Obviously there are thousands of questions out there on sanding wood floors in Edinburgh; I’m sure its the same everywhere.Probably this article will answere your questions regarding wood floor sanding.
Obviously there are thousands of questions out there on sanding wood floors in Edinburgh; I’m sure its the same everywhere. However, some of the questions make for more interesting answers and I will be answering them here:
1: How Many Times Can my Floor Be Sanded?
There is no definitive answer to this question, because it depends on so many variables: the reason for sanding; is there a deep gouge we are taking out, the person who does the sanding; how hard are they pressing and many other things can affect it.
However, the main guide for how many times a floor can be sanded is the thickness of the wood above the top of the groove (as in tongue and groove), floors of 18mm thickness are thought to stand up to 3 sandings, and based on that we can judge that floors of 24mm can take 4 sandings, floors of 12mm thick can take 2 and so on.
2: Can Engineered Flooring Be Sanded?
In a word: Yes! For those that don’t know, engineered flooring is a surface layer of solid wood, with engineered ply below. Engineered flooring has come on leaps and bounds in the last few years, and the top engineered brands now have a surface (solid-wood) layer of up to a quarter inch thick. Those who paid attention above will know that this means it will stand up to one sanding (presuming there are no deep gouges etc). One doesn’t sound like a lot, but given that engineered flooring is a fraction of the cost of solid wood flooring, and that a wood floor can last over 10 years without needing to be sanded (if properly cared for) this makes engineered flooring fantastic value for money.
3: What Grade of Sand Paper Should I Use?
Put simply: all of them. You start off with the roughest grade (36), sand the floor, come down to the next roughest grade (60), sand the floor again and carry on till you get to the finest grade of sand paper (100).
4: Can I Not Sand my Floor By Hand?
In a word: Yes! But sanding an entire floor FOUR times is a lengthy process, the entire length of which you will be on your hands and knees with a bent back, as you can imagine this puts an incredible strain on your back and is not for the faint hearted (not meant literally). It is also difficult to get an even finish.
5: Can I Use a Drum Sander?
Yes, a drum sander can be used but it is difficult to get an even finish, and so it is a much better idea to use a modern orbital sander. Our sanding contractors use dustless sanding machines, specifically made for sanding wood floors.
Four Tips to Keep Floor Sanding to a Minimum
As we all know, a floor can only be sanded a certain amount of times, which depends on things like why the floor is sanded (are any deep scratches being sanded out etc) and above all on the depth of the wood above the tongue and groove workings. Thus, it is a good idea to save on the need for sanding, by keeping your floor looking lovely and scratch/damage free, especially when you consider the fact that you may want to sand the floor for cosmetic reasons (change of finish, to brighten it up etc) once or twice.
Step by Step Guide to Sanding, Staining and Sealing Wood Floors
First of all, I really have to say that sanding a wood floor is a job where it is very important that it is done well, but very easy to do badly. For this job, more than almost any other I have seen or spoken about, the peace of mind that comes from hiring the professionals is worth paying for, in fact it is fantastic value for money.
