How to sand a floor
It’s time to strip back your carpets and reveal your floorboards! Sand your old boards quickly and easily and then pamper them with a nurturing varnish to create warm looking wooden floors that are a pleasure to walk on.
Step 1
Clear the room of furniture, curtains and anything removable, and tape up cupboards and doors. Ensure you have the necessary personal protection equipment.
Step 2
Remove any old floor covering, paying close attention to loose nails, screws or other potential hazards. Punch any raised nails well beneath the surface of the wood.
Step 3
If your floorboards aren’t quite up to scratch, fix down any loose ones, repair any cracks with a little wood filler or replace any that are badly damaged.
Step 4
Finally, remove any wax, grease and dirt build-up by hand and give the floor a thorough sweep/vacuum.
Sanding
Step 5
Load the floor sander with an abrasive sheet, keeping it tight against the drum.
Step 6
Position the sander against one wall with about twothirds of the floor in front of you. Keep the drum off the floor as you start the machine and then walk forward, easing the drum down to the wood surface.
Step 7
Walk slowly and steadily at an even pace. As you get to the end of the pass, gradually lift the drum off the floor. Repeat the process backwards over the same path.
Step 8
Lift the sander drum off the floor and position it for another pass that overlaps the previous one by about 7cm. Repeat the sanding cycle.
Step 9
You can get right into the edges for a perfect finish with a floor sander edger. First, load the abrasive disc and tighten the retaining bolt securely.
Step 10
Hold the disc off the floor when you switch it on and then lower it to the floor surface. Sand along the floor, in the direction of the wood grain, moving the edger from side to side.
Step 11
For a neat finish that blends with the drum sanded area, use semi-circular strokes as you move into the corners at the end of the wall.
Varnishing
Step 12
For a beautiful, warm looking and long-lasting finish, you should apply a good quality floor varnish. We recommend Ronseal Diamond Hard Floor Varnish.
Step 13
Clear the room and make sure the floorboards are clean, swept/vacuumed and wiped down to remove all dust and dirt (you should already have filled any cracks or nail holes). It’s a good idea to open a window or ventilate the room as varnish fumes can be a little over-powering.
Step 14
Use a wide brush and apply the varnish evenly and in the same direction as the wood grain. Apply a minimum of 3 coats, leaving 2 hours between each application. Use a fine grade abrasive paper to rub down the floor before the final coat.
Step 15
You can walk on the floor after 8 hours, but leave it for at least 3 days before you allow in any heavy traffic.
