If you have moved into a home that has hardwood floors that have dings, minor cracks, and imperfections, you might want to consider getting the floors refinished. That is the best way to tackle all these issues and give you a floor that not only looks good but is safe to use and performs well.
What Is Floor Sanding?
Floor sanding is a unique process used to remove the upper surfaces of wooden flooring. In this process, abrasive materials like sandpaper with different grits are used to smoothen the surface. All types of wood floors can be sanded to improve their appearance and performance.
Why is Sanding Required?
The wooden floor refinishing process might involve floor sanding in case fine splinters, cracks, etc. are present on the surface. Proper sanding helps to level the flooring and restores the grain, which lends hardwood floors their characteristic look.
Several passes with different sanding tools will be needed to achieve a final smooth finish. The experts that handle the floor sanding job will make sure that the area is properly ventilated during the sanding and staining processes.
Why DIY Sanding Isn’t a Good Idea
Sometimes, homeowners feel that they would like to save some money on the hardwood floor sanding. Hardware stores rent out drum sanders. While they are efficient and can remove large amounts of material very fast, they are also quite bulky and noisy. Most DIY projects don’t turn out as they should, and people end up gouging out sections of the flooring with the sander.
The process can be quite tedious and time-consuming, and since you may not have experience handling these jobs, you might end up doing permanent damage to your expensive hardwood floors. It’s why you should always get floor sanding done by experts in the field. They will use their knowledge and experience to complete the job expertly.
How Do Professionals Handle Floor Sanding?
Well-established floor sanding professionals don’t use outdated drum sanders. Instead, most prefer to use continuous belt machinery, and this is practically dust-free. The technicians also follow up with a mobile extraction unit, which helps to limit the dust significantly. It also means the environment is safer for you and your family.
After the standard sanding, millions of microscopic dust particles can linger in that area for days, which is harmful to health and can cause respiratory problems. While some amount of dust is inevitable, expert floor refinishers minimize it by screening/masking the areas as well as frequent vacuuming.
They also use edging sanders and specialized Bosch tools to ensure that the sanding work is handled correctly and that even the corners of the rooms get sanded well.
The Dustless Floor Sanding Process:
- Overall, sanding will be done using coarse-grade paper.
- It helps to remove all the old finishes, pits, and dents on the surface of the wood.
- In case you have an ancient floor with the old finish, it will likely have some Victorian shellac (staining done around the edges of the floor), and this can clog the sanding pads. This is something the professionals will keep in view while handling the job. They will prepare these surfaces lightly by sanding using medium-grade paper.
- Finally, they will use fine-textured sandpaper to remove even the tiniest imperfections
- What you ultimately get is a silky, smooth, shiny surface,
When floor sanding professionals use this process, it leaves behind minimal dust, and that means you have cleaner indoor air. It’s best to contact the contractor in advance and ask them about how they handle floor sanding and floor refinishing. Get a quotation for the job and understand what’s included and excluded before giving the go-ahead for the floor sanding job.