How To Improve Wood Floor After Sanding

Close the windows and doors to keep dust contained in the room you re sanding.

How to improve wood floor after sanding.

If your floor has been finished with wax rather than oil or lacquer buffing and recoating won t work because the finish may end up leaving ugly bubbles. After sanding the floor will need vacuuming and wiping with a tack cloth prior to applying the new finish with a long handled roller. After sanding fill in holes in the floor with wood putty or wood filler. Don t be afraid to use new belts and more than one.

Start by vacuuming the floor to remove any dust left over from sanding or buffing. It also works on plastic laminate floors. So by increasing dust removal a vacuum improves sander efficiency. When you sand your hardwood floors you use coarse sanding equipment to remove all of the finish and stain from your floors as well as smooth out the wood underneath those layers of stain and sealer.

Instead use a simple chemical etching technique and apply a new topcoat of finish. Wipe a white rag over the spot. Gently wipe the floor with a terry cloth mop or a towel wrapped around a mop head. This is an intensive process that strips everything from the floor by grinding it down to the natural wood underneath all that shine.

A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish. After vacuuming tack the entire floor with a damp rag. Apply paint thinner or mineral spirits to a small inconspicuous spot that s been cleaned. We call this process rough cutting.

Be sure to work in well ventilated rooms when sanding or applying stain or finish. The result is a fresh new looking wood floor. Renew the finish on your wood floor without the hassle of sanding. On older floors the first step when sanding is to choose an aggressive grit like 24 grit per square inch to level the boards one to another and remove imperfections if possible.

Photo by reena bammi remove all the furniture and spray the floor with a hardwood flooring cleaner or your own mix of 10 parts water to 1 part white vinegar. By the diy experts of the family handyman magazine. Step 1 check your floor to make sure it doesn t have a wax finish. Even with the sander s built in dust collection system the sander rides on a thin cushion of dust that prevents full contact between the grit and the wood.

On some sanders hooking up to a vacuum doubles the sanding speed. If it turns brown or yellow the finish may be wax step 2 clear the room completely and make any necessary repairs to the floor. Be sure to get all the dust out from between the floorboards.