Despite a background in art history and English literature shes spent 13 years sanding hardwood and teaching others to do it themselves. The exact same way you would with floor sanding machines but with a lot more elbow grease.

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Sanding Hardwood Floors Prerequisites.

How to sand hardwood floors. A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish. Sand the floor with a drum sander. How to Sand Hardwood Floor with Orbital Sander 3 Step Guide.

Once youre ready to go youll want to begin by sanding hardwood floors one room at a time. Fine wood dust can hang in the air and be breathed in. Remove shoe moulding the wood trim where the wall meets the floor.

If your floor needs a lot of sanding start with a rough 40-grit paper. You should start at the wall and run the sander along the wood floor until you are nearly at the opposite end. Work one manageable area at a time such as four square feet.

Sand the floor carefully making sure not to miss any areas. How to sand a hardwood floor by hand. For the first pass of sanding over the floor you should attach the one with the coarsest grain that is 30 to 40 grain.

Irritation is quite common and normally manifests itself by causing itching sneezing short term breathing problems says Terry Guilford technical director of. Before you start sanding remove everything from the room and vacuum the floor. Each sander uses special grit sandpaper or sanding pieces to smooth out the surface.

And competing in roller derby in her spare time. Choosing the Right Equipment. To sand hardwood floors start by renting a drum sander and installing a coarse grit sandpaper onto the sander which will remove any noticeable damage or old finish from your floors.

Sanding the floor will kick up a lot of dust so protect light fixtures and tape over electrical outlets. Hardwood Floor Sanding DIY Instructions Step 1. Then sand the entire area at the same angle moving constantly as you work.

If you have really really uneven floorboards you should start by sanding with the large drum sander diagonally to the floorboards to even the floor out and then move on to sanding in the direction of the boards. Use a sharp scraper to lift off any areas where the old finish is particularly stubborn. Use a finer 120-grit for the second pass.

Begin with a medium-grade sanding disc to remove the old finish from the hardwood planks 60-grit works best. Sand your whole floor moving in organized rows until you complete the first round. Choose an interior wood stain based on the color you desire and the type of hardwood flooring you have.

Sanding hardwood floors will also create a huge amount of dust which is unpleasant and can potentially cause health issues. Grit is the unit of how much coarse a paper will be. Use the edging sander to go along the edges and get into corners.

Overlaps on softwoods like fir and pine are even more vulnerable to cracking and splintering. So says our expert Kadee Macey owner of Petes Hardwood Floors in St. There are several ways to sand a hardwood floor.

To sand the hardwood floor you should follow these steps. Many manufacturers recommend removing excess stain as you go usually a few minutes after application. Sanding removes on average about 116 inch of material and sometimes more so you can safely sand a solid hardwood floor two or three times but no more.

For a floor in better condition a lighter 60- or 80-grit is better. Handheld sander drum sander etc. Apply the stain with a foam applicator pad in the direction of the wood grain.

Learn how to refinish your hardwood floors yourself and have your house looking like new in no time. Youll then need to use the handle that controls the sanders height and use it to lift it off of the floor in order for you to turn around. Second and Third Rounds of Sanding Next once you have removed the paint shellac or varnish with the coarse sandpaper you can then move onto using finer sandpaper to achieve a smoother finish.

Use a handheld orbital sander ideally with a gear-driven setting. Youll need to sand the entire floor not just one section. Here are some of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood floors.

Follow along for a list of steps and tools youll need t. Attach the Sandpaper to the Orbital Sander The three sandpaper pieces need to be attached in three steps. As a general rule you always sand with the grain of the wood.

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. Start with a low grit like 40 climb to 60 80 then 100.

Are the best ideas among them. If you sand too much the overlaps wear thin and they crack and splinter. Previous Step Next Step.