Refinishing your hardwood floors is a wonderful way to add flair and create an updated look to any room of your home. However, before you refinish an old floor, you’ll need to remove the old coats of varnish. Follow the steps below to learn how to properly sand your floors and get them ready for a makeover.
Preparing The Room
Sanding produces lots of dust and noise so it is important to take the proper maintenance steps prior to beginning. Cover doorways with plastic and open all windows to ventilate the room. Wear protective clothing and a respiratory mask so you don’t breathe in the dust.
Perform a walk-through of the room to make sure all floor boards are nailed down properly. If any nail heads or screws are raised above the floor’s surface, set them beneath the surface of the boards.
3 Types of Sanders
For this job, you will need 3 different types of sanders: a heavy duty drum sander, a heavy duty edging sander and a corner sander. Each type of sander requires a different shape of sandpaper which can be purchased at a rental or local hardware store.
Drum Sander - once the sandpaper is properly set in place, lower the drum and make a diagonal run across the floor. Sand the whole floor in the same direction and then change direction and go back the other way in the same diagonal path.
Edging Sander - while the sander is unplugged, use the bolt key to remove the old sandpaper and replace it with a fresh piece. Once the new sandpaper is in place, grip the sander firmly and work around the edges of the room.
Corner Sander - use the corner sander to work in all of the corners of the room. This tool should be used to sand any area of the floor that you are not able to access with the drum or edging sanders.
One aspect people often overlook is the proper direction to move the sander over the floor. If your floor is flat, it may be possible to simply go up and down the board’s grain. However, if the floor is uneven or has a thick coating of varnish, you should move the sander across the grain in at a 45 degree angle.
The final step of the sanding process doesn’t include a sander at all. Take your vacuum and make sure to vacuum over the entire surface of the floor. This will ensure you’ve removed any excess dust or debris that resulted from the sanding process. Now your floors are ready for the finishing coat!
For a complete list of sanding instructions, with photos, please take a look at this article from the DIY Network.
If you have any questions about any of the steps of the sanding process, do not hesitate to give us a call. Rather not do the work yourself? No problem, schedule an appoint with us and the wood flooring professionals at Hall Flooring will take care of the job for you!Labels: finished flooring, hall flooring, hardwood floor maintenance, hardwood flooring, how to sand floors, wood flooring distributors
