How To Sand Your Own Timber Floor: The Ultimate DIY Guide With Pictures
By Niel Morley
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About this ebook
Sanding is a relatively simple process once you understand it. However it is not something that you can simply pick up. For example, with most trades there are tips and tricks. In sanding a timber floor there are overlaps points you need to understand that relate to each of the three machines. You need to know this. Otherwise you would never know when you are ready to move on to the next machine. It is this lack of tuition and lack of understanding that has resulted in so many damaged floors over the years.
With this simple guide we can show you how to proceed with confidence that you can use the tools to achieve a great timber floor.
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Book preview
How To Sand Your Own Timber Floor - Niel Morley
9781483514505
INTRODUCTION
Any person who hires machinery to sand their own timber floor is taking on a reasonably complex task. This guide is designed to make the job relatively straightforward. Over five decades, the process of sanding and finishing a timber floor has been refined considerably. This simple guide draws on over 30 years’ experience to try to make the process as simple and as easy as possible.
I have personally assisted many thousands of people to learn how to sand a timber floor on a DIY basis. Recently I discovered eBooks and decided that I would put together this simple pictorial guide. The guide contains many pictures to try to make the whole process as simple as possible. It was decided to make this guide available for less than two dollars. We figure that anyone willing to put the work into preparing their own timber floor would see the commonsense in spending a couple of dollars on getting a little bit of real tuition. If that is you then we look forward to hearing how you go.
I have seen many thousands of timber floors completed successfully by DIY