The Hazard That Is Sanding Dust

The Hazard That Is Sanding Dust

Dealing with dust is part and parcel of the floor sanding. It poses risks to the health and safety of the contractor and occupants of the home or facility, hence proper control measures need to be put in place. Just how dangerous is it?

The dust can lead to irritation of the eyes and skin, and when inhaled it triggers allergic reactions, it damages lung tissue, and even increases one’s risk to conditions like nasal cancer. Those fine, tiny particles are the most dangerous, remaining suspended in the air for long and getting inhaled in large quantities. 

In terms of being a safety hazard, the combustible nature of the sanding dust means that it will catch fire easily. The dust that is collected needs to be safely disposed of, as opposed to common rookie mistakes like piling it up in a corner of the house, or storing the collected dust in the vehicle. 

Enter dustless floor sanding systems

The goal here is to collect as much of the dust as possible right at the source. This is because if the dust particles get airborne, they will be much more difficult to remove from the indoor environment. Different machinery can be used, with some industrial-grade systems achieving an efficiency of 99% dust collection. Setups where powerful vacuums get connected to the sanding machinery to extract the particles the moment they are sanded off the floor surface prove to be far more effective than simply using a sander with a dust bag attached to its body. In addition, the system is statically grounded – which is key to prevent static discharge, and an airtight seal of the setup prevents dust from escaping, as it is directed through hoses into containment units specially built for the task. As a welcome bonus, the dustless floor sanding reduces the amount of work that would have gone into the clean-up process that would follow. 

Value Of Quality Floor Sanding Service

In addition to proper dust control, you also want the sanding job to be carried out to quality standards. After all, the state of the surface after the process will determine the end result. For instance, when the sanding is not thorough – such that patches of the old finish remain on the surface, then these will prevent the new coats that are being applied from properly bonding with the wood itself. This means that you end up with a weaker finish, which will deteriorate fast, and need to be replaced. What’s more, the sections where the new treatments are applied on the old finish will have a different look compared to the rest of the floor – thus calling for it to be redone, leading to more resources being used. These are some of the issues encountered during DIY floor sanding, or when one hires rookie contractors for the task. Get the job done right by hiring in the professionals from the word go.

With professional floor sanding, you get to benefit from the efficiency that comes with having a skilled crew working on the project, with high-powered industrial-grade machinery. This packs a punch, bringing a quicker turnaround time as opposed to the sanders that are available for rent from the local dealerships. What’s more, when dealing with an established business, you have the peace of mind that your property is in safe hands. Floor sanding is an involving process, with lots of risks involved. From dealing with the heavy machinery, to the hazards that come with the wires involved, and risk of injury to the person carrying out the task – you don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you’re facing liabilities or footing costly repairs. Calling in the experts will ensure that the appropriate safety measures are put in place throughout the project. 

Should you recoat your floor every 3 years? 

One of the assumptions doing rounds in the property market regarding hardwood flooring is that by recoating it every 2-3 years, it will last for longer. Sure, there is no problem with doing it if you have the budget to support the frequent recoating. However, the truth is that technological advancements have led to the development of floor finishing products that provide protection for even over a decade. However, to benefit from this, a couple of factors needed to be considered. Firstly, the initial floor sanding needs to have been done properly. This includes smoothening the surface and opening up the wood grain for the treatments to be applied to bond optimally with the wood. Next, the coats themselves need to be applied following the instructions on the product label, especially when it comes to the amount of product per square area of surface, and the drying time between consecutive coats. Next, the floor treatment products used should be compatible with each other. This means that the wood stains, sealants, lacquers or varnishes applied should have their chemical properties being in line with each other, otherwise the topcoats will start peeling off early, and you will be forced to redo the floor sanding and refinishing after just a couple of months. 

The frequency of the floor sanding is also tied to the thickness of the wear layer. While some wood floor installations can be sanded even up to 7 times during their lifespan, there are those where the wear layer is so thin that the sanding can just be carried out once or twice – which is usually seen with some of the engineered wood floors. Note that exposed nails alone are not a sign that the floor sanding is due. The exposed nails can be due to a shift in the foundation, the weak underlayment, or the floorboards themselves had not been properly installed. As such, if the contractor is insisting that you should have the floor sanding done, they should provide more reason and not just say that’s because of the exposed nail heads. With a proper floor sanding and refinishing, then the applied coats will get to last for long – just keep it properly maintained with the regular cleaning. 

The Hazard That Is Sanding Dust