Dust Free Sanding Done Professionally

By in
769
Dust Free Sanding Done Professionally

Dust Free Sanding Done Professionally

Wood has been a popular flooring choice for ages. This is due to the warmth and beauty that it brings to the interior space. Developments in the floor care industry has seen the release of additional products that are used to treat it and enhance its attributes, from wood stains to provide the desired hue, sealers that shield against issues such as water penetrating the pores, to finishes that bring a shine to the surface, and enhance aspects as the durability of the installation. With wood, even the real estate value of the property increases- which is why properties with this type of flooring are in high demand, for both leasing and purchase. Enhanced acoustics where you won’t have to worry about hollow sounds and vibrations with a properly installed wood floor, the variety of colours, stains, and wood species that are available for you to choose from, all through to that ageless appeal, where the wood flooring remains stylish through the changing décor trends- there is plenty of benefit to you as the property owner. To continue enjoying the value that the wood flooring brings to the space, proper maintenance is required, which includes the occasional floor sanding and refinishing.

Wear and Tear On Your Wood Floor 

This is as a result of day-to-day life, which results in the flooring gradually becoming dull and losing its charm. Traffic lanes on those sections that are frequently walked on, gritty soiling tracked in from the outdoors being ground against the finish coats and wearing them down, the scratches that are caused by pets like cats and dogs occasionally running around the room with their claws drawn out, scuff marks from shoes with rubber soles, dents- be they from the high heeled shoes or the occasional heavy item being dropped onto the floor, all through to the furniture getting dragged across the surface, which results in deep grooves- these affect the flooring. Add the stains from the spills that seep into the wood. Routine cleaning deals with the grime, but it reaches a time when even a thorough scrubbing does not restore the charm to your flooring. A refinishing is required, where the existing treatment is removed, and a new one applied. That’s where our dust free floor sanding operations come in. 

Dealing With Water Damaged Hardwood Floors

Water and wood don’t mix. The hygroscopic nature of the latter causes it to readily absorb water, which puts its structural integrity on the line. The water also weakens the treatments that had been applied, exposing the installation to more damage. The water damage can be attributed to different causes, from faulty appliances, such as a dishwasher or washing machine that leaked out its contents, issues with the plumbing such as burst pipes, flooding caused by natural elements, or rainwater that simply got into the house through the leaking roof. Water damage results in issues like capping or warping. Basically, the more the moisture that is absorbed by the wood boards, the more it expands, causing parts of it to get larger than the others. The flooring becomes wavy, with parts of the boards being raised compared to their adjacent parts. So what do you do when you have water damaged flooring?

The first step is identifying with the cause, and stop more water from ending up on the floor. Next is removing as much of the water as you can. When dealing with minor spills, a mop will suffice. However, with extensive damage where the flooring is flooded, machinery like wet vacuums are needed to suck up the standing water. The vacuuming is done even after all the visible water has been removed, since there will still be moisture that is in the pores of the wood. This is easily verifiable since you will notice the wet vacuum continuing to suction up water.  Next is waiting for it to dry. This may be the most frustrating bit. As the cupped floorboards lose the excess moisture, they may flatten, which means you won’t need to replace them. During the drying period, the goal is to allow the moisture content in the affected boards to stabilise with that of the unaffected areas. The floor sanding is not done before the boards have fully dried. This is because the flat level may be achieved with the sanding, but as the flooring continues to dry out, the reverse of the cupping will occur, a situation usually referred to as crowning. As such, one needs to let the floor completely dry. The process can be accelerated by pointing fans to the wood floor, turning on the air conditioner, or you can point the fan to the surface. However, to not directly apply heat, as this will damage the wood. 

When dry, the floor is sanded. This removes the existing treatments, from the finish and sealers to the wood stain, which are usually affected by the water damage. A complete overhaul is necessary. Some patching may be required for the boards where the damage is extensive. Once the floor sanding is completed, then wood stains, and finishes may be applied. 

Prevent damages witnessed during the DIY floor sanding

These can be costly, ranging from situations where you’re forced to redo the sanding, to cases of the floor itself being so extensively damaged such that new boards will need to be installed. It can even be a simple case where you notice a burn mark or high spot on the floor, and you naturally get the urge to tilt the sander over that particular section in order to deal with it faster. The sanders are designed to make the surface uniformly smooth, and tilting it results in divots and inconsistencies that ruin your flooring. How the sander is moved across the floor surface also factors in. The pace should be steady, otherwise the surface can end up with chatter marks. Blunders like leaving the sander on one section for too long will dig a dip into the floor. This can be a small dip, or one that you can feel when walking over it. On the flip side, quickly passing over the surface- perhaps in a bid to avoid eating too much into the wood structure, will prevent the old finish from adequately being removed. Note that the goal of the sanding is to leave the surface of the wood bare. Spots that will still have the old finish will prevent the new treatments that are to be applied from properly bonding with the wood surface, affecting the results. It’s not just about the aesthetic appeal. If the subsequent treatments don’t adhere well to the surface, they will soon start peeling off, meaning that the entire task- from the sanding to the refinishing, will need to be conducted again- costing you more than it would have, had you brought in the floor sanding professionals in the first place to ensure that it is done right. 

