Who is Bob? Owner of
Fashion Floors by Bob, Inc. serving
Minneapolis, Saint Paul and Greater Minnesota since 1987 with hardwood floor
installation, sanding, finishing, stairs, custom stain, patch and repair.
www.FashionFloorsbyBob.com
Sanding Hardwood Floors
So, you want to know how to
sand a hardwood floor? As a 20+ year wood flooring veteran, I highly
recommend hiring a professional for this stage. There are
more
ways to ruin a wood floor than there are to do it right.
To save money, you can hire a professional JUST
to sand your floors, and then do the finish work yourself.
But
if you're committed to the task, here's
some helpful
hints:
Hardwood Floor Sanders, Tools
and other Equipment
Belt Sander - Generally it's a 220 volt
Hummel-brand sander and runs an 8" x 29 1/4" sanding belt
with a very long cord as it does not plug into a regular
wall outlet.
Edge Sander - It runs a 7" sanding disk. I prefer Randmeister and Clarke Super 7 brands.
Buffer - A buffer with a 16" to 17" wheel that spins
a sanding screen with grit on it. Make sure to get the pad (often in
white or maroon) to hold the screen on.
There's really no such thing
as dust free sanding, but there is equipment available that
specializes in dramatically reducing the dust. Me? I use a good
old vacuum for dustless floor sanding - before
AND after the project!
Hand Tools and Supplies:
-Hammer
-Nail Set
-Screwdrivers
-Scrapers (for cleaning up corners)
-Metal file
-Wood filler putty (I like Elmers™, a Min-Wax product)
-Putty knife
-Side Cutter / Pliers
-A 5' threaded broom handle (for the block)
-A 10-14" lambswool block
-A 3-4" China bristled brush
-Large garbage bags for dust
-Painters plastic and blue tape for dust protection
-Dust masks (I like 3M breath-right)
-Ear plugs are a must
-A good set of knee pads
Sand Paper (3M, Norton, Virginia Abrasives, etc.)
Purchase them at the rental store where you get your equipment or at a
wood flooring distributor.
Satin oil-based Polyurethane - I recommend Parks™
Pro Finisher. Stir well as additive settles to the bottom.
There are many grits of sand paper. You can consider that the
number of the grit equals how many sharp pieces of sand per square inch.
Therefore, smaller numbers (i.e. 24 grit) are rougher and larger numbers
(i.e. 100 grit) are finer, producing a smoother result.
Step 1: Prepare the Area
Cupboards, doorways, closets and any other areas or items
where you are working should be protected from dust with plastic. Remove
wall hangings, light fixtures, window coverings and anything else in the
area that could be dirtied or damaged by your work.
Putty nail holes from carpet (tack strip). This step also
helps you find any metal staples or nails left over from carpet removal and
such. Use a wood filler that is stainable and is the color of the floor.
Prior to rough-cutting, remove quarter-round and/or
baseboards.
Step 2: Start with the Rough Cut
On older floors, the first step when sanding is to choose an
aggressive grit (like 24 grit per square inch) to level the boards one to
another and remove imperfections if possible. The result is a fresh,
new-looking wood floor. I call this process rough-cutting.
Don't be afraid to use new belts, and more than one. Some
waxy, older floors will gunk up your belt and make it dull and useless. And
with new belts, don't hesitate to hit areas again that aren't new enough
looking.
On a newer floor, you might start with a less aggressive 50
grit.
In handling the belt sander, the machine MUST be moving when
you gently set the drum down into action to avoid digging holes in the floor
that won't come out. As you near the wall, be extremely careful to pull up
the drum BEFORE you hit the wall.
You will be sanding forward and backward. Use care in your
backward motion so you pull up the drum before you run into the wall. DO NOT
RUN OVER YOUR ELECTRIC CORD.
Step 3: Rough Cut the Edges
Now you will sand along the walls, in the closets, and
anywhere else the belt sander could not reach, using an Edge Sander.
Start with a 24 grit on your Edge Sander and change your disc
often. Level the floor and go over imperfections as needed. Work the machine
in circles or figure eights and with the grain as much as possible.
Don't allow the machine to dig into the corners. Use extra care in those
areas. Level sand out any drum marks.
Step 4: Medium Cut with Belt Sander and Edge Sander
(i.e. 50 or 60 grit)
Use the same procedure as above. The purpose of this step is to remove the deep cuts and grooves from the rough cut.
Step 5: Fine Cut with Belt Sander and Edge Sander
(i.e. 80 or 100 grit)
Use the same procedure as above. The purpose of this step is to smooth the floor in preparation for buffing.
Step 6: Scrape Corners
The goal to scraping a corner is to remove old finish and level corner with the rest of the floor. The best way to achieve this is by having a very sharp scraper. I achieve this with a good, metal, inch-wide file you can find at a hardware store. Or you can flip your edge sander over, turn it on with 100 grit sand paper on, and gently grind the scraper to produce sharp edge. Watch to keep scraper level, not angled, and not to remove too much metal. Sharpen often, after every corner if needed. I liken it to sharpening a pencil, shaving the wood in the corners. You will have shavings. You can hand sand corners with 100 grit to blend.
Step 7: Buffing
Use 100 grit screen under your buffer pad to blend the edges with the rest of the floor to get the surface as smooth as possible. Remember, there is two sides to a screen - so flip mid-way through - and use more than one screen for a larger area.
Buff slowly and thoroughly. This machine does not dig like a sander, so don't worry about going over areas too much. The more you go over it, the smoother it gets.
Step 8: Vacuum
Cleanliness is next to godliness. Thoroughly vacuum the floor and other areas with wand and crevice device. I recommend a hair bristle or felt-bottomed wand to protect the floor. Use care if you use a plastic wand ... three layers of blue tape recommended on the edges.
Your floor is now ready for staining, sanding sealer, or a first coat of polyurethane.
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