It’s time to give those wood floors that are looking worse for wear a facelift. Restoring your floors is a DIY project that will make a massive difference in how your space feels and can make it look like a whole new house. It’s important to understand that taking on this DIY task isn’t for beginners and it will take a fair amount of time and elbow grease. If you are up for it, read our comprehensive guide on how to sand wood floors that covers the tools you will need, the process, and some common mistakes to avoid.
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The Tools
Depending on the size of the area you are sanding the tools may vary, but for most jobs the following should have you covered.
Drum Sander
The drum sander will be doing most of the work when sanding your floors. This heavy-duty machine is the best choice if you have a large area, damaged floorboards, or a thick varnish you are trying to move. It has a circular sanding drum with sandpaper and allows you to stay standing while using it. As you work you will want to go from a coarse sandpaper to a finer grit for the best results.
Edge Sander
Rooms are often quadrilateral, and not circular like the drum sander. For this reason, another essential tool for sanding your wood floors is an edge sander. This tool, as the name suggests, is used to sand the edges and corners that the drum sander cannot reach, and just like the drum sander, you can change the grit of sandpaper from coarse to fine as you go.
Orbital Sander
If you are going for a professional looking finish, then you should look at using an orbital sander after the drum sander. This tool allows you to get an ultra-smooth surface that cannot be achieved with just the drum sander. The orbital sander isn’t a necessity but can enhance your wood floors further.
Vacuum
Sanding your floors creates a lot of saw dust and other particles that will accumulate on the floor. This can get in the way of you sanding efficiently and can be bad to breathe in. A household vacuum unfortunately won’t be up for this task so you will need to hire an industrial vacuum cleaner with a good bag to catch all the dust.
PPE
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is a must when tackling any DIY task. When sanding it is essential to have gloves, protective enclosed shoes, eye protection, and hearing protection. You will also need a respirator to filter the small airborne particles that sanding creates. For this we recommend an FFP2 or FFP3 mask.
Extras
There are some extra tools you may need that won’t be essential depending on your floorboards and their condition. If you have protruding nails, you may need a hammer and a nail punch. If there is damage you may need wood filler, or new floorboards. If you are doing sections, you may need masking tape or something similar.
The Process
Once you have your essential tools you are ready to get started. The process can be tricky at some points and may require you to hire a professional to ensure your safety and avoid damage to the floorboards. So, let’s run through how to sand wood floors.
Prepare the Floor
Before you start sanding you will need to prepare the floors. In this step you will want to remove all furniture from the room and clean the floors completely. If there are any nails sticking out, you can punch them down or remove them to be added back later. You should also seal any doorways or air vents to stop the dust produced from escaping.
Sand the Floor
Now we are onto the main job, sanding the floor. This process requires you to go over the floor with the drum sander on a high grit, and then the edge sander. Slowly work your way up through the grits making sure to be consistent. If the floor is in good condition you can stick to the 40-60-100 rule and use these three grits. This process can be challenging and may require a professional.
Vacuum the Floor
As you sand you should be vacuuming after each pass for the most consistent results. This will clear all the dust and debris created. Once you have finished and reached a point you are happy with, give it a final vacuum ,making sure to get all the dust in preparation for sealing.
Seal the Floor
The final step of the process is sealing the floor. Depending on the type of wood and look you are going for, you have the choice to use natural oils, varnishes, or stains. This will protect your floor as well as giving it a professional and complete look.
The Mistakes
As with any DIY project there are some common mistakes that first timers, or even professionals, make, so here is what to avoid when learning how to sand wood floors.
Not Sanding Enough
A mistake many first timers will make is not sanding the floor enough. Sanding floors will be a tough and tiring job and will take time to remove stubborn varnish or blemishes. If you think you haven’t done enough then go with your gut and give it another pass over.
Skipping Grits
As you work you may think you can skip over a grit and jump straight from 40 to 100. This isn’t the case as each grit is designed to remove the scratches from the previous grit, and by skipping a grit you won’t be able to remove these scratches properly and will get a poor finish.
Not Sanding with the Grain
Sanding with the grain is one of the golden rules of woodworking. To avoid damage and scratches, you should always sand with the grain. Not sanding with the grain can also extend how long it takes to sand your floors.
Sanding Made Easy with BetaBoard
No DIY project stops at just one task. Maybe sanding your floors has inspired you to do more work around the house. If that’s the case, why not try repainting. Clean up your walls and ceilings with our sandpaper for plasterboard. BetaBoard has the equipment and resources you need to complete the whole room and more. Come visit one of our stores or get in touch online today.
