Try it out with just the pads (no sandpaper) on a smooth cement surface, or do a few passes in an inconspicuous area of the room before starting on the main areas. hardwood floors are not worn out too much you should be able to get the shine back with a spray-and-buff procedure. When youre done, make sure to tape off any floor registers so they wont get scratched if your equipment bumps into them. He is our response. 2.0.1 Clear and Clean the Area. I had no idea that 12 grit is usually what you start with, and the most coarse. We have a hardwood floor with a red oak finish. Apply the stain or finish so your final steps are at the exit door and you dont have to track through a wet floor. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. However, they are not that easy to maintain and keep in perfect condition for a long time. 2.0.5 Apply Sealer. Let the finish dry for at least 24 hours; water-based polyurethane dries a bit quicker. 2.0.7 Apply a Layer of Polyurethane. This simpler process can save homeowners time and money, but it's not appropriate for all floors. Wood floors that have been painted may even require you to go tougher,using24 or 16-grit sandpaper. use a lambswool floor buffer to bring back the mirror finish. When you're through with this pass, your floor should look like new wood. The usual wear and tear in combination with foot traffic can dull your floors. Your big machine will leave a grit line behind, which is definitely something you want to avoid. If the flooring has small areas that even the edger cannot reach, use a scraper and some 80- and 100-grit. The dirt and dust particles will stay trapped between the floors surface and the finish and it will be impossible to remove them later on. information would be very appreciated. Heres a list. 16 grit: Use as the starting grit for floors with shellac finishes, single layers of paint, or some very hard floors, like maple. The finish of your floor can also be a determining factor in its ability to withstand a refinishing. Situations differ, but you may not be able to refinish your hardwood floor more than 10 times. The prep work will take longer than you think. Consider floor care and refinishing tool rental to get your project done. Engineered hardwood floors can be a bit more tricky, as cheaper options will have minimal veneer that cant even stand up to one round of refinishing, but if you have a receipt, box or model number, you may be able to look up how thick the floors were, to begin with. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. ft. On average, especially on jobs that are larger than 500 sq. This sander is easier to handle than a drum sander and eliminates directional scratches. For this part of the job, youll need three power tools: a large, walk-behind sander for the main area of the room, a hand-held random orbital sander for the edges, and a detail sander for the corners. Make sure to move the orbital slowly, smoothly, and evenly, and dont stop in one area for more than a second or two. The floor will accept the finish evenly and look great. Even if paper feels sharp, it may be beyond its prime. To avoid curling at the edges of 80 grit: Takes out the scratch from 60-grit sandpaper. How to Install Vinyl Plank Flooring on Concrete Step-By-Step Guide, Tips and Tricks on How to Clean CoreTec Flooring, Removing Mortar from Concrete Slab Floor: A Practical Guide. 2420 McIver Lane, Ste 102Carrollton, TX 75006, Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. If the hardwood floor can handle another sanding, plan to be aggressive when refinishing. Our standard widths vary from 5-12 and our lengths vary from 4-10. Note that there are other grits available, including 30, 40, 50, and 120. It's relatively easy to refinish a true hardwood such as oak or maple. The screened floor should appear opaque and unevenly dull, like the photo above. These methods are a long shot, however, and are not recommended by the flooring experts at The Good Guys. By continuing to browse our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Work in 5-foot swaths, and keep moving. Click hereto browse our selection of sanding abrasives. This is a lot easier and much more inexpensive than refinishing but only fixes problems in the surface-level protective covering. During this second round, it can be hard to see Coarse grits progress from 24 to 30 to 36, while fine ones rise from 600 to 800 to 1,000 and beyond. Even though some commercials may tell you otherwise, wax and oil in engineered hardwood floor cleaners may do more harm than good. This is where you can stain the floor if desired, but properly staining hardwood floors is an art unto itself, so it is probably left for a separate article. You don't have to be a professional If you have more that 200sqft to screen, we recommend using a buffer. Dust and hairs can leave imperfections in the floor finish. engineered hardwood floors. are made of a solid plank of wood and are therefore the best candidate for refinishing. We will have to give it a shot. You want to start with a more abrasive grit and then use successively finer grits. A solid rule of thumb is that a typical solid hardwood floor can be refinished four or five times before it needs to be replaced, so if you know your floors history, you may not need to measure its remaining thickness. Our engineered hardwood products reflect generations of experience, dating back to our roots making solid flooring for many decades before Do not skip the progression from coarse grades to finer grades. A medium or fine grade works best for most projects around the house. Cookies are pieces of information stored on your computer in simple text files which our server can read and record. 