What first paint or redo hardwood floors?

Question

We're getting close on finishing our first rental rehab, but need advice. Do you refinish hardwood floors first? Or paint, then do floors? We have been getting mixed opinions from other investors locally. I'm worried about sanding dust on fresh paint. What say ye bigger pockets?

Account Closed · Answer

I do painting first. There'll be a lot of walking in the house, paint dripping, and ladder scrathes.

Cut the wood floors outside then you wouldn't have to worry about too much dust getting on the new wall.

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Chris Adams · Answer

@Roy N. I install my base and leave my shoe molding off, and then paint my shoe before I install it, then I just have to touch it up after. There is always going to be some touch up required.

Patrick L. · Answer

It takes 2 seconds to touch up paint on a wall, it can be very expensive to refinish the floors if they get messed up.  Start a the top and work your way down.

Dawn Anastasi · Answer

Paint first, but don't start the floors while the paint is still wet on the walls.

Roy N. · Answer

@Chris Adams

We have done it in both orders in the past (our of necessity), but definitely prefer to paint the ceiling and walls before refinishing the floors.  In our last reno this summer, we painted, refinished floors and then installed the baseboard (which was painted before installation and touched-up after it was installed).  Because this was a complete gut job, the walls and trim were all new.

Our floor guy liked this as he did not have to worry about the baseboards while running the sander around.  We ended up having to lay paper on the finished floors so the baseboards could be installed.  The end result turned out fine, but there were more moving parts that I feel necessary.

Most times, we are not gutting the unit when we refinish floors, but we almost always end-up repairing/repainting the trim after the floors are done.

How do you avoid or deal with this aspect?

Ryan R. · Answer

The Pro contractors in my area do floors then paint.
	
	From what I understand, they have a difficult time sanding and staining around the baseboard and shoe-mold without causing your painters to come back and touch-up.

If your painters damage taped off floors, they're doing something wrong.

Chris Adams · Answer

Paint first 100%, but I spray every house so I paint early on in my rehabs. I finish my hardwood floors so the have 5-7 days to cure before the house is complete.

Michael Patterson · Answer

Thanks for all the help everybody. We are going to start painting today. I already have the floors covered from texturing the walls, and had planned on painting. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't making a mistake. One of my contractors was insistent that it was a mistake to sand the floors after new paint. I will post before and after pics once it's all done.

James Vermillion · Answer

+1 on painting first.  Re-finished floors will look great, so try to wait until as last as possible to limit traffic and the chances of damaging them.

Mike Gallagher · Answer

I paint first. I use a floor fan with a tube out a door or window to control dust. it seems to do a good job.