DON’T DO IT YOURSELF - DO IT PROPERLY - Wooden and Hard Wood Flooring Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire

DON’T DO IT YOURSELF – DO IT PROPERLY

5 September 2012

A hardwood floor which has been refinished to a high standard is akin to a beautiful work of art, whereas a hardwood floor which has been roughly sanded without care and attention can totally ruin the look of a room.

Don’t hide your wooden floor away

The recent DIY revival has perhaps brought the natural beauty of wooden flooring back to our attention, and it’s not before time. But unfortunately the DIY competence of the individuals who try to sand their own wooden floors has not done anything to endear these floors to their owners. A newly sanded wooden floor should sing and not be hidden under a mat or throw because of poor workmanship.

Sanding a wooden floor might seem easy and might be achievable if you hire a floor sander from a local hire shop, but you’ll only get the best finish if the job is left to the professionals.

If you want the best finish you’ll need the best equipment

When sanding a wooden floor it’s important that the right equipment is used, experience goes a long way. For a floor to be sanded properly, different grades of sanding paper should be used in turn on a continuous belt sanding machine. Any areas around the edges of the room should be finished with an edging sander and if necessary any corners or areas around radiator pipes should be hand-scraped to achieve a desirable finish.

The initial coarse sanding will remove the heavy deposits, while the later fine sanding processes will achieve the smooth finish. Multiple grades of sandpaper are needed if a fine finish is required, which will show off the floor to its best. Also, so no grain marks appear on the wooden surface due to the direction in which the floor has been sanded, a 150 grit mesh pad on a screener/buffer can also be used before sealing to achieve a perfect finish.

Many people who perform the sanding job themselves simply don’t get the required finish on the floor surface. They commonly sand one area too much and others not enough and leave scuff and grain marks in the wood, which will only be highlighted when the sealant or lacquer is applied.