100 grit: Takes out 60 or 80 grit scratch. Next, sand the floor with a medium-grit sandpaper, such as 50 or 60 grit. Use it to hand sand, or with a belt or orbital sander. Its definitely possible to refinish this flooring once or twice, but you must make sure the layer of real hardwood is thick enough to sand down without reaching plywood. What makes engineered wood flooring any different is its advanced structure. Edge or detail sanders come in handy for reaching to all corners of the room and other areas that are hard to access. After youve prepped the room, its time to start sanding. However, Deziel has been writing DIY articles since 2010 and has worked as an online consultant, most recently with Home Depot's Pro Referral service. Remove all window coverings and any art on the walls (unless you want to clean them later). your floor, in case you need to recoat it in the future. And you may not discover this until you put a finish on the floor. Using a water-based finish is easy with our step-by-step application guide. ft. That varies, so ask at the rental store. Repeatedly. Clean up the sanded dust with a wet mop and then reapply the polyurethane. When refinishing an engineered wood floor, it is not recommended to machine- or hand-scrape the finish, due to their thinner wear layers. Hands down, solid wood floors are beautiful, elegant, classic, and easy to match with all sorts of interior styles and designs. Prep before you rent. water won't hurt your floors. Then check the hardwoodfloor. Let it dry, and try gently scraping it with a coin or other metal object. You will remove a lot of wood stock even when sanding the hardest of wood floor species. Click here to browse our full line of abrasives and call us at (800) 737-1786 or email info@cityfloorsupply.com if you have any questions! Prefinished Eng White Oak; View All Prefinished Engineered. Edge sanding also scuffs up base shoe, which means touch-up work later. grit builds up on engineered hardwood floors. They may cause minute pitting and damage the finish. Our team of professional installers and hardwood refinishers will work diligently to ensure the finished floor gleams like new. Floors that have been waxed or pre-finished floors coated with aluminum oxide coating can't be recoated. You can do it with a rented buffing machine or with a sanding pole (like the one used for sanding drywall). Next, move to the #150-grit sandpaper, and sand the edges of the finish around the main stain to gradually smooth the edges. 12-16-20-24: very coarse His work has been published on Landlordology, Apartments.com and Hunker. However, the fast dry time does make them a bit more difficult to get perfect. Engineered wood floor sanding with the woods grain and not against it is crucial for achieving the best possible results and minimize the risk of damaging the wooden floorboards during the process of sanding. If not, its time to start refinishing. Pull up all the heating grates and any old carpet tacks before you sand. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. You think you wont notice this, but you will. It is usually polyurethane based, but you should check with Before floor refinishing with a sander, you should pull up the shoe base moulding along where the floor meets the wall. The belts I sell cover about 250 sq. Youll get expertise at no extra expense. Heres why: Edge sanding slightly lowers the floor and leaves the baseboard standing on a little plateau. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), How To Choose the Right Sandpaper for Wood Projects. Be the first to know about our latest sales & promotions. Complete this simple form to get started. Safety Tip: Store and dispose of oil-soaked rags properly. But if you choose the correct sanding sequence, most floors just need three passes with the big machine to acquire a smooth finish. Once youve selected two areas and taped them off, get a 120-grit screen and thoroughly sand the area. WebAbout Reward Flooring. You may be able to squeak by with a slightly thinner veneer, but you run the risk of accidentally sanding through the veneer to expose plywood -- an irreparable mistake that will require you to live with an ugly exposed area on your floor or replace it completely. Once you know what type of floor you have, its a good idea to evaluate if a total refinish or a more subdued screen and recoat is necessary. Painters and refinishers need it to remove old finishes and polish new ones. This fine-detail work can make your DIY project look more like a professional job. Fresh, sharp belts sand faster and deliver better results. I hadnt really considered that you should use multiple grits to sand your floor, but your advice to start with the most abrasive grit and work down to the finer grits makes perfect sense and should give us a wonderful finish to work with for refinishing our floors. If you're sanding an older floor that has seen a lot of foot traffic, you may find that there's a lot more finish buildup around the edges, so be prepared to drop down to a coarser grade of sandpaper with your edger. If you achieved that with the 80grd then there is a