The rented floor sanding machines also put you at a disadvantage when it comes to containing the dust that is generated from the process. Dust bags being fixed onto the sanders is not sufficient enough to deal with all the dust that is grounded off the floor. One can go ahead to rent an additional vacuum and connect it to the sander, which means there will be extra costs incurred. The efficiency of the vacuum used also comes into consideration, which is less compared to the high-powered suction units that are connected to the industrial-grade floor sanding machines used by the professionals. You don’t want an extra cleaning chore- which will no doubt be intense, being added in the middle of the sanding process. The dust particles winding upon the various surfaces, in the plumbing systems, on electrical appliances and fixtures, clogging up your sinks- this is not a situation that you look forward to. Turning to dust free floor sanding services will enable you to avoid it.

Why You Should Call In The Dust Free Floor Sanding Professionals

  1. Avoid health risks caused by dust.

The dust that is generated during the sanding is more than just a nuisance due to the amount of cleaning that will need to be carried out. It poses a wide range of health risks. Note that the dust is a mixture of particles from the wood itself, the wood stain, sealers, and the finish treatments that had been used on it, plus additional substances in the material like moulds that may have been growing in the structure. 

First, there is the immediate irritant problem. When inhaled, the sanding dust irritates the nose, throat, and the eyes. When the sanding is being carried out without proper dust control systems the personnel may also experience dryness, a sore throat, a runny nose, conjunctivitis- where the mucous membranes of the eyes get inflamed, and even shortness of breath. The chemicals that are mixed up with the sanding dust can also cause dermatitis, with the skin becoming itchy, dry, red, and even blistering. The fine particles can linger on in the air for long, causing coughs and sneezes days after the floor sanding is carried out. Even the lungs get affected, with case ranging from allergic reactions like hypersensitivity pneumonitis – where the walls of the air sacs and small airways get inflamed, all through to decreased lung capacity due to the air sacs getting scarred by the dust particles. The hypersensitivity pneumonitis can happen just a couple of hours or days after exposure, and often tends to be confused with flu symptoms due to the nausea, chills, sweating and signs like breathlessness. It can get to levels where the tightness of the chest is severe, a condition which will only get worse with continued exposure. 

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) considers wood to be carcinogenic. It causes cancer of different sections of the respiratory system, from the nasal cavity, the paranasal sinuses, all through to the nasopharynx. For instance, the dust from sanding oak is especially noted for causing nasal cancer. You don’t want your loved ones at home, or the employees and customers in your business premises getting exposed to such factors. Investing in professional dust free floor sanding services goes a long way in keeping them safe during the restoration and refinishing project. 

The toxic effects vary with the species of wood that is involved. Once the chemical that are in the wood get absorbed into the body- be it through the lungs, skin, or even the digestive system- issues like headaches, giddiness, plus irregular heartbeat can result. Common health effects resulting from sanding dust from the different types of wood flooring include irritant dermatitis by Birch; Douglas Fir and Cedar which are notorious for causing decreased lung capacity; all through to Maple and Walnut which can cause asthma. With dust free floor sanding services, you won’t have to worry about the persons on the premise being exposed to these agents.

  1. Skilled team

The floor is a major installation, and you want to ensure that it is safe hands. With us, you get a team of highly trained technicians, who have been offering the services for years. We have built a strong reputation amongst both our residential and commercial floor restoration clients, due to the quality of results that we deliver. We have invested in the personal and professional development of your personnel, to ensure that they deliver on their mandate on each visit. What’s more, while on your property they will be sure to note any issues that pose a risk to your flooring, and bring the same to your attention, that way you can arrange to have them resolved early, and avoid costly repairs later on.

  1. Affordable pricing

Our dust free floor sanding services are provided at pocket-friendly prices. The cost takes into account different factors that are particular to your situation. These are the likes of the existing treatments and the current condition of the floor, the species of wood, the size of the area that is to be worked on.

Dust Free Sanding Done Professionally

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *