Don’t Believe These Floor Sanding Myths
You’ve probably heard some, and even believed others. Different industries have common misconceptions that are floated around, and the same case applies to the floor sanding niche. Here are some of them:
- Sanding is just about grinding off that old finish layer
This is just part of the process. The purpose of the floor sanding is preparing the surface for the new treatments that are to be applied onto it. This means that, in addition to getting to the bare wood, issues like scratches and grooves need to be fixed. The dents, wavy and uneven areas need to be flattened and smoothened out. The nails need to be driven into the wood, those broken floorboards should be fixed or replaced, and the holes that are on installation filled. That way, the wood stains, lacquers and other finishes that are to be applied can be evenly spread onto the surface, and bond strongly with the wood.
The number of times that the floor can be successfully sanded in its lifetime is limited. It’s mainly determined by the wear layer. Once this has been sanded off, then future sanding cannot be carried out, as it will risk more damage to the floorboards and the subfloor. One of the common checks for whether the wear layer has been depleted is the nail heads becoming visible. However, this doesn’t always mean the floor cannot be sanded. The details matter. For instance, when there is a weak underlayment, or there was poor floor installation the first place, then the boards may move, which pushes the nails upwards. When the foundation moves, then the nails will be pushed upwards over time. This in effect makes them visible. It doesn’t mean that you need to overhaul the entire flooring and replace it. As such, before you take the huge step of ripping out the boards and installation new ones, seek further proof that the floor sanding cannot be carried out.
- To deal with dents, just add wood filler, sand the spot, and apply a fresh coat over it
It will stick out like a sore thumb. Previously (meaning last century) when there were limited types of wood finishes available, it would probably result in a somewhat-satisfactory outcome. However, nowadays the finishes that are being used to treat wood floors make such spot-restoration measures dicey. When the wood finishes harden and cure, altering sections of the surface in a bid to carry out spot repairs will not seamlessly blend with the rest of the flooring. In fact, it will make the spot stick out more awkwardly than when it was simply a dent. When making repairs during the restoration project, a complete floor sanding and refinishing is recommended for the entire room, in order to have uniform results.
- “Got a quote from the professional contractor? I’ll do the job at half his price”
Cheap is expensive. When rookie companies are offering you rock-bottom prices, there are bound to have been compromises made in the process. Perhaps the personnel handling the floor sanding are not properly trained, or the machinery being used has limited capacity. It may even be a case of not having proper dust control measures in place, or the company does not have insurance coverage. They may have also skipped out on the safety measures that are required to be put in place. The headaches and frustrations that come with the job end up costing you more in the long run. A poorly done job that needs to be redone, damaged floor boards that force you to purchase new ones, a messy process that chokes up the room with dust- these are not how you want things to play out. Remember that the sanding dust is flammable, and an unfortunate incidence that can wreak havoc on your property. Relying on the professionals enables you to avoid such incidences.
Let The Professionals Handle The Floor Sanding
There are plenty of reasons why DIY floor sanding is not a good idea. What usually starts out as a bid to save on costs ends up snowballing into a messy process with lots of risks of damage, forcing you to dig deeper into your wallet to fix the issue. First, there is the equipment needed for the task. There are different kinds of sanders, from the belt and drum sanders to the orbital sanders and the edgers, and each is suited to handle different sections of the job. Home power tools do not make the cut, since they are not particularly designed for the process, and will either frustrate you, or damage the wood. Sure, there are units that are available for rent from the local home improvement stores. However there is a catch. These units are designed to be smaller in order to make them easy to transport in the average family vehicle, and for the DIYer to use less energy when lugging them around the house. This compromises on the power that is needed for the task. Floor sanding entails grinding through layers of tough finish coats that are on the surface of the wood, and getting to the bare wood itself. This needs powerful tools, and with the rental units having reduced capacities, you end up spending more time on the task. This is one task where heavier machines are actually an advantage given that the extra weight will add more pressure for the sanding process. The industrial-grade machinery that the professional floor sanding team use packs a bigger punch, enabling the personnel to get through the process much faster.
Our personnel will arrive at your home or business premises fully equipped with the machinery needed to hit the ground running. They are friendly, and will be sure to address any concerns that you raise about the process, answering questions that you may have and walking you through the specifics of the task, to ensure that you are well-versed with the measures that are being undertaken. Our floor sanding crew are trained and also keep up-to-date with the developments within the industry, enabling them to take the most appropriate approach when providing the service, in order to ensure that you are satisfied with the results.
Don’t Believe These Floor Sanding Myths
