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How long does it take to sand a floor with a drum sander?
How long will it take? Three sanding passes with both the drum sander and the edger in one room of 140 sq. ft. takes the average customer, working alone, 5 hours.
Do you need a drum sander to refinish hardwood floors?
“If your floor is in rough shape, cupped or damaged, or has a very heavy finish, a drum sander is what you need,” he adds. “An orbital won’t relevel your floor.”Jan 27, 2011.
What kind of sander do you use to refinish hardwood floors?
Random orbital sanders are the best choice for do-it-yourself hardwood floor refinishing. They take longer to remove old finishes than drum sanders, but they do not require a lot of experience to use and are less likely to damage your wood floor.
What is a drum sander for wood floors?
A drum floor sander, also known as a belt sander, is a heavy-duty machine designed for heavy sanding of solid wood flooring. A drum sander cuts through the wood, obliterating multiple layers of wood as well as any varnish, giving you a new surface to refinish.
How long does it take to sand down a floor?
How long does it take to sand a floor? It can take 1-5 days for a professional and 2-15 days for a DIY enthusiast, depending on the size and condition of the floor. For planning purposes, it would take 1-day per room for a professional and 2 days per room for a homeowner doing DIY.
How long does it take to use a floor sander?
So how long does it take to sand a floor? If you’re using both the electric sander and the edger in 140 square-foot floor space, it will take you roughly 5 hours to do three sanding passes. Another thing you must take into account is how old your house is.
How long does it take to sand and refinish floors?
It typically takes between two and five days to refinish hardwood floors, depending on the type of polyurethane you use (oil or water-based), and the size and condition of your floors.
Can you use a belt sander to refinish hardwood floors?
Refinishing wood floors is quite a chore and can take many days. 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.
Can you use an orbital sander to sand a floor?
The orbital sanding system can only be used to sand soft wood floors which are in need of a light refreshing. Most floor sanding companies use orbital floor sanding machines for fine sanding. After finishing with 100 grit belts, they use the orbital floor sander with 120, 150 and 180 grit sandpaper.
How much does a drum sander remove?
The drum sander you described will remove about 0.005″ to 0.007″ (five to seven thousandths of an inch) per pass. Even a small 12″ portable planer will remove 0.125″ to .
Should you sand across the grain?
Depending on the tool you employ, sanding with the grain per se might not always be possible, but it is important to avoid sanding across the grain. Sanding against the grain inevitably leaves scratches that defeats the purpose of sanding the wood in the first place.
Is it OK to sand against the grain?
No matter what type of edge you’re going for, always maintain steady pressure and sand with, not against, the grain. Don’t employ sandpaper to remove things like pencil marks or dried glue, but do use it to smooth joints or filled nail holes.
Should you sand floors diagonally?
Sanding diagonally Sanding the floorboards diagonally is definitely required where adjacent boards are not level. Fit the sander with an appropriate grade of abrasive (40 or 60 grit size). Starting in one corner of the room, tilt the machine, switch it on and walk it diagonally across the floor towards the far wall.
How do you sand and refinish hardwood floors yourself?
How do you sand and refinish hardwood floors?
Prepare the Floor for Refinishing. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. Pull Up the Shoe Base Moulding. Rough-Sand the Floor. Sand the Edges and Corners. Screen Sand the Floor. Remove All Dust. Apply the Wood Stain. Apply the Finish.
Will an orbital sander remove polyurethane?
Start at one end of the flat surface and sand lightly with the orbital sander to remove the polyurethane. Make sure to sand following the grain of the wood.
Why does my drum sander leave lines wood?
Drum sanders with steel wheels can cause vertical lines when the wheels are worn. Sometimes the steel wheels on the sander become so worn that there is no crown left. This will leave edge marks, especially on those softer species of wood.
How hard is it to use a floor sander?
There’s really no getting around it – sanding your floors is hard work and physically tiring. Mostly, this is down to the floorboards not being completely flat which means that the drum of the floor sanding machine won’t be able to reach all areas of the floorboards in one go.
What grit sandpaper should I use for 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.
How long does it take to re sand hardwood floors?
Depending on the product used, and the current weather conditions, each coat could take either hours or days. Figure at least two days for the “sand and poly” job or three to seven days for a full refinishing project, plus at least one day if you’re adding color.
How much does it cost to sand floors?
Cost to Sand and Refinish Hardwood Floors Sanding costs $0.50 to $3.00 per square foot to sand hardwood floors. An average 12 x 14 foot room would cost $80 to $500 depending on how many passes it needs and the area you live in.
Can you live in a house while refinishing floors?
The strong scent of polyurethane and stain lingers in the atmosphere for very long and can kick-start a migraine any time or all the time. Even if it’s not causing migraines, it’s still uncomfortable to live in a house where the floor is being refinished and there are strong odors in the air.
Can you walk on freshly sanded floors?
Drying time after the floors are refinished: At a minimum, you should wait at least 24 hrs before walking on the floors; for hours 24-48, it’s best to wear socks only (no shoes, no bare feet). Ideally, you should wait a total of 4 days before moving furniture back.
Is it hard to sand hardwood floors?
Sanding hardwood floors might seem like a pros-only project. And then there’s that big, scary sanding machine… But it’s really not that difficult. I’ve helped hundreds of homeowners—some of them complete DIY novices—successfully prep their floors for a new finish.
