Should You Sand Your Hardwood Floor?
By Tania Penwell

The Fundamentals

To do any job well it is important that you know your fundamentals. It is easy to be scared and worried about sanding a hardwood floor by yourself and stay away from the entire thing. Similarly it is very easy to be too eager and keen and spoil the entire floor by wrongly handling the drum sander. You would have invested a handsome amount to install the hardwood flooring. So if possible cut your costs on sanding and do it yourself if that is possible. But, you also must not spoil the investment in doing something that is not meant to be done by you.

The Thickness

What decides whether you will be able to sand a floor is the thickness of the floor. To measure the thickness all you got to do is to remove a floor register and using a measuring tape measure the thickness of the wood. Remember ticker the floor the easier it would be for you to sand the floor by yourself. Thinner boards will require professional hands. So what measurement should you be looking for? If the thickness exceeds 3/4″ then you can go ahead with sanding the floor yourself. However, for any wood less thick, you will need to call in professional help.

The Dust Sander

The tool that you will require to sand the hardwood floor is the dust sander and obviously you are not going to buy one for your house. What you will need to do is rent one. However, before renting you must be careful that you are getting everything for the money that you are paying. Never hire a dust sander without the manual. You never know when you get stuck. You should also be getting all the regular accessories that come with a dust sander like the dust bag, wrenches and attachments. It makes sense for you to get a demonstration at the store on how to use the sander. You will also need some sand papers - both coarse and fine ones - for your sanding. Pick up a dust mask on your way back and before trying the sander on the floor get some practice on a piece of plywood.

The Method

The sander should not be touching the floor when you switch it on. Only after it attains maximum speed you should lower it gradually to the floor. Sand in straight lines along the grain of the wood. You will be required to sand the floor twice, once with the coarse grit sheets and once with the finer grit sheets to achieve a perfect finish.

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