DIY Floor Sanding

If your wood floors have been covered by carpeting and you want to restore those floors the first step is to remove that old carpet. The next step is to start at one corner of the room and using pliers grab the edge of the carpet and begin pulling in an upwards direction. Pull up small portions of the carpet at a time and cut the carpet into lengthwise strips. After you have enough strips you can begin to roll them into a bale and tie the bale using twine or even duct tape. After you roll and tie each bail roll it out of the room.

There will be parts of the floor that will have small nails sticking up. Usually the areas are all around the edge of the room so obviously the next step is to remove the nails either with pliers or a pry bar.

Now you can begin sanding the floor. Remember that you will be spending a great deal of time and effort to restore the floor so be sure to use professional sanding equipment. If you have a small area to sand say less than 3 or 4 square feet then you can use an orbital square pad sander with a 30 or 40 grit sandpaper instead of using the larger professional sanders. You will probably use approximately two pieces of sandpaper for every square foot of floor. This method can save you the expense of renting a professional sander, however, if you have a larger area, you can actually save money by renting a professional sander.

When using a professional sander for larger areas you may also want to use a paint scraper for around the edges of the room and for spots where sanding machines won’t work. A good trick to remember is when using a paint scraper be sure it is very sharp and scrape with the grain not against it. Paint scrapers are great for getting in smaller areas such as edges and crevices.

Sand the floor about 3 times each time using a finer grain of sandpaper. Be sure to pay attention to the fine scratches and knots each time you sand. For the third sanding, using finer grit sandpaper will remove the small fine scratches left behind from coarser grit sandpaper from the second sanding.

The next step is cleaning the floor to remove all grit and dust that accumulated during sanding. Be sure the floor is clean and smooth and ready for the finishing touch which is applying the lacquer.

Always use a high grade lacquer and apply at least two coats letting the floor completely dry after the first coat before applying the second coat. You can apply the lacquer in several ways, however, the most popular way is using a sponge mop. Apply the lacquer sparingly and cover small portions of the floor at a time and always go with the grain of the wood, so the floor can absorb the lacquer and dry evenly giving the wood a beautiful smooth finish.

About the author: Ronni Rebsdorf is the owner of a floor sanding company in Copenhagen Denmark. Visit his site at http://gulvafslibningpriser.com/.

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