Sanding your hardwood floors is a delicate process, but it’s not as difficult to accomplish as you might think. Certainly, the sanding procedure requires some dexterity and precision to complete the work carefully, without causing irreparable damage to your wood.
However, it is advisable to seek further information by contacting a specialized floor sanding company for expert advice. Thus, a flawless sanding of your worn and tired floor will help keep it as it was on its first day. Here are some steps to help you better understand how to sand and refinish your hardwood floor.
Simple process for sanding a hardwood floor
Before starting any intervention, you need the necessary tools and equipment for a professional result. For perfect sanding, you need a sander, a floor sander, an edge sander, sandpaper, and a shop vacuum for cleaning.
It is possible to rent professional equipment, but it’s important to warn you to be extra vigilant if you’ve never handled this type of tool before, otherwise you risk permanently damaging your floor.
Preparations before work
Make sure to clear the surfaces that will be the object of the work and ensure your floor is clean. Before sanding the surface, it’s important to make all necessary repairs, such as re-nailing and, if needed, replacing certain boards so that nothing protrudes.
Sanding and refinishing floors
To keep the wood in good condition, it’s important to always sand in the direction of the wood grain.
Use a drum sander to sand your floor over its entire surface. First, sand with coarse-grit sandpaper to remove the varnish and marks embedded in the floor. Then move to finer-grit paper to achieve a smoother finish and reach the desired degree of sanding.
Don’t forget to use the edge sander to treat all corners and areas difficult to access with the large sander.
Cleaning the work area
Clean the areas where you’ve worked thoroughly, then vacuum to clean and remove dust, residues, and debris from sanding.
Make sure everything is clean and there’s no dust before moving on to staining.
Applying floor finishing product
Choose the best product according to the location and type of use. It’s preferable to use eco-friendly and odorless products that dry quickly. Next, you need to apply the stain to the floor and always allow it to dry thoroughly. Sometimes, two coats may be necessary for a better result. Note that drying time varies depending on the product, temperature, thickness of application, and also the porosity of the wood.
Before applying a second coat, lightly sand with very fine-grit sandpaper to remove small imperfections.
Don’t forget to thoroughly dust the surface and clean it again.
When the work is to your liking, you just need to apply the final coat of varnish to protect your floors.
