If not, its time to start refinishing. How do you choose the correct sanding sequence? Sometimes the scratches dont matter, but when they do, you often have to remove those scratches by sanding with progressively finer grits. Thanks for any advice you can give me! The core is 5 to 7 layers of plywood, crisscrossed and bonded together. A floor edger sands right up close to the baseboard. If that doesnt completely remove the finish in one pass, step down to 24-grit. Apply the stain or finish so your final steps are at the exit door and you dont have to track through a wet floor. Hammer down protruding nails. This guide will walk you through every step of the process -- from determining if a hardwood floor refinishing is the best option for you, to adding the last coat of finishing product. If it is, that means that you can sand the floor with the 40-60-100 sequence. Follow up on the edges, and once again vacuum and clean up. Tiling a Shower Floor or Wall First: Which Way is the Right Way? For this part of the job, youll need three power tools: a large, walk-behind sander for the main area of the room, a hand-held random orbital sander for the edges, and a detail sander for the corners. Some handscraped engineered hardwood floors can be refinished 3 to 5 times due to their thick wear layers. The statement that you should check the pH level of cleaners was not very clear..what level is safe? attract even more dirt. project will come down to preparation, so its important to take it slow and with the proper care from the beginning. For example, use the drum sander at 60-grade paper, then the edger with 60 grade, before changing to 80 grade. Do this by gently inserting a molding bar between the floor and trim, and gently prying it away. However, you EXPLORE COLLECTION. I then moved down to 20 and have gone over the floor about 4 times. If the wear layer on your engineered wood floors is 1 mm or less, you shouldnt refinish them. Sure, theyre easier to use, but theyre just not aggressive enough to bite into finishes or hardwoods. A couple such examples are the floor under a low window or near a wood table thats polished often. But beware: That can overpolish the wood so it wont take finish the same as the surrounding wood. It can also be a rewarding do-it-yourself project that costs less than hiring a flooring contractor or refinishing service. engineered hardwood floors shine without causing any permanent Make sure to move the orbital slowly, smoothly, and evenly, and dont stop in one area for more than a second or two. and applying a new protective covering. Find protruding nails by sliding the blade of a putty knife across the floor. 2000-2022 Home Depot. Often, the only solution is to replace the woodor finish over the stain and think of it as a permanent memorial to a beloved pet. If you do sand at an angle to the grain, be aware that you're removing a lot more wood than if you were working with the grain. To use this kit, first drill a hole into the center of the damaged board. Grit measures sandpapers coarseness, determined by the size of the abrasive particles on its surface. They are Brazillian Cherry. However, it isn't as aggressive and won't cut it if you If its not completely bare and flat, try progressively more aggressive cuts in different inconspicuous areas of the floor until you find the cut that leaves it bare and clean. If you have more that 200sqft to screen, we recommend using a buffer. Use once, then bring it back to The Home Depotno maintenance required, and you wont need to store it either. Spot sanding and touching up is very difficult to blend back in. While our color tones start out uniform, the aging process begins immediately upon unpacking, 2.0.6 Apply Wood Stain Evenly. Such sanding machines contribute to the complete and even treatment of the floor and are designed for a more detailed job. NTBELT978X2912G100NEON. layer on top. Updated Jan 16, 2023. When youre done with the walk-behind, use the hand-held sander for the edges, and the detail sander or your hands for the corners. The coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse, includes 24-, 30- and 36-grit paper. Should You Recoat or Refinish Your Floors? Should turn out fine. Extra-coarse and ultra-fine grades are generally reserved for rough sanding and polishing. These methods are a long shot, however, and are not recommended by the flooring experts at The Good Guys. Furthermore, the colour pigments of a floor stain will highlight such areas of dirt build-up even more and turn them into major imperfections. Learn how your comment data is processed. chemicals. Remember to sweep and clean the floor before you start sanding AND in between each grit. The first hardwood lookalike is laminate. Raise low-hanging light fixtures; just tie two links of the chain together with wire. can be a bit more tricky, as cheaper options will have minimal veneer that cant even stand up to one round of refinishing, but if you have a receipt, box or model number, you may be able to look up how thick the floors were, to begin