If you have solid hardwood floors, then you would be required to sand them, before you apply the staining and top-coating. And while you can hire professionals, you can handle this on your own provided you know what you are doing. You can either choose to go the old way, with sandpaper, or opt for sanding machines which you can rent at the local hardware shop. And sandpaper is often the popular choice, given the cost and the expenditure involved but you would still need to take care. And that’s why it is worthwhile to check out the points listed below.
- Using the wrong grit: One of the common mistakes that most homeowners often make, when attempting to sand their floor on their own is using sandpaper with fine grit. If the floors are already finished and varnished as well, then it makes sense to go with the fine-grit sandpaper. However, if you are looking to remove the old varnish and old coats completely, then you need to use coarse sandpaper, and the coarser the better. The optimal grit to select would be 24 grit, as it should just be perfect for sanding. Of course, you can always call in a floor sander in Auckland to help you out; it’s your call.
- Not sanding it right: The other reason that you may want to opt for a floor sander is that sanding the floor is both time-consuming and hard work. There’s just no getting around it, and if you plan to sand your floors manually, then you need to know that the work is as tough as it gets. You may be tempted at times to call it a day after just sanding for an hour. But where sanding is concerned, the work is done only when the old coats have been completely removed. Sanding a floor for an hour may not result in much, so be prepared to sand it for as long as it can take, to remove the old traces completely.
- Not sanding diagonally: This is a mistake that more than a few homeowners make, on their DIY projects. Sanding diagonally enables you to wrap up the project quicker and the finish on the boards is near perfect. You would not be taking that much time to sand the floors and sanding diagonally ensures that the boards are flat and that you can sand them evenly.
- Sanding the edges: Ask any professional sander and he would tell you that sanding the edges can be a PITA, in more ways than one. It won’t matter whether you are using the machine to sand the floor or have opted to get it done manually. But sanding the edges is downright hard and one that can make the process more time-consuming than usual. But here is a free tip, you can sand less around the edges, and focus on getting the overall finish done perfectly.
- Using the same sandpaper: One of the dumb and dumber mistakes that most homeowners often make is by using the same sandpaper for all the floors. You need to change the sandpaper often, and it is only when you change the sandpaper, you would be able to remove more coats and varnish from your floor as well. So if you find that your current sandpaper techniques leave a lot to be desired, chances are you are using the sandpaper to sand all the rooms.
With these points, you should be able to sand the floor perfectly and even apply the final coats on your own.
