- Preparation
Floor
sanding can be dusty. Take out any furniture and remove your curtains. Tape
shut any cupboards or doors to seal them against the dust. Give the floor a
quick hoover and make sure you nail down any raised nails as they can cause
expensive damage to the sanding machines.
Have a
look around for any loose, broken or rotten boards. Replace the rotten or broken boards with
reclaimed wood (similar age and thickness) and screw down the loose boards.
- Filling
– closing up the gaps
Large gaps can be filled with fillets of pine or you can apply wood
filler if the gaps are quite small. An alternative would be lifting the whole
floor, pushing the boards together and filling the gap with a part board.
- Floor
sanding process
Before the whole sanding process starts
make sure to use the safety equipment kit.
Start by loading the abrasive sheets into the sander. The state of your
floor will determine the grade of abrasive you start with, but you can always
ask for our advice.
Work along the length of the boards so that you sand in the direction of
the grain. If the floor is uneven you will need to sand diagonally across the
floor. Avoid leaving marks on the floor by ensuring the machine is moving at
all times when the drum is in contact with the floor. Most important, don’t
lean on the edge sander machine.
- Gap
filling
For any remaining gaps use the dust produced after sanding with the 80
grit paper, mix it with resin and fill the gaps. Let the mix dry and sand the
floor one final time.
Use the hoover to finish the process. Ensure the floor is dust free
before the sealing process.
- Sealing
the floor
Clean the surface of the floor with a slightly damp cloth and remove any
remaining wood dust. Apply primer and use fine sandpaper for the raised grains
in the timber. Domestic floors should then have two top coats of lacquer
applied. Read instructions carefully for the drying times!
- Maintenance
Sweep your floor properly, vacuum it or
use a dust mop in order to get rid of all the little particles. Only then
should you mop it, with a product designed specifically for wooden flooring,
never use water. If you mop first, you will scratch the surface of your floor
by pushing in the particles.