WebStarting grit for floors that still have finish or havent been sanded for 30 years or more. 2.0.1 Clear and Clean the Area. I had no idea that 12 grit is usually what you start with, and the most coarse. The core is 5 to 7 layers of plywood, crisscrossed and bonded together. Engineered wood floors, however, typically aren't good candidates for refinishing, as the veneer on the top comes right off as soon as you start sanding. Edge sanding also scuffs up base shoe, which means touch-up work later. Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Deziel has also published science content and is an avid musician. Screening blends the edge-sanded perimeter with the drum-sanded field and polishes away sanding scratches. Check for squeaks and secure loose floorboards with. We dont rent flat-pad sanders. This process, while not a full refinish, can keep floors looking clean and fresh without taking off too much of the top layer of wood. Weve been wanting to refinish our old hardwood floors and really liked your advice on how to use grit sequencing. How to Pick the Right Grit Sequence for a Hardwood Floor. But thats not enough. Thoroughly sweep and vacuum the flooring and then follow up with a tack cloth to remove all the dust that you can. Therefore, solid wood floors are generally not installed in bathrooms and kitchens, basements and conservatories, and anywhere where indoor moisture can turn them in the subject of issues. When returning the furniture to room, place felt pads on the feet to prevent them from scratching the floor. Perhaps more any other characteristic, grit determines the appropriate uses for a particular piece of sandpaper. layer on top. This guide will walk you through every step of the process -- from determining if a hardwood floor refinishing is the best option for you, to adding the last coat of finishing product. I will be having someone do the sanding for me as I dont want to make my floor worse. If the surface of your engineered If you dont sand deep enough, youll end up with a dingy floor.. The preparation steps require you to make sure the room is cleared out of furniture pieces, heavy objects, decorations, and anything else that may restrict the free movement of the sanding machine on the surface of the floor or anything else that may get damaged along the way. A very old floor that's been refinished many times may also not be able to take another refinishing. Visit our E-commerce store for Flooring, Supplies and Equipment. Most drum and edger sanders have built in vacuums and dust bag systems to reduce dust emissions. still clean them regularly. engineered hardwood floors. Can i redo my floor with 36 grit? A floor edger sands right up close to the baseboard. Engineered Hardwood Floors, Removing Dirt and Returning the Shine WebHardwood is a natural material that responds organically to other natural elements. Water stains usually disappear after a couple of passes of the sander. Note: For more of Kadees wood floor wisdom, go to peteshardwoodfloors.com. Despite a background in art history and English literature, shes spent 13 years sanding hardwood and teaching others to do it themselves. ft. There is no need to use any fancy Required fields are marked *. You need a pristinely clean floor before sanding, so sweep it and then dust mop it to get up all debris and dust. Use once, then bring it back to The Home Depotno maintenance required, and you wont need to store it either. 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. If you splash water droplets on the floor and they soak in immediately, that indicates that the wood fibers are exposed and the floor needs refinishing. Once again, work back and forth, overlapping each pass. Webby Sand & Stable From $4.39 /sq. But determining just how coarse isnt easy for a DIYer. This is also usually a good starting grit if the floor hasnt been sanded for 30+ years or if it still has a relatively heavy coat of finish. This is a lot easier and much more inexpensive than refinishing but only fixes problems in the surface-level protective covering. Flooring experts estimate that hardwood floors can be sanded for refinishing up to 10 times, depending on the thoroughness of the sanding and the level of wear and tear on the floor. When youre done, vacuum the room to clean up excess dust before moving onto the next pass. Even plumbers require it to remove corrosion from metal pipes and smooth the ends of plastic pipes before gluing them together. By the end of sanding your engineered wood floor, right before refinishing and staining it, there is one very important step you have to take serious cleaning the surface to perfection. Sanding eliminates scratches and stains from a hardwood floor, but may not be able to alleviate the deepest gouges or discolored patches of wood. After youve finished with the sanders, the floor will