Myths That You May Have Believed About Floor Sanding
There’s lots of information available nowadays about floor sanding. It’s common to find different opinions about certain topics. Myths doing rounds on social media, contractors spicing up their claims with some untruths in order to hook you into signing up for their services, and outright lies from unscrupulous individuals – they’re awash in every industry, and floor sanding has not been spared. Let’s take a look at some of these, to clear the air.
- “Dust free” sanding
If it is dust free, then it is not sanding. The very nature of the process means that there will be dust generated as the finish coats are ground down. However, there are dustless floor sanding services available. This does not mean that dust isn’t generated. Instead, the vacuuming systems used with the sanders pick up most of the dust – even 99%, before it is released in the environment. This makes it far less messy compared to the conventional floor sanding processes. It also reduces the time it would take before carrying on with the next stage of the floor restoration.
Not unless it was poorly finished in the first place. A properly sanded and refinished floor can last for long – some even as much as 10 years. The new floor treatment products available on the market have been formulated to be long lasting. On average, floors get refinished every 6 or 7 years. The frequency will depend on the condition of the floor, and the amount of traffic it handles. However, every 2-3 years would be too frequent, and this would only be required if there were issues with the way the finish coats were applied, such as cases of not properly bonding with the wood floor, bubbles in the finish, or the coating being done on sections of the floor where the old finish had not been removed. These are some of the reasons why it is recommended that one gets services from the professionals, who will ensure that the task is carried out appropriately.
There are a couple of issues to note. The type of floor finish used will determine its longevity. This includes ensuring that the wood stains, sealants, and any varnishes applied are compatible with each other, and that sufficient drying time has been allowed in between the coats. One of the common mistakes made by DIYers and rookie contractors is applying an oil-based stain and adding a water-based finish on it within the same day. Sure, the different formulations can be used, but the drying time between the coats is key. The instructions on the product label should be followed to the letter to ensure that there is proper bonding in between the different coats that have been applied.
There’s no free lunch. Contractors that are offering services that are 20 to 50% cheaper than their competitors should be treated with caution. Clients hiring their services often end up forking out more money over the course of the project, and go through lots of headache in the process.
You should never compromise on quality. Services provided at rock-bottom prices mean that there are aspects being skipped in the process. Relying on faulty machinery or low-skilled personnel, a business offering the floor sanding without being duly licenced and insured, all through to common bait-and-switch tactics that are designed to reel you in with the unbelievable offers but hike things up afterwards- it becomes a frustrating endeavour. This is definitely not something that you want to find yourself going through.
Certainly, you also don’t want to pay more than you should. The goal is to find a balance that gives you value for your money. Check out estimates from different floor sanding services, to enable you gauge the expected range of costs for your particular project. After going through the criteria of selecting your preferred company, have a site visit carried out to give you an accurate quotation. Ensure that you get a written quote, with a detailed breakdown of exactly what you will be paying for. This is especially important to avoid disagreements and price haggling later on.
Get A Qualified Flooring Specialist To Work On Your Floor
Floor sanding is both taxing and risky. It’s arguably the most involving stage of the floor restoration process, and there is lots of room for error. What’s worse is that any mistakes that are made will be costly, and could also lead to injury. If the task is improperly executed, the property, individual carrying out the task and the machinery being used are at risk.
Take blunders that rookies make during the actual sanding for instance. For instance, starting the sander when the drum is in contact with the floor will cause it to spin on one spot, which creates a divot. Moving the sander slowly over the surface causes it to grind away more material than is required, digging into the wood tissue and weakening the floor. On the other hand, when one moves too fast, then there will be sections of the floor that are left with the old finish. This will prevent the new coats that will be applied from bonding well with the wood, and not to mention the unsightly finish that will result. The remedy in this case will be to redo the floor sanding, which ends up costing more.
Chatter marks, swirl marks, depressions being dug into the floor, the sanders getting ruined because of not being properly tuned, issues that come with handling the dust that is generated – these are not issues that you want to expose yourself to. A simple oversight like failing to safely dispose of the dust creates a fire hazard. This is in addition to all the sweat equity that goes into pushing that heavy gear around the house for days. Avoid the risks involved, and cut down the amount of time taken for the process, by hiring the professionals to handle the task.
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