How To Sand Hardwood Floors Yourself

Before you start sanding remove everything from the room and vacuum the floor.

How to sand hardwood floors yourself. Unless you plan to sand many floors in your lifetime random orbital sanders are the best choice for do it yourself hardwood floor refinishing. Sanding eliminates scratches and stains from a hardwood floor but may not be able to alleviate the deepest gouges or discolored patches of wood. To sand hardwood floors start by renting a drum sander and installing a coarse grit sandpaper onto the sander which will remove any noticeable damage or old finish from your floors.

The main thing is to approach the sanding with delicacy after all a hardwood floor is a big investment and you don t want to wreak it with heavy handed sanding. They take longer to remove old finishes than drum. Cupboards doorways closets and any other areas or items where you are working should be protected from dust with plastic.

Use a shop vacuum with a brush head to clean the floor thoroughly and then follow with a sticky tack cloth to remove any remaining particles image 1. How to sand a hardwood floor by hand. Begin by using a drum sander or belt sander with the grain along the length of the boards.

You ll need to sand the entire floor not just one section. Wipe down walls to prevent dust from falling to the floor as your finish is drying. Sanding the floor will kick up a lot of dust so protect light fixtures and tape over electrical outlets.

Remove wall hangings light fixtures window coverings and anything else in the area that could be dirtied or damaged by your work. Sand the floor carefully making sure not to miss any areas. The exact same way you would with floor sanding machines but with a lot more elbow grease.

Remove shoe moulding the wood trim where the wall meets the floor. Use a handheld orbital sander ideally with a gear driven setting. Hardwood floor sanding diy instructions.