How to Sand a Wooden Floor
Posted by Bob Bulmer on Fri 26th October 2007 at 06:00 AM, Filed in Floor Finishes
1. It’s first important to make timber floor boards safe to walk on. You can do this by using a nail punch to push back all the raised nails. This should also help prevent the sanding belt from tearing.
2. Remove any old varnish or polish from the timber by using steel wool and white spirit. Make sure you use protective goggles while doing this.
3. Working from the edge of a room you can start to strip the surface off the floor using the sanding machine.
4. Keep some distance from the skirting boards otherwise the sanding machine may cause some damage.
5. Work the sanding machine along the grain of the timber, which would be along the length of the floor boards. Sanding across the grain will cause scratches.
6. If the edges of a floor board curl up then sand diagonally using different grades of sanding belt. This should help level the surface of the floor board.
7. To get a good finish, let the sanding machine gently work over the floor. Don’t rush it!
8. Do not pull the sander backwards and forwards when the drum is rotating.
9. If you need to sharply change direction, always raise the belt of the sanding machine before hand.
Sanding the edges of a floor
1. When you have finished sanding the floor you will be left with the edges leading up to the skirting boards. This can be stripped by using an edging sander.
2. Using the edging sander is fairly straightforward. Although, you do need to be careful not to damage the skirting.
3. Use a vacuum cleaner with a strong suck to remove all the wood dust.
4. Do not use water to clean the floor as this will stain the timbers.
5. Use a lint free cloth to rid the floor of any stray wood dust.
6. The floor should now be ready for application of a varnish.
READER COMMENTS:
No comments yet.