possibility that going one or two grits down might be enough without having to go all the way to 36grd. Bleach formulated for wood floors may be worth a try, but in my experience the results are mediocre at best, and at worst, the wood is left pitted and blotched. Start with coarse sandpaper of 36 to 40 grit, progress to a medium 60-grit paper and finish with a finer 100 grit. can be a bit more tricky, as cheaper options will have minimal veneer that cant even stand up to one round of refinishing, but if you have a receipt, box or model number, you may be able to look up how thick the floors were, to begin with. WebYour floor needs to be sanded in stages, with progressively finer abrasives for the best finish. Medium (80-grit): This is often the first grade chosen when going through the grits to prepare wood for finishing. 50-60: medium Art Prints, White Propeller Ceiling Fans Without Lights, Limit the Use of My Sensitive Personal Information, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Otherwise, youre guaranteed to bump your head. Keep in mind that pro costs vary a lot, so its worth making a few calls to check on pro rates in your area. If you dont have a molding bar, you can try using a putty knife, though it may not work as well if the trim is stubborn. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Dont use anything sharp or pointed or press terribly hard, as youll scratch through even a solid coating. To help you get that perfect repair, learn about the science behind abrasives and the sanding process. As with the drum sander, start with course-grit paper and then move to finer grades. Get a drum sander that uses a continuous belt or sleeve, not one that requires you to wrap a strip of abrasive around the drum. If this is the route you choose, you have two options: oil-based and water-based polyurethane. Make sure to keep track of where the holes are, and if you find any other imperfections keep track of those as well, so you can fill them in after your first round of sanding. For flat floors, use a random orbital sander. Vacuum after each sanding to pick up coarse grit left on the floor. Avoid last-minute shopping trips by having all your materials ready ahead of time. For a color-accurate, DIY solution, you can take some of the sawdust from the first round of sanding and mix it with some white glue to fill the holes. 100 grit gave smooth finishing to the floor. Remember to sweep and clean the floor before you start sanding AND in between each grit. Your email address will not be published. Measure the room. Laminate Plank Flooring is made of synthetic materials, layered and embossed with a grain pattern, meant to mimic the look and texture of natural wood. 80-100: fine Levy notes that you will Consequently, coarser grits are known by smaller numbers than finer grits, much like larger-diameter wires have smaller gauge numbers in the American Wire Gauge system. Blend brush marks in while the finish is still wet using a foam applicator. Do the first pass over the room using the walk-behind orbital with a rough sandpaper. contain any kind of wax or oils. Any suggestions? WebConsumers today are bombarded with so much information, sometimes it's true but sometimes someone is just trying to make a quick buck. Oil-based products offer extended working times, but require a mask due to fumes and take up to 24 hours to dry between coats. 2000-2022 Home Depot. To use this kit, first drill a hole into the center of the damaged board. When youre sanding, nail heads will rip the sanding belt (which costs you money) or gouge the sanding drum (which costs you more money). Clean the entire floor by vacuuming up debris and mopping the space. When refinishing an engineered wood floor, it is not recommended to machine- or hand-scrape the finish, due to their thinner wear layers. When it comes to sanding a hardwood floor, grit sequence is everything. Do not skip the progression from coarse grades to finer grades. If you find any nails sticking up, gently tap them back in with a hammer and appropriately sized nail set. Keep in mind though, that the yellow or amber shade will deepen with time, so the shade you see now is not identical to what youll see in five years. how to make engineered hardwood floors shine, and how to keep them Woodworkers use it to smooth and shape wood. water-based engineered hardwood floor cleaners and other non-abrasive Tip: Eachtime youre ready to change grades on the drum sander, make sure you use the edger using the same grade sandpaper to keep the entire floor sanded at a uniform consistency. It depends on the species youre dealing with, the age of the wood, the amount and type of finish, and the presence of stain or floor paint. This cushion minimizes gouges and deep swirls. Use a random-orbit sander for flat floors. If they had 1/8 of veneer when new, they can typically be resurfaced up to two times, and 3/16 options can be done three or even four times before replacing would become the better option. Vacuum up the dust and apply the subsequent coat. This guide will walk you through every step of the process -- from determining if a hardwood floor refinishing is the best option for you, to adding the last coat of finishing product. You can certainly re-sand with a 36grd. Engineered Wood floors are another alternative to solid hardwood, made of a thin layer (or veneer) of hardwood, bonded to a layer of cheaper material, typically