Prepare Your Flooring before Sanding

Published on 30 October 2019

Posted in Floor Sanding Tips

Recently, most people are constructing their houses in new designs that incorporate wooden floors. Maintaining the floor is one of the key steps to giving the entire house a new and better look.

It is always advisable to ensure that wooden floors get refinished as they age, to preserve their aesthetics. One of the most efficient ways of improving the state of your wooden flooring is by sanding it. Sanding the floor refers to the process of removing the top surface of wood via an abrasive material.

The results of sanding by hand are not very impressive. Manually, we are not capable of applying the required pressure, which would lead to imperfections on the wood. It is, therefore, best to use sanding machines, to prevent such incidents. 

Plans and preparations should be in place before beginning the process of sanding. Here is a list of the preparations that should be carried out:

Plan Ahead

Sanding the floor is a time-consuming process. It could take hours to a few days, meaning that there will be interruptions from your day-to-day activities once the process is started.

Therefore, it is advisable to have a good plan and to schedule the sanding process in a way that nobody will be inconvenienced. For example, you could opt to book a hotel room for your family members if you feel that they will not be comfortable in the house during the sanding process.

Clear the room

It is vital to ensure that there is nothing in the room where the sanding is to take place. Items such as furniture, wall paintings, curtains and other stuff should be relocated to give the room allowance for smooth refinishing of the floor. It should be noted that some professionals offer to remove these items from the house for free.

Cover the doors and windows

This is important in cases where the sanding process will take place in just a few rooms within the house. Closing windows and doors will ensure that the sawdust produced does not enter into the rest of the house.

Clean the floor

This helps in the removal of dirt and dust particles trapped on the floor. The cleaning should be done using a vacuum machine, a partially wet mop, and a detergent designed to clean the wooden floors.

Inspect the floor

It is advisable to look out for nail heads that are showing and hammer them properly. If the sanding machine was to get hold of these nails, it would cause significant scratches on the floor.

Repairing the floor also takes place during this step. The repairs include nailing, adding glue to loose boards and filling any gaps on the wooden flooring. Check the ventilation too, to ensure that it is operational. Good ventilation aids in faster drying of the finishing applied after sanding.

Paint

Some people plan to repaint and decorate the room and refinish the floor at the same time. In this case, the painting should come first. For example, if some of the paint was to spill onto the floor, it would easily come off as the sanding process progresses.
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