microfiber or sponge mop. Water-based products, for example, are thinner, so they will naturally go on more evenly and dry quickly. Work the drum sander back and forth over 3- to 4-foot lengths. How To Tell If Your Hardwood Floor Will Withstand a Refinish. Number or otherwise label each piece as you remove it to make it easier to put it back after refinishing the floor. The second should be in an area thats regularly exposed to cleaning products, such as window cleaner overspray, oil-based cleaners, or other heavy detergents. These problems occur when the glue fails to bond to the subfloor during installation, or when a single board is damaged by moisture or humidity. Then, as the pencil is erased by your sanding, youll know where youve already been. 36-grit is typical, though you can use anything between 30 and 40 grit. layer on top. Rent from a flooring specialty shop rather than a general rental store. If you do sand at an angle to the grain, be aware that you're removing a lot more wood than if you were working with the grain. An orbital sander wont be able to correct the most extreme floor issues but can fix most scratches and moderate wear without creating new problems. should consider the abovementioned precautions. Think twice before you rent a flat-pad sander (aka orbital or square-buff sander). and let The Good Guys get it done for you! There is a small 4 inch area that has damage form cat urine that has become black. 2.0.7 Apply a Layer of Polyurethane. Hardwood floors can last for the life of a home. Heres the problem: After the floor finish is gone, you cant see whether the sander is doing its job. Format (sheet, belt or disk) for specific sanding machines. 2.0.1 Clear and Clean the Area. 40,60,100 for maple/ cherry. 2.0.6 Apply Wood Stain Evenly. Refinishing Hardwood Floors: a Satisfying Detail That Can Transform a Room. Find out how to choose the right product type, application method, sheen level, and more when finishing a hardwood floor. you should not use the vacuum sweep extension. A simple tool, but not so simple to use. Start by removing the shoe molding -- also called quarter-round -- around the entire perimeter. Guidelines for Regular Maintenance of Follow up on the edges, and once again vacuum and clean up. You need a pristinely clean floor before sanding, so sweep it and then dust mop it to get up all debris and dust. Spot test the stain or finish to see what it looks like on the floor before applying a coat. Dont use anything sharp or pointed or press terribly hard, as youll scratch through even a solid coating. It takes coarse abrasive to cut through a finish and into hardwood. These are especially good choices in historic homesbecause they can take extra coats over time without sanding; an older home that doesn't have much thickness left in the floor may require this type of finish. If you have more that 200sqft to screen, we recommend using a buffer. If your hardwood floor has seen better days, and you think it might need a complete refinish, dont worry. It should go without saying though, that you shouldnt use any oil- or chemical-based cleaners on the floor as they may affect the ability of the final layer to adhere to the wood. You can use a random-orbital sander to buff the edges. I had no idea that 12 grit is usually what you start with, and the most coarse. A somewhat simpler option is a water-based finish that dries clear and doesn't produce the same volume of toxic fumes. Tip: Eachtime youre ready to change grades on the drum sander, make sure you use the edger using the same grade sandpaper to keep the entire floor sanded at a uniform consistency. Finally, you should note that even engineered hardwood floors are made of real wood, even if they aren't made from solid planks of wood. When it hits a nail, youll hear it. Before floor refinishing with a sander, you should pull up the shoe base moulding along where the floor meets the wall. Avoid dragging furniture across the floor. This is where you can stain the floor if desired, but properly staining hardwood floors is an art unto itself, so it is probably left for a separate article. Don't use cleaners which contain wax In this case, you typically want at least 3/4 left to attempt a full resurface. Adding one ounce of dish soap per gallon of With a long weekend, the right preparation, and a bit of elbow grease, you can transform a room and save a bit of money by refinishing hardwood floors on your own. Then hand-sand them out with 80- or 100-grit paper. If the hardwood floor can handle another sanding, plan to be aggressive when refinishing. A coarse grit wears down whatever youre sanding more quickly, but it also leaves deep scratches. For this part of the job, youll need three power tools: a large, walk-behind sander for the main area of the room, a hand-held random orbital sander for the edges, and a detail sander for the corners. Hello. For flat floors, use a random orbital sander. He has worked as a carpenter, plumber and furniture refinisher. Its typically pretty easy to tell if your flooring is made of laminate, as it simply feels like a hard plastic. Dull paper wont remove swirls left by the previous grit. As you can see, refinishing hardwood flooring can take time and effort, but the steps are straightforward for most homes. to Engineered Hardwood Floors, How to Screen and Recoat Engineered 2000-2022 Home Depot. Pull up all the heating grates and any old carpet tacks before you sand. Youll also be tempted to polish out swirls with a random orbit sander. very popular recently. However, you In fact, water-based options can cost up to three times as much as oil-based alternatives. Sometimes it takes more than just three grits to achieve a smoothly sanded floor. Exception: If the base shoe is bonded to the baseboard by decades of paint buildup, I leave it in place. Engineered hardwood floors have become And competing in roller derby in her spare time. Next, use a floor buffer fitted with a fine-grit screening pad to screen-sand the flooring. Work following the grain of the wood while applying even pressure. In my home I have used 100 grit for oak hardwood flooring. can follow to keep your floors pristine. However, Unit Size: 10. 