Sanding and polishing: An overview
To sand a floor means removing the top surfaces of a wooden floor. In fact you will sand the floor with a special abrasive material which is usually sandpaper of different gauges. The gauge refers to the roughness of the sandpaper and different roughness levels will be needed for different types of floors. More than just the types of floor, the unevenness of the floor will determine the gauge needed since floors that are badly scratched will need a rougher gauge of sandpaper since it will have to be worn down deeper to get the floor to a smooth level.
The process consists in sanding the floor down to bare wood and then applying the finishing coat. If there is already a coating over the floor, then the sanding period will take a much longer time. Even without coating the sanding process is quite labour intensive and because of this it is the part of the process that is most likely to utilize special tools. The cost per square foot can vary a lot depending on the type of work that is needed. If you need staining, the machines used for this kind of treatment are specialised tools. Belt or drum sanders are preferred because they are designed to prevent marks on the floor. These tools were first invented in Germany in 1969. However these types of equipment can only reach 90% of the floor. For the final touches you have to use a multi disc sander since corners are hard to reach. Before starting it’s really important to take out the nails that protrude from the board because they could really damage the machine and furthermore could be a danger to the user if it causes the machine to jump in an unpredictable way. After the step of sanding, you can polish your floor. This means that you can apply a special product to your floor to give it a shinier look. You just have to take out all your furniture then clean the floor with a mop and then apply this special product to the whole floor. After it dries the floor is ready, though multiple coats can be added.While this sounds easy in practice, the type of staining needed can vary greatly and though it is possible in theory to do the staining yourself, it would be advised to consult professionals at least for advice if not to actually undertake the project. Sanding, especially, is not a process that should be undertaken by non-professionals without experience without at least a consultation. This is because the sanding process, when using specialized equipment, can damage the floor if not done right. With that in mind, any savings from fixing the floor yourself will quickly evaporate as the cost of repair will far exceed any potential savings. Many floor sanding and polishing companies will be able to quote on the cost of any project and give advice as well. It would be remiss to not take advantage of these services. |
|