Floor Sanding Tips & Techniques

When sanding wood floors, how do I improve the area where the edger and drum sander meet?

You want to make sure you are feathering your drum properly so as not to leave any drum stop marks, and you want to make sure you are using the same grit on the edger as the belt sander.

The drum/belt sander does not reach the edges of the wood floor I'm sanding. What do I do?

Edger discs are used on a hand-held edger machine to sand the perimeter of the floor and anywhere else the drum/belt sander can’t reach.

Do not try to make the edger cut more aggressively by putting extra pressure to the front end. This can lead to ridges and marks which are hard to remove.

Make sure your edger is adjusted properly and your backup pad has been dressed to make sure it cuts flat and leaves minimal sanding marks.

If a wood floor is uneven, cupped, or crowned, should I sand it differently?

If the wood floor is uneven, cupped, or crowned, make the first rough sanding in the direction of the flooring to remove some of the cupping or crowning, then make your next cut with the same grit at a 15-20 degree angle to flatten the floor. Make all succeeding cuts parallel to the direction of the flooring.

What grit of sandpaper sheets or rolls is optimum for sanding?

You should use the finest grit possible to achieve the desired results. Using too coarse a grit can lead to unnecessarily spending too much time trying to remove coarse grit scratch marks and can also reduce the thickness of the flooring.

Do you have any tips for between-coat sanding?

Don’t overuse your abrasive product when abrading between coats of finish. A worn-out abrasive will still dull the surface, but it may not be putting the proper scratch into the finish to get a good mechanical bond for the next coat of finish. If the surface isn’t abraded properly, you can wind up with finish peeling, flaking, and chipping. It’s a lot less expensive to use a few more abrasive products on the job than to be forced to re-sand a job because of finish failure.

Any tips for buffing on stain?

Buffing on stain is a technique that is gaining in popularity due to the time savings over traditional methods and the use of fewer materials, like rags and stain.

Our screen driver pads in tandem with our maroon conditioning pads create the perfect system for applying stain with a rotary buffer. The unique design of the screen driver pad allows it to hold and apply stain evenly on the floor without slinging. 

The maroon pad (with 7" center removed) is placed on top of the screen driver pad. This center hole creates a “trough” where the stain is poured. This system is then driven with either a screen driver or maroon pad on the buffer drive plate. The screen driver and maroon pad remain on the floor during the process. The operator only needs to tip back the buffer to add more stain to the “trough.” This makes for less mess during the process.

Typical Process

• Edges are cut in and wiped off by hand in appropriate sized sections of floor
• Stain is applied to main section of floor with buffer
• A clean screen driver pad is put on the buffer to buff off excess stain left on floor
• Move to next section of floor

Note:

• Not all stain can be applied with this method, check with stain manufacturer
• Do not work too large of an area to avoid lap marks
• Dispose of used pads properly as they are flammable

Any tips for using screen discs on floor buffer machines?

Remember the buffer sands at the 3 o’clock position as you look down at the machine. Make sure to clock your buffer at a 45-degree angle to minimize sanding marks from the screen.

Why would I use screen floor edger discs instead of paper?

Used with a maroon conditioning pad, screens can be an optional step in the edging sequence to provide a much finer finish than a paper disc.

Why would I use double-sided discs instead of standard single-sided floor sanding discs?

Double-sided discs make hard plating simpler and easier by eliminating the need to mechanically fasten the disc to the bottom of the buffer. When using single-sided large discs in hard plating, it is recommended to apply two discs at a time making sure the slots at the center hole of each disc are offset. This will help prevent the disc from prematurely tearing at the center hole.

What’s the easiest way to mount floor sanding sheets or covers?

To mount, place a paper or screen sheet on the floor, then place the non-woven driver pad on top. Next, tilt the machine back on a 45-degree angle and then lower it squarely on top of the driver pad.

Any tips for minimizing loading when drum sanding?

Use the appropriate grit when sanding. Gummy coatings will need coarser grits to remove. Try lowering the drum pressure on the machine. This can reduce heat and friction and decrease loading.

Can I edge floors with a belt sander?

To make edging easier, you can cut cross grain with the belt sander along wall joints and between kitchen islands. You need to use a fine grit, usually nothing coarser than 80-grit, and a low drum pressure. Make light cuts. This will remove most of the finish and help flatten the floor, without leaving deep scratches. This can dramatically reduce the time spent edging.