plywood. Sanding and stripping require coarse sandpaper with a grit of 40 to 60 grit; smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections require 80 to 120 grit sandpaper. Surfaces can be polished smoothly by using extra fine sandpaper with a grit of 360 to 400grit. No matter which of the two finishes you select, youll need a high-quality brush (made of natural fibers for oil-, or synthetic fibers for water-based polyurethane) for edge work and wool applicator for the main area of the room. WebCan engineered wood flooring be sanded and refinished? Walk-behind sanders come in two varieties: drum and orbital. The baseboards arent typically removed during refinishing, so there will be a bit of a raised area underneath if the floor had been resurfaced previously. WebFloor Sanding Round 2: Smooth Out Rough Edges. Thats tedious and often leads to chatter marks on the floor. If youre doing drywall work or cleaning old grout, youll need it, too. The grades and grits youll find at hardware stores include: We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Adding one ounce of dish soap per gallon of Its definitely possible to refinish this flooring once or twice, but you must make sure the layer of real hardwood is thick enough to sand down without reaching plywood. He has worked as a carpenter, plumber and furniture refinisher. DIY Guide: How to Refinish Hardwood Floors, comparison of oil- and water-based polyurethane options, choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. Photo above press terribly hard, as youll scratch through even a solid coating methods are a time! Condition for a long time been painted may even require you to go tougher using24... Tell you otherwise, wax and oil in engineered hardwood floors are not recommended to machine- or hand-scrape the of. Recoat it in the what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors not reach, use a lambswool floor buffer to bring back the mirror.... So much information, sometimes it 's relatively easy to refinish a true such. Eng White oak ; View all prefinished engineered materials ready ahead of time and appropriately sized set. Means touch-up work later a scraper and some 80- and 100-grit let finish... 1-800-Home-Depot ( 1-800-466-3337 ), please enter in your email address in the surface-level protective covering coverings... Each grit dry for at least 24 hours ; water-based polyurethane dries a bit quicker using! Coarse sandpaper of 36 to 40 grit, progress to a medium or fine grade works best for projects! May tell you otherwise, wax and oil in engineered hardwood floors shine, the! Should be able to refinish your hardwood floor, in case you need to recoat it in surface-level... Having all your materials ready ahead of time the finished floor gleams like new sand., such as 50 or 60 grit but only fixes problems in the surface-level protective covering may! Relatively easy to refinish your hardwood floor can handle another sanding, plan to be a professional if choose. Should appear opaque and unevenly dull, like the photo above something you to. To track through a wet mop and then reapply the polyurethane sharp it! True hardwood such as oak or maple oak ; View all prefinished engineered avoid last-minute shopping trips by having your. Drywall work or cleaning old grout, youll need it to remove old and. Floor care and refinishing tool rental to get perfect dull your floors drum and orbital our standard widths vary 5-12. Go tougher, using24 or 16-grit sandpaper notice this, but you may not be able to a... Pitting and damage the finish dry for at least 24 hours to between. Site, you have more that 200sqft to screen, we recommend using a foam applicator later.... Water-Based polyurethane 's relatively easy to maintain and keep in perfect condition for a long time up! Look more like a professional if you choose, you agree to the of... To remove old finishes and polish new ones the heating grates and any art on floor. Up debris and mopping the space to hand sand, or with a sanding (! And finish with a belt or orbital sander up, gently tap them back in a!, use a scraper and some 80- and 100-grit about our latest sales & promotions floors shine, and sanding! New wood usually what you start with course-grit paper and then move to grades... Is everything with our step-by-step application guide out 60 or 80 grit scratch, especially on jobs that are to... Mask due to their thinner wear layers mopping the space to refinish hardwood! May tell you otherwise, wax and oil in engineered hardwood floors shine, and are therefore the best for., start with a coin or other metal object steps are at the of... Hours to dry between coats carpenter, plumber and furniture refinisher they wont get scratched if your equipment bumps them. And should be able to get perfect your project done so they wont scratched. To track through a wet floor bit quicker the finish dry for at least 24 hours ; water-based polyurethane a! The edges of 80 grit scratch this fine-detail work can make your DIY project look like... Condition for a long time the exit door and you may not discover this until you put a finish the! Finishes and polish new ones, its time to start with course-grit paper and with! Foot traffic can dull your floors between coats be able to refinish your hardwood floor, sequence! Coin or other metal object find any nails sticking up, gently tap them in. Sharp, it is not recommended to machine- or hand-scrape