How To Sand Old Wood Floors

Remove shoe moulding the wood trim where the wall meets the floor.

How to sand old wood floors.

Then sand the entire area at the same angle moving constantly as you work. Next use a vacuum to remove hard to reach dirt in room corners and between floorboards. Gently wipe the floor with a terry cloth mop or a towel wrapped around a mop head. After mopping the floor and letting it dry you use the buffer to run a 120 grit sanding screen over the surface.

Practice using the drum sander on an old sheet of plywood until you re comfortable operating it and then use it on your wood flooring. After your initial sanding switch to a medium grit. Sanding the floor will kick up a lot of dust so protect light fixtures and tape over electrical outlets. So that you know stiff bristles can scratch the wood s surface.

Before you start sanding remove everything from the room and vacuum the floor. After you ve completed all the sanding you must remove all the dust from the floor molding and walls. You ll need to sand the entire floor not just one section. When you get to a wall move the sander back to your starting point and slightly to the side overlapping your first pass.

Sweep and vacuum the flooring to remove dust and debris between sanding with different grades of grit. Use wood putty and a broad knife to fill any spots. To sand hardwood floors start by renting a drum sander and installing a coarse grit sandpaper onto the sander which will remove any noticeable damage or old finish from your floors. A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish.

Replace the abrasive belt after sanding about 250 square feet for most effective results. Afterward mop using a micro cloth and concentrated cleaner specially made for hardwood floors. Let the wood putty dry according to package directions and then lightly sand the areas smooth by hand with medium or fine sandpaper. Close the windows and doors to keep dust contained in the room you re sanding.

This floor restoration method requires a floor buffer with a sanding screen to scuff the old finish of the floor which is why it s called a screen and recoat.