after all the issues we’ve been through with the wood floors (having dark spots and smell of pee) we’ve decided just to replace the floors. we checked out homedepot for a style we liked which is about $3.00 a sq/ft. i was wondering where you seasoned rehabbers purchase from…maybe i could save a few bucks in this area (i’m already unpleased that this is an expe nse we wanted to avoid)
thanks guys,
ryan
What type of properties are these? I mean, what grade of tenant are they subject to?
Are you looking for laminate “floating” engineered flooring? There’s a website called Lumber Liquidators (http://www.lumberliquidators.com) that has all different grades of hardwood flooring. You can get some of the thin 6mm stuff for sub $1.00 a sq. ft. You’ll definitely want the sound barrier/padding beneath it, though, as it’ll sound hollow when you walk on it without the padding beneath.
If it’s a rental property there’s no way I’d install a new floor if your existing ones are oak/maple, even if they are badly stained. I have refinished the hardwood floors in all the units I have had over time and have figured out ways to get them to look good. One or two applications of household vinegar works for minor dark stains (water stains). Let the vinegar sit for 3-5 minutes, then remove… feathering out 6 inches or so. If that doesnt work there’s a specific wood bleach called “oxalic acid” that works well. Follow the directions closely, as this is a very powerful and poisonous acid. I haven’t found a stain yet that didnt yield after a couple applications of oxalic acid. You will likely have to re-stain the affectected area afterwards if the rest of the floor is stained to get it to match.
For the pee smells, just put a new coat of polyurethane on the floor, either oil or water based. Some refinishers swear by oil base, whereas I prefer water based. The specific kind I use is “Minwax® Water Based Polyurethane for Floors”, and it comes in 1 gallon plastic containers. You can get gloss, semi-gloss, or satin sheen. This is bar none the best polyurethane I have ever used and worth it’s steep price ($42 a gallon). It will not cause a newly sanded floor to darken or tint an orange-ish shade the way oil-based polyurethanes tend to do (called a tannin reaction). The floor is walkable in about an hour, whereas oil base takes much much longer to dry. (http://www.minwax.com/products/floors/floor-poly.cfm)
If the rental is in a good area with good tenants I will only put on 3 coats. If it’s in a low-income area I’ll put on 5, essentially making the floor bulletproof. Usually every third set of tenants the floors will start to show wear, but another quick coat of polyurethane brings them right back to life, hiding all scratches. The 5 coats makes the floor completely waterproof, and water is what does the most damage in the first place. A few coats of polyurethane and you will not smell any of the pet urine, as it’s trapped beneath the layers.
Urine-ex is a wonder product. try a google or a janitorial supply store. get a black light… that IDs the spots… then urine-ex away… rent a rug doctor… or however you plan to scoop that up… and voila.
I’ve found decent laminate flooring for around $1/sq. ft. at both Lowe’s and Home Depot. Watch for a sale, which they have plenty of this time of year, and get yourself some 10% off coupons on ebay.
What about cleaning, then painting?
Great reply Visual_Underworld.
It is a rental, but I will be living there. I believe this will help preventing anyone from mistreating my home. Thats interesting that the pee smell will get trapped under. This ws our biggest worry. From my other posts you’ll notice I had some floor guys come in and say it all needed to be replaced. Since we are afraid that the floors might not come out as expected from just sanding which would cost $2k…we figured let’s just dump the extra 2-2.5k to get them done new. I believe thts the route we’ve decided on. Thanks for your input, it will definitely be helpful for future rehabs 
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realnew, painting the floors? or maybe you meant something like covering it with Kills and then carpeting? Whichever, we are giong for the wood floor look. thanks for your post
Ryan
I personally have two cats, and one of them tends to forget he’s supposed to pee in the LITTER BOX occassionally. There’s a product available that I swear by called Anti Icky-Poo (Yes, this is it’s real name). I have tried Feliway, (the next best thing), but it doesn’t work as well as Anti Icky-Poo. God that’s fun to type.
Anti Icky-Poo. Anti Icky-Poo.
The stuff is actually a special breed of bacteria that EATS the urine. It will work on vomit and feces as well. It takes 2-5 days but when the bacteria are done doing their job there’s no smell left, not even on humid days or when you have the carpets washed. (Water re-hydrates the dried urine crystals and brings back the smell). If just coating the wood with polyurethane doesnt do the trick then ANTI ICKY-POO will.
ANTI ICKY POO!
Damn, I feel like I have tourettes syndrome.
<<I personally have two cats, and one of them tends to forget he’s supposed to pee in the LITTER BOX occassionally. >>
Forgets?? Trust he, he didn’t “forget”…he’s either lazy, a spraying male, or ticked off at you and is exacting revenge.
We have cats, too…when they chose to be, they are evil!
Keith
i’ve looked at the inventory online from lumberliquidators. my father is about to order this week. i’m telling him to hold off until we can see some of these in person. he seems to think that this place is probably one which receives “2nds” where they may have minor defects and therefore sold at a discount. is this true or is their quality up there with home depot, lowes etc. inventory?
thanks,
ryan
Ikea has some good deals. It’s been a year since I last checked, granted, but it’s another place I to look.
You can order samples from them. They are one of the largest lumber/flooring dealers on the internet, and if they had sub-quality products they’d not routinely be at the top of the list. You will be satisfied with your purchase.