With the popularity of flipping houses, or homeowners simply taking on more and more do-it-yourself projects, older houses are finally getting their time to shine. One project that can improve an old home is floor sanding.
Perhaps your home already has exposed wood flooring, but it’s less than perfect. On the other hand, maybe that room with the old carpet could use a facelift by removing the carpet and improving the wood floor underneath it.
To complete this project, you’ll have to follow three steps:
- Prepping the floor
- Sanding it
- Finishing it with a coat of sealant
To prep the floor, make sure all of the nails are flush with the boards, make sure there aren’t any leftover staples or tacks from previous flooring (such as carpet), and check for any adhesive on the floor, which should be removed before sanding begins.
Next is the sanding process. The first round of sanding is done to ensure all of the boards are even. Then, there is a second sanding, and a third, for finishing. Any areas of the floor that cannot be reached with the sander can be completed with an edger.
Sanders to complete the job can be rented by the hour, day, week, or even month, depending on the amount of floor that needs to be sanded.
Floor sanders come in different varieties for different types of wood flooring. A drum sander will conquer any heavy duty job, a vibrating sander will smooth the floor after you’ve tackled it with a drum sander, an edge sander is used for the edges of the floor, a belt sander is best for round surfaces, and a sander vacuum can help get rid of dust left behind after the job is done.
Floor sanding may seem intimidating, but if you do your research, and rent the proper sander, you can end up with fantastic flooring.