

      • • • Vacuum the floor with a shop-vac or other type of industrial vacuum. It is imperative that you collect all the particles from the floor because after you lay the varnish down, you will not be able to go back and vacuum up any stray hairs or dirt. They will be sealed under the varnish.

• • 1. Stain & Seal the Floor

• • • 1

      • • • Choose the color you want to stain the hardwood. Varnish comes in many colors including clear for a more natural look, oak, cherry and chocolate. You may want to choose a water-based varnish as opposed to oil-based. Water-based is not only cheaper but easier to apply than oil-based. The size of your room and how many coats of varnish you want to put down will determine how many cans of varnish you need. A 16 by 13 foot room with five layers of varnish would require one can.

    • 2

      • • • Pour some of the varnish into a paint tray for easy application. Screw a broom handle onto the applicator, place the applicator into the varnish you have poured out. Soak the applicator and place the applicator on the floor, applying the varnish in strokes evenly covering the floor.

    • 3

      • • • Wait two hours before applying the next coat, and each coat after that. The recommended number of coats is four. If you wait more than a day in between coats, you will have to sand the surface again so the varnish will have something to stick to. You may walk on the floor after a day, and you may place all furniture back in the room after three days.

Tips & Warnings

• • • Always consult with a salesperson at the store from which you rent the sander on how to operate the sander. Be careful when applying the varnish, especially if you choose a varnish that contains a stain. Try to not be messy with it as it will be less mess you have to clean up later.

    • Do not use a drum sander in place of an orbital sander as drum sanders could cause swirls and dips in your floor, therefore damaging it.

References

• • Refinishing a Hardwood Floor

  • Types of Wood Floor Finishes

  • Refinishing School---Wood Floors