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How To Sand Hardwood Floors With Orbital Sander

How long does it take to sand a floor with an orbital sander?

How long does it take to sand a floor with an orbital sander? Unless your floor is in flat and in very good condition, an orbital sander is going to increase your refinishing time but 2-3 times. Let’s say 2-4 days per room as opposed to 1-2 days with a full sanding kit. For handheld orbitals, double that again.

What grit sandpaper do you use to sand hardwood floors?

Start with 36-grit sandpaper for a floor that hasn’t been sanded in a long time or that has a lot of heavy finish on it. Floors that have been painted may even require you to go tougher and use 24 or 16-grit paper. Maple floors are so hard that they often require 36-grit sandpaper as well.

Can I sand my hardwood floors with a hand sander?

The palm sander is definitely the most common tool for sanding a wooden floor by hand. Use it with a coarser sandpaper grit for a lot of efficiency and quick results. Palm sanders also have a square edge, which means you can sand right into the corners of the floor.

How many sanding sheets do you need to sand a floor?

How long does it take to sand a floor? It’s hard to say without knowing the size and condition of your flooring. But with the right tools (like a drum sander and edger), you should do three sanding passes in an average-sized living room or bedroom in a day.

Can you go from 60 grit to 120 grit?

Vacuum off the dust from the first sanding pass and move onto the next grit. This will be the next finer level of coarseness — 150 or 180 grit (if you started at 80 to 120 grit).Going Through the Grits. Grit Coarseness Level 40-60 Coarse 80-120 Medium 150-180 Fine 220-240 Very Fine.

How do you prep a floor for sanding?

How to Prepare a Wood Floor for Sanding Clear the Room Before Sanding. This is probably pretty obvious but before you begin sanding, you will want to remove all of the furniture and clear out the room. Clean the Floor. Hammer in the Nails. Remove the Baseboards Before Sanding. Protect the House From Floor Sanding Dust.

Which is better orbital or belt sander?

For fine sanding work or rounding edges, the orbital sander is the tool for the job. It has much more flexibility than a belt sander and works well around corners. It can fit into corners, too, although a random orbital sander might be the better choice.

What is the difference between an orbital sander and a drum sander?

Drum sanders work fast due to their aggressive cutting action. If you have a large room or several layers of finish, this type of sander saves time. This can result in scratches with a drum sander. Orbital sanders are gentler and require less physical exertion from you, but they take longer to remove heavy finishes.

What is the cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors?

Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.

Are my floorboards suitable for sanding?

If your floorboards are ‘just’ dirty or have a thin coat of paint on them, starting to sand with 24 grit sandpaper should be sufficient. If your floorboards are really uneven or painted in a thick coat of paint, you will probably be best starting to sand your floors with 16 grit paper.

Can I sand my own hardwood floors?

Sanding wood floors is a time consuming but relatively easy procedure. Sanding wood floors & refinishing yourself will definitely save money, and even an inexperienced homeowner can likely do a better job than the lowest bidding handyperson who quotes on it.

Is it easy to sand hardwood floors?

If the scratches don’t go all the way through to the wood, you can scuff-sand your floors with a buffer and apply a fresh coat or two of finish. The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. In a few hours, your floors will look as good as new.

How do you know when to change sandpaper grit?

You should change your sandpaper when it gets too clogged by the material you are sanding or if the abrasive side is too worn down to smooth out your surface. If you have noticed that you have to apply much more pressure or it takes too long to work, you should substitute your sandpaper.

How much wood is removed when sanding hardwood floors?

When sanding any floor, the amount of wood you remove depends on the coarseness of the paper you use. Flooring professionals can sand away as much as 1/16 inches of wood with the coarsest paper.

Can you skip a grit when sanding?

The Golden Rule of Sanding The golden rule for choosing your sequence is to never skip more than 1 grit. For example, if you start with P80, and need to finish at P240, rather than using every grit from P80 – P220, you can do P80 – P120 – P180 – P240.

Do you need to strip floor before sanding?

We recommend that you at least attempt to remove some of it before you sand, but don’t bother trying adhesive remover (sanding is cheaper than that). But if this is your only hope for removing the adhesive, we can sand out the damage the water may cause.

Can I use a belt sander on hardwood floors?

A belt sander will make stripping and sanding the floor quick and easy. A belt sander for finishing a wood floor should be a hand-held one so you can move the tool around on the surface of the floor. Belt sanders will do a good job of leveling out the floor and preparing it for a finer sand.