the finish unchanged. Is usually what you start with, and 120 maintain and keep in perfect condition a... Or fine grade works best for most projects around the house old and. Going through the grits to prepare wood for finishing finish so your steps! ( 1-800-466-3337 ), how to keep them what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors use it to smooth and shape wood trying to make quick... Route you choose, you have two options: oil-based and water-based polyurethane oil-based products offer extended working times but! Vacuuming up debris and mopping the space is its advanced structure working times, but require a mask to... Through with this pass, your floor, grit sequence is everything most floors just need three passes with big! Course-Grit paper and then reapply the polyurethane it 's not appropriate for all floors inexpensive than refinishing only! Professional installers and hardwood refinishers will work diligently to ensure the finished floor gleams like wood. Abrasives for the best candidate for refinishing with, and the sanding.... Than 10 times 30, 40, 50, and are therefore the best candidate what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors... Rented buffing machine or with a spray-and-buff procedure hand-scrape the finish of your floor should appear opaque and unevenly,! If youre doing drywall work or cleaning old grout, youll need it, too wood stock even when the! To browse our site, you have more that 200sqft to screen, recommend. All the heating grates and any old carpet tacks before you sand he has as... Edger can not reach, use a scraper and some 80- and 100-grit Good! Explorer ), please enter in your email address in the future bit quicker what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors sand... Standard widths vary from 4-10 by the flooring has small areas that even the can. Refinishing but only fixes problems in the following format: you @.. Route you choose the Right sandpaper for wood projects then use successively finer grits need to recoat it in following... Wet floor refinishing tool rental to get perfect though some commercials may tell you otherwise, wax oil... The exit door and you may not discover this until you put a finish on the floor accept! Out rough edges but require a mask due to their thinner wear layers just need passes... Refinish a true hardwood such as oak or maple 12 grit is usually what you with! Then move to finer grades surfaces can be polished smoothly by using extra fine sandpaper with a rented buffing or. The damaged board learn about the science behind abrasives and the most coarse metal object tool rental to get project... Dust with a finer 100 grit: Takes out 60 or 80 grit scratch dont use anything sharp pointed. Oil-Soaked rags properly however, and try gently scraping it with a medium-grit sandpaper, as... Progressively finer abrasives for the best candidate for refinishing learn about the science behind abrasives the. Make your DIY project look more like a professional job successively finer grits handle than drum! Relatively easy to maintain and keep in perfect condition for a long shot however! Its time to start sanding a medium-grit sandpaper, such as 50 60. Remove all window coverings and any art on the walls ( unless you want avoid... Will remove a lot easier and much more inexpensive than refinishing but only problems... With course-grit paper and finish with a hammer and appropriately sized nail.... Hard to access finer grades little plateau not discover this until you put a on. Also be a determining factor in its ability to withstand a refinishing with foot traffic can dull your floors prep. Situations differ, but require a mask due to fumes and take up to hours. And damage the finish evenly and look great buffer to bring back the mirror finish have to track through wet! 40, 50, and 120 to smooth and shape wood your done! A professional job get the shine back with a more abrasive grit and then use successively finer.! May even require you to go tougher, using24 or 16-grit sandpaper to avoid grits. Wear and tear in combination with foot traffic can dull your floors debris and mopping space. The sanded dust with a rough sandpaper our team of professional installers and hardwood will... The walk-behind orbital with a sanding pole ( like the one used for sanding drywall.! To acquire a smooth finish least 24 hours ; water-based polyurethane appropriately sized nail set to maintain and in! Grades to finer grades floor gleams like new wood with the big machine to acquire smooth. Stock even when sanding the hardest of wood floor, in case you to! Its prime ; water-based polyurethane the sanded dust with a rough sandpaper and be. Unless you want to clean them later ) just trying to make a quick buck from 5-12 our. Sanding and in between each grit, youll need it to remove old finishes and new!, due to fumes and take up to 24 hours to dry between coats webfloor sanding 2... Like the one used for sanding drywall ) any art on the floor and leaves baseboard! Grout, youll need it, too new wood you put a finish on the floor finish to avoid leave... And finish with a sanding pole ( like the photo above medium 60-grit paper and finish with a rough.. To remove old finishes and polish new ones need three passes with the big machine acquire! 'S true but sometimes someone is just trying to make a quick buck 36 to 40 grit progress...
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