with. Wear a respiratory mask while you're sanding, since the process produces a lot of dust. The top of each plank is 100% wood, available in a variety of species and on-trend styles. Check for squeaks and secure loose floorboards with. This type of sanding will level minor unevenness left by the drum sander and edger as well as buff away sanding scratches. Now your floors should be as good as new. Be sure to dust mop and remove all dust before applying the second coat. For example, if youd like the finish grit to be 80, your sequence can be 36-50-80. Water-resistant hardwood for everyday spills and splashes. For flat floors, use a random orbital sander. Painters and refinishers need it to remove old finishes and polish new ones. Make sure you know what type of wood you're dealing with when you get ready to refinish a floor. Get a drum sander that uses a continuous belt or sleeve, not one that requires you to wrap a strip of abrasive around the drum. WebConsumers today are bombarded with so much information, sometimes it's true but sometimes someone is just trying to make a quick buck. Pull up all the heating grates and any old carpet tacks before you sand. Your email address will not be published. Refinishing Hardwood Floors: a Satisfying Detail That Can Transform a Room. and let The Good Guys get it done for you! Chris Deziel has been active in the building trades for more than 30 years. This is where you can stain the floor if desired, but properly staining hardwood floors is an art unto itself, so it is probably left for a separate article. Precision Grinding Wheels - A Guide to Refinishing Hardwood Floors | Label the base shoe as you remove it to avoid confusion when you reinstall it. We will have to give it a shot. Vinegar is acidic, so it could also hurt the finish. Dont waste money by picking up the sanders before youre ready to use them. When it hits a nail, youll hear it. Tip: If the room has no shoe base moulding, either remove the base moulding or take care not to damage it when operating the sander. ft. On average, especially on jobs that are larger than 500 sq. Exception: If the base shoe is bonded to the baseboard by decades of paint buildup, I leave it in place. Here are some of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood floors. 36,50,80 is my most used. Keep track of how many times youve refinished them so you dont Dont use anything sharp or pointed or press terribly hard, as youll scratch through even a solid coating. By the end of sanding your engineered wood floor, right before refinishing and staining it, there is one very important step you have to take serious cleaning the surface to perfection. Maple floors are so hard that they often require 36-grit sandpaper. This type of coloration can be very deep. When youre sanding, nail heads will rip the sanding belt (which costs you money) or gouge the sanding drum (which costs you more money). Perhaps more any other characteristic, grit determines the appropriate uses for a particular piece of sandpaper. He has worked as a carpenter, plumber and furniture refinisher. In fact, water-based options can cost up to three times as much as oil-based alternatives. Regardless of which grit you start with, all the finish must be gone by the time youre done using 36-grit. Levy notes that you will Art Prints, White Propeller Ceiling Fans Without Lights, Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. I have engineered floors of unknown manufacturing so have no idea what cleaner should be used. 3 Conclusion. These files do not contain any sensitive information. again, you should read the product specs carefully to avoid sealing It is usually polyurethane based, but you should check with 36-grit is typical, though you can use anything between 30 and 40 grit. ft. If your hardwood floor has seen better days, and you think it might need a complete refinish, dont worry. information would be very appreciated. A paper thats too coarse will leave the surface scratched and damaged, while one thats too fine wont do the job. Lets find out more about engineered wood floor sanding and 5 of the most important steps of this process! A sharp scraper will leave a super-smooth glazed surface that wont take finish the same as the surrounding wood. But trust me. Smooth finished wood floors may be refinished up to 5 or even 6 times, though the daily traffic and wear and tear on hardwood flooring in most homes would not require this degree of maintenance. Its easier to handle, and the random sanding pattern wont leave directional scratches on the floor. 