How to Sand Floors for a Flawless Finish

SORRY BUT THIS POST DOES NOT SHOW PEOPLE HOW TO SAND HARDWOOD FLOORS. IN FACT, IT GIVES READERS LESS INFO THAN THIS OTHER POST ON THE COST OF REFINSIHING FLOORS THAT YOU WROTE: http://www.realtor.com/advice/home-improvement/how-much-does-it-cost-to-refinish-hardwood-floors/ THE INFO IN THE NUMBERED STEPS BELOW IS USEFUL BUT I CAN’T THINK OF A SEARCH TERM THAT WOULD WORK FOR THAT STUFF—HOW TO PREP YOUR FLOORS FOR SANDING? HOW TO HIRE A FLOOR SANDER? IT JUST DOESN’T SEEM TO HOLD TOGETHER AS ITS OWN POST. SO, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY BETTER IDEAS WE’LL HAVE TO KILL IT. IF YOU WANT, INVOICE FOR A 25% KILL FEE. OR IF THAT’S TOO PEANUTS, FEEL FREE TO GO BACK TO YOUR EXPERTS AND WRITE THIS POST INTEAD, DO YOU WANT DO THIS?

How to remove stains from hardwood floors: 150

you can also tackle these specific things in sections:

How to remove pet urine stains: 50

How to remove stains from hardwood floors without sanding: 30

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Hardwood floors are a selling point in any home, but if the flooring isn’t in great shape, it helps to know how to sand hardwood floors. (Or hire someone who does.) If your floors are scratched, stained, or generally worn out, then it’s time to sand and refinish your wood floors so they look new again.

Finishing hardwood floors, however, is one of the more complicated home maintenance tasks that requires the skill and experience that only professional floor finishers have, says Brett Miller, vice president of education and certification of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) based in Chesterfield, MO. Professional finishers charge from $1.50 to $5 per square foot, depending on location.

“Sanding wood floors are an art,” Miller says. “It takes a lot of practice and skill to properly sand a wood floor. It’s easy to mess up.”

A well-refinished floor works wonders: Sanding a wood floor reverses time, grinding off faded finishes and erasing surface scratches. It leaves the floor flat and ready to soak up your next stain or other finish.

Poorly sanded floors, however, are bumpy and lumpy. They show sanding marks and gouges, and drink stains unevenly so sections are darker or lighter than others.

“You see hair and debris in the finish, divots, and scratches,” Miller says. “There are a lot of floors that don’t look like they should.”

Miller says a properly trained floor finisher should have a NWFA certification, which requires at least three years field experience, advanced classes, and passing a 175-question test.

Whether you hire a pro, or if you’re thinking about taking on the task yourself, here’s what you’ll need to know for flawless floors.

Step-by-step refinishing

1. Identify the flooring: Engineered wood floors, where a thin layer of hardwood is fused to plywood, look so authentic it’s hard to tell them apart from true hardwood floors. Professionals are trained to spot the difference, as well as identify different wood species, which guide what type of sandpaper they use to remove old finishes. Rougher sandpaper, like 12 grit, is best for older floors slathered with waxes or shellacs. Finer sandpaper, like 150 grit, is best for final sanding stages.
2. Check for lead: Floors installed and finished before 1978 are presumed to be covered with coatings—varnish, stain, shellac, paint— which most likely contain lead, a toxic and common ingredient back then. Only finishers that are EPA-certified to conduct lead-based activities and renovations should remove these finishes, which, in the wrong hands, can fill your home with contaminants. So check when your home was built (or floors installed) and hire accordingly.
3. Sanding: Proper sanding does two things: Smooths your floor and readies it for coatings, and prevents sawdust from flying throughout your home. Professionals use dust containment systems—vacuums attached to sanders and plastic screens—to prevent dust from coating everything in the house, including your lungs.
4. Applying coatings: Applying each type of coating requires a different technique. But whatever coating you use, the finished product should be smooth and seamless. If you see brush strokes, then the job has been botched. Make sure you don’t walk on floors while the finishing is curing, which can take anywhere from a few hours to several days, depending on the product.
5. Protective coat: Top coats of oil- or water-based polyurethane (plastic) will protect your floors. Some people think more coats are better, but Miller says three coats are fine, with gentle sanding between applications.

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