Refreshing your Floors?
Floor sanding revitalizes hardwood floors, preparing them for a fresh stain or restoring their original beauty. This guide covers what floor sanding is and its benefits.
What is Floor Sanding?
Floor sanding involves removing the top surface layer of a wooden floor using abrasive materials. This process smooths out imperfections, removes old finishes, and prepares the floor for refinishing. It's typically done using a floor sander, a powerful machine designed to sand large areas efficiently. Typically, hardwood floors need sanding every 8-10 years, but this can vary depending on the amount of traffic and wear.
What are the benefits of Floor Sanding?
Enhanced Appearance: Sanding removes scratches, dents, and stains, revealing the natural beauty of the wood.
Improved Durability: Sanding and refinishing add a protective layer that can extend the life of your floors.
Increased Home Value: Well-maintained hardwood floors are desirable to increase your home's resale value.
Better Air Quality: Sanding removes dirt and allergens trapped in the wood, leading to a healthier living environment.
Smooth Surface: This creates an even surface that’s more comfortable to walk on and easier to clean.
In preparation for sanding
Clear the Room: Remove all furniture and items from the floor.
Inspect the Floor: Look for nails, staples, or other obstructions that could damage the sander.
Repair Damage: Use wood filler to fill any holes or cracks.
The Sanding Process
Coarse Grit: Coarse-grit sandpaper removes old finishes and levels the floor.
Finer Grits: Finer grits are used to smooth the surface. Typically, they move from 36-40 grit to 60-80 grit and finish with 100-120 grit.
Edge Sanding: An edging sander reaches the corners and edges that the drum sander can’t reach.
Vacuuming: Vacuuming the floor is important to remove dust and debris throughout each sanding pass.
Finishing Touches
Final Vacuum and Cleaning: After the final sanding pass, vacuum and wipe down the floor to ensure it’s completely clean.
Apply Stain (Optional): If you want to change the colour of your floor, we can apply a wood stain at BBX to ensure the floor is of top quality.
Apply Finish: To protect the wood, choose a finish such as polyurethane, shellac, or varnish. After applying multiple coats, allow each to dry completely before sanding lightly and applying the next.
Types of finishes
Polyurethane:
Polyurethane enhances durability and appearance by creating a hard, transparent layer that resists scratches, water, and general wear and tear. It can be given either a matt or a glossy finish and is the most popular finish for hardwood floors.
Shellac:
A shellac finish is a natural resin-based coating that protects and beautifies wood floors. It creates a glossy, smooth surface that enhances the wood's natural colour and grain. However, shellac is less durable than modern finishes like polyurethane and is more susceptible to damage from water, alcohol, and heat.
Varnish:
A varnish finish is a protective and decorative coating that enhances the appearance and durability of wood surfaces. It creates a hard, glossy or satin finish that resists scratches, water, and UV damage and requires proper application and drying time to achieve a smooth, long-lasting finish.
How long does it take?
Depending on the size of the room's floor, sanding could take anywhere from 1 to 3 days, depending on whether you would like to stain and add a finish to the floor.