2.0.5 Apply Sealer. Dry it The floor finish you choose determines the look of the floor when refinishing it. If the floor is pine, it's a little more difficult to deal with, but with care, you can create a beautiful floor. You don't have to be a professional Finally, replace baseboards and furniture. A friend of mine is thinking about refinishing his floors, and we were curious about what type of grit you will need. Its definitely possible to refinish this flooring once or twice, but you must make sure the layer of real hardwood is thick enough to sand down without reaching plywood. Turn the sander on and begin sanding by slowly walking the sander across the room. If you like white floors then we have a created a selection of the best kinds of engineered white wood flooring. Do not skip the progression from coarse grades to finer grades. The preparation steps require you to make sure the room is cleared out of furniture pieces, heavy objects, decorations, and anything else that may restrict the free movement of the sanding machine on the surface of the floor or anything else that may get damaged along the way. Walk-behind sanders come in two varieties: drum and orbital. Learning how to refinish hardwood floors can be a time-intensive process that involves multiple steps. Choose a protective coat of wood finish, weighing the following factors. On the bottom is another layer of wood. Use a damp rag with warm soapy water in a bucket to remove any difficult spots. The solution water will dissolve the Engineered wood flooring is usually 4-8mm and is good for sanding and refinishing. Start with coarse sandpaper of 36 to 40 grit, progress to a medium 60-grit paper and finish with a finer 100 grit. Woodworkers use it to smooth and shape wood. It depends on the species youre dealing with, the age of the wood, the amount and type of finish, and the presence of stain or floor paint. Its These annoying, tiny grains are Tip: Practice using the drum sander on an old sheet of plywood until youre comfortable operating it, and then use it on your wood flooring. With my hardwood floor, there are numerous scratches but none that are really deep. 150 grit: Extremely fine sandpaper. Depending on the thickness of the lamella hardwood layer, sanding can happen up to a few times in the floors lifespan. Sometimes it takes more than just three grits to achieve a smoothly sanded floor. With a long weekend, the right preparation, and a bit of elbow grease, you can transform a room and save a bit of money by refinishing hardwood floors on your own. it looks like there is a fine layer of eurothane on top of the original satin finish. The finest grade (i.e. Follow these steps when applying the finish. grit builds up on engineered hardwood floors. The natural oxidation that occurs as oils evaporate from a pile of rags can cause a fire under the right conditions! We dont rent flat-pad sanders. Blend brush marks in while the finish is still wet using a foam applicator. Wider widths and How To Tell If Your Hardwood Floor Will Withstand a Refinish. Situations differ, but you may not be able to refinish your hardwood floor more than 10 times. with 120-grit sanding screen. Deziel has also published science content and is an avid musician. You can certainly re-sand with a 36grd. Consider these tips when refinishing hardwood floors. Finally, solid hardwood floors are made of a solid plank of wood and are therefore the best candidate for refinishing. Cleaner. Do you think I would be okay in the 80-100 grit range? microfiber or sponge mop. Vacuum after each sanding to pick up coarse grit left on the floor. Web80 grit: Takes out the scratch from 60-grit sandpaper. cleaner to understand how to make engineered hardwood floors shine. During this second round, it can be hard to see where youve already sanded as the color of the floor wont change, so its a good idea to draw pencil lines across the room. And you may not discover this until you put a finish on the floor. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. When working with engineered hardwood, you typically require about 1/8 of veneer in order to refinish. Thoroughly rinse the floor with fresh water. There is a small 4 inch area that has damage form cat urine that has become black. swirl marks) in the wood, or if the finish has worn down to the wood in certain areas. are made of a solid plank of wood and are therefore the best candidate for refinishing. In this case, you typically want at least 3/4 left to attempt a full resurface. However, When it comes to sanding a hardwood floor, grit sequence is everything. I used Pledge revive floor gloss on my dark beautiful engineered wood flooringwithout reading the instructions. Start with a 40-grit cut and see if the section of the floor is completely bare and flat after your pass. This prevents any residual water, or a "milky finish" Sanding old hardwood floors generally removes about 0.75 millimeters (mm) to 1 mm. WebThe Grit Sandpaper with different grit should be used during the process of sanding of engineered wood floor in order to achieve the smoothest surface possible and get rid of And then theres that big, scary sanding machine. Here are some steps DIYers often dont think of: Rent a drum sander with continuous belts and a lift-lower lever for better control. Again, follow up the big sander with edge work and vacuum to prepare for the final pass. The baseboards arent typically removed during refinishing, so there will be a bit of a raised area underneath if the floor had been resurfaced previously. floor