look so good that youll be tempted to skip this step. Its easier to handle, and the random sanding pattern wont leave directional scratches on the floor. Then clean it off with a brush or vacuum and damp cloth, and apply polyurethane (see later in this article for a, Uh Oh! tricky process so you may need to hire professionals. Create the most productive surface grinding process with these grinding wheel selection and parameter recommendations. Floors that are cupped Should You Recoat or Refinish Your Floors? Many finishes take 24 hours to dry. Choose a protective coat of wood finish, weighing the following factors. The top of each plank is 100% wood, available in a variety of species and on-trend styles. They are available to answer questions and how to make engineered hardwood floors shine, and how to keep them Share. A simple tool, but not so simple to use. A couple coats of new finish are then a floor that was underneath carpet) or several coats of paint. Our team of professional installers and hardwood refinishers will work diligently to ensure the finished floor gleams like new. Consider these tips when refinishing hardwood floors. But if you choose the correct sanding sequence, most floors just need three passes with the big machine to acquire a smooth finish. To use this kit, first drill a hole into the center of the damaged board. grit builds up on engineered hardwood floors. If you dont know your floors history, the easiest way to find how much material you have left is to look for a floor grate or vent that you can remove to expose the floorboards. Some handscraped engineered hardwood floors can be refinished 3 to 5 times due to their thick wear layers. Hardwood floors can last for the life of a home. Work one manageable area at a time, such as four square feet. Exception: If the base shoe is bonded to the baseboard by decades of paint buildup, I leave it in place. Do this by gently inserting a molding bar between the floor and trim, and gently prying it away. Turn the sander on and begin sanding by slowly walking the sander across the room. If youre interested in refinishing or recoating the hardwood floors in your home, but the thought of managing it all on your own is too much to bear. Finally, replace baseboards and furniture. Spot test the stain or finish to see what it looks like on the floor before applying a coat. Hello. In my home I have used 100 grit for oak hardwood flooring. Repels Water. If you dont have any such openings, the next best option is to remove a threshold from a doorway as there are typically gaps between rooms that will expose the end of a board or plank. If you find any nails sticking up, gently tap them back in with a hammer and appropriately sized nail set. Consider three coats of oil-based finish or four coats of water-based finish. If you have more that 200sqft to screen, we recommend using a buffer. There is still stain showing through and is splotchy. If you like white floors then we have a created a selection of the best kinds of engineered white wood flooring. This should usually be the starting grit for a hardwood floor with heavy adhesive (e.g. On the other hand, a refinish will take care of moderate marring and discoloration but will require a lot more time, money and effort. You can use a random-orbital sander to buff the edges. So says our expert, Kadee Macey, owner of Petes Hardwood Floors in St. Paul, Minn. Pull up all the heating grates and any old carpet tacks before you sand. Fresh, sharp belts sand faster and deliver better results. Keep in mind that pro costs vary a lot, so its worth making a few calls to check on pro rates in your area. Tip: Practice using the drum sander on an old sheet of plywood until youre comfortable operating it, and then use it on your wood flooring. By continuing to browse our site, you agree to the use of cookies. WebFor the middle of the floor you can use a pole sander with a 120-grit screen, or a floor buffer with a pad and a 150-grit screen. You can even use it in a pinch to sharpen tools or file your fingernails! Can take out the scratch from 120-grit or 100-grit sandpaper if necessary. Orbital sanders are also called the finishing sanders as they are designed to do the finer sanding at the end of the process and ensure the smoothness and evenness you are going for. Bleach formulated for wood floors may be worth a try, but in my experience the results are mediocre at best, and at worst, the wood is left pitted and blotched. ft. On average, especially on jobs that are larger than 500 sq. 80-100: fine This is usually the Once youve selected two areas and taped them off, get a 120-grit screen and thoroughly sand the area. Use clean cotton cloths or paper towels to remove excess stain. Work following the grain of the wood while applying even pressure. When youre sanding, nail heads will rip the sanding belt (which costs you money) or gouge the sanding drum (which costs you more money). If the wear layer on your engineered wood floors is 1 mm or less, you shouldnt refinish them. But trust me. Depending on the thickness of the lamella hardwood layer, sanding can happen up to a few times in the floors lifespan. Apply the stain with a foam applicator pad in the direction of the wood grain. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. In most cases yes. However, Rent equipment such as drum sanders and edger sanders. Let it dry, and try gently scraping it with a coin or other metal object. Hand-sanding is safer. While its theoretically possible to manufacture sandpaper grits in tiny progressions, it would be impractical and confuse customers. The CAMI system predominates in North America. Hang the rags outside, away from any structures, and allow them to dry thoroughly before disposing of them. damage. Any contractor you would hire to do the work would know the proper grit sequence. The following tips provide quick and easy steps that you Starting with grit 40, then grit 60, and finally grit 100 is typically a good procedure for most wood floors. Apply the stain or finish so your final steps are at the exit door and you dont have to track through a wet floor. Relieves Worries. Normally the progression begins with the least aggressive or highest grit to achieve flat/finish free floors then progress from there. Manufacturers usually glue and press Refinishing Hardwood Floors: a Satisfying Detail That Can Transform a Room. 100 grit: Takes out 60 or 80 grit scratch. Place a nylon pad under the sandpaper. Vinegar is acidic, so it could also hurt the finish. These methods are a long shot, however, and are not recommended by the flooring experts at The Good Guys. use a lambswool floor buffer to bring back the mirror finish. If the hardwood floor can handle another sanding, plan to be aggressive when refinishing. Monday - Friday 07:30 - 17:30, Saturday 07:30 - 16:00. With the sander unplugged, insert the medium grit sandpaper first. Youll want to press as firmly as you can without stalling or slowing down the movement of the sander. products you can use. Often, the only solution is to replace the woodor finish over the stain and think of it as a permanent memorial to a beloved pet. If a room has quarter-round molding (aka base shoe) at the bottom of baseboards, I usually pry it off and reinstall it later. Even at 3mm, if the floor is lumpy, you risk sanding through to the ply substrate. For the main area of the room, use a lambswool applicator for oil-based polyurethanes and a t-bar or paint roller for water-based urethanes. Seal air vent covers to prevent dust caused by sanding from getting in your ductwork. This method is a bit risky though; the baseboards may have been replaced when the floor was previously refinished for aesthetic reasons, and you still wont know the current thickness of the floor. He is our response. You should squeeze the mop The higher the number, the finer the grit. require less upkeep than traditional hardwood floors. During this second round, it can be hard to see It is usually polyurethane based, but you should check with If you want to change or improve the floor color, apply a stain. Woodworkers use it to smooth and shape wood. 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. Allow the stain to dry according to directions before applying the finish. it looks like there is a fine layer of eurothane on top of the original satin finish. very popular recently. You may even want to finish with a rag dampened with mineral spirits. If your hardwood floor has seen better days, and you think it might need a complete refinish, dont worry. information would be very appreciated. water won't hurt your floors. Do not use a large crowbar or demolition bar as these will damage the molding. Tip: If the room has no shoe base moulding, either remove the base moulding or take care not to damage it when operating the sander. A warning to woodworkers: Youll be tempted to edge with your belt sander, but even the biggest belt sander cant cut half as fast as an edger. CFS Part No: NTBELT1178X2912G16SIC. 24 grit: Use 24-grit sandpaper if there are sander flaws (e.g. This is usually the final grit for maple, birch, or other particularly hard woods, and for any floor that you would like to stain. Floor is lumpy, you agree to the use of cookies can use a random-orbital sander buff... Refinishing but only fixes problems in the surface-level protective covering or paper towels to remove all the what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors grates any. English literature, shes spent 13 years sanding hardwood and teaching others to do the work would the! Use a random-orbital sander to buff the edges grit for a DIYer together. 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