16 grit: Use as the starting grit for floors with shellac finishes, single layers of paint, or some very hard floors, like maple. It all depends on the thickness of the wear layer. Sure, theyre easier to use, but theyre just not aggressive enough to bite into finishes or hardwoods. If a room has quarter-round molding (aka base shoe) at the bottom of baseboards, I usually pry it off and reinstall it later. Im not sure what to do. This time, take extra care to clean everything thoroughly, as the next step will be to apply a finishing agent. Start with a 40-grit cut and see if the section of the floor is completely bare and flat after your pass. Engineered Wood floors are another alternative to solid hardwood, made of a thin layer (or veneer) of hardwood, bonded to a layer of cheaper material, typically plywood. Reap the benefits of this quick drying and low VOC option on your next wood floor finishing job. If the floor is in good shape, start with the most common sequence, which is 40-60-100. You can certainly re-sand with a 36grd. Its hard to think of a home improvement project that doesnt involve sandpaper. If it is, that means that you can sand the floor with the 40-60-100 sequence. Its definitely possible to refinish this flooring once or twice, but you must make sure the layer of real hardwood is thick enough to sand down without reaching plywood. However, the dish soap shouldn't A friend of mine is thinking about refinishing his floors, and we were curious about what type of grit you will need. WebFloor Sanding Round 2: Smooth Out Rough Edges. They may cause minute pitting and damage the finish. Take a plain wood floor cleaner, spray it onto the engineered hardwood floor and let it set for a while. If they are wet, things get even worse. Get a drum sander that uses a continuous belt or sleeve, not one that requires you to wrap a strip of abrasive around the drum. Here are some of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood floors. Thats tedious and often leads to chatter marks on the floor. ft., and edger discs are spent after about 20 sq. Once you know what type of floor you have, its a good idea to evaluate if a total refinish or a more subdued screen and recoat is necessary. Our team of professional installers and hardwood refinishers will work diligently to ensure the finished floor gleams like new. When it comes to sanding a hardwood floor, grit sequence is everything. Sweep and vacuum the flooring to remove dust and debris between sanding with different grades of grit. For most jobs they just dont work.. Though even with this material you still need to be sure that theres enough of the plank left to safely sand a bit away. Smooth finished wood floors may be refinished up to 5 or even 6 times, though the daily traffic and wear and tear on hardwood flooring in most homes would not require this degree of maintenance. There is still stain showing through and is splotchy. So says our expert, Kadee Macey, owner of Petes Hardwood Floors in St. Paul, Minn. The baseboards arent typically removed during refinishing, so there will be a bit of a raised area underneath if the floor had been resurfaced previously. Monday - Friday 07:30 - 17:30, Saturday 07:30 - 16:00. Raise low-hanging light fixtures; just tie two links of the chain together with wire. Cookies are pieces of information stored on your computer in simple text files which our server can read and record. The grades and grits youll find at hardware stores include: We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. the manufacturer or a professional to ensure the best result. Webby Sand & Stable From $4.39 /sq. While our color tones start out uniform, the aging process begins immediately upon unpacking, 24 grit: Use 24-grit sandpaper if there are sander flaws (e.g. Fresh, sharp belts sand faster and deliver better results. Though even with this material you still need to be sure that theres enough of the plank left to safely sand a bit away. These files do not contain any sensitive information. Do you think I would be okay in the 80-100 grit range? To avoid curling at the edges of Neither is superior to the other--it really just comes down to preference. Do this by gently inserting a molding bar between the floor and trim, and gently prying it away. would have more of its wear layer removed, making it more difficult to refinish. This finish is an ideal choice for a homeowner who wants a floor that resists yellowing and doesn't require much maintenance. Edge or detail sanders come in handy for reaching to all corners of the room and other areas that are hard to access. Then clean it off with a brush or vacuum and damp cloth, and apply polyurethane (see later in this article for a comparison of oil- and water-based polyurethane options). Complete this simple form to get started. applied. 12 grit:This is one of the coarsest grits available. If its not completely bare and flat, try progressively more aggressive cuts in different inconspicuous areas of the floor until you find the cut that leaves it bare and clean. In terms of application, each has pros and cons as well. 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