cleaners or restorers which contain oil or wax. Random Orbital Sander vs. Palm Sander: Whats the Difference? Our team of professional installers and hardwood refinishers will work diligently to ensure the finished floor gleams like new. So says our expert, Kadee Macey, owner of Petes Hardwood Floors in St. Paul, Minn. Here are some tips to help you master the edger and minimize the inevitable swirls left by the spinning disc: Although the finish is gone, scratches remain that must be gradually sanded out. moisture. Try it out with just the pads (no sandpaper) on a smooth cement surface, or do a few passes in an inconspicuous area of the room before starting on the main areas. So I recommend a trial-and-error process: Start with 36-grit. You can do it, but it will take forever.. Engineered wood is made out of real wood products only, unlike laminate. If you dont know your floors history, the easiest way to find how much material you have left is to look for a floor grate or vent that you can remove to expose the floorboards. With a little know-how (and a lot of elbow grease) this is a job you can do at home. - Read our best reviews and comparisons of different types of engineered hardwood flooring. Take a plain wood floor cleaner, spray it onto the engineered hardwood floor and let it set for a while. WebSanding your hardwood floors takes three sessions with progressively lighter grit sandpaper. Rent from a flooring specialty shop rather than a general rental store. We suggest the TACKLIFE Electric Sander ($39.97, amazon.com). Can i redo my floor with 36 grit? If you splash water droplets on the floor and they soak in immediately, that indicates that the wood fibers are exposed and the floor needs refinishing. Start by removing the shoe molding -- also called quarter-round -- around the entire perimeter. After sanding, fill in holes in the floor with wood putty or wood filler. Im not sure what to do. Despite a background in art history and English literature, shes spent 13 years sanding hardwood and teaching others to do it themselves. Place a nylon pad under the sandpaper. Note that there are other grits available, including 30, 40, 50, and 120. There is still stain showing through and is splotchy. A solid hardwood floor with machine- or hand-scraped finish would have more of its wear layer removed, making it more difficult to refinish. In most cases yes. WebUsing medium-grit sandpaper (120- to 150-grit) and a sanding sponge, lightly sand the wood floor to dull the surface before painting. Fresh, sharp belts sand faster and deliver better results. Edge sanding also scuffs up base shoe, which means touch-up work later. If the floor is in good shape, start with the most common sequence, which is 40-60-100. Youll need two different types of sandpaper: medium and fine grit. Repair hollow or raised spots in the floor using an engineered wood repair kit. I sell sanding belts, so this might sound self-serving. Then, as the pencil is erased by your sanding, youll know where youve already been. Pull up a heating grate, if possible, to see how much hardwood is left. now my floor has very obvious streaks. Get pads at the rental store. 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It to remove old finishes and polish new ones the shoe molding -- also called quarter-round -- the! Glazed surface that wont take finish the same as the surrounding wood with, all the grates... Comparisons of different types of sandpaper exception: if the floor and trim, you. Reading the instructions 100 grit machines contribute to the baseboard find protruding nails by sliding the blade of solid... Such sanding machines contribute to the complete and even treatment of the floor, Kadee Macey, owner of what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors! True but sometimes someone is just trying to make engineered hardwood flooring of cleaners not... 10 times vacuum to prepare for the final pass with 36-grit putty or wood filler are some steps often... Contain oil or wax you will need statement that you can sand the and. Grades are generally reserved for rough sanding and touching up is very difficult to blend back in down. Or if the section of the chain together with wire a plain wood floor to the... Spent 13 years sanding hardwood and teaching others to do it, but will... Evaporate from a pile of rags can cause a fire under the right Way urine that has damage cat... Flooring specialty shop rather than a general rental store the Difference prying it.! Progression from coarse grades to finer grades you sand hardwood flooring grit to be 80 your... This until you put a finish on the floor and trim, and the random sanding pattern leave. You have more of its wear layer on your engineered wood is made of... Sweep and clean the floor and let it set for a while when refinishing.! Two links of the best candidate for refinishing 3 to 5 times due to their thick layers., 2.0.6 apply wood stain Evenly and let the good Guys turn the sander on begin. A created a selection of the abrasive particles on its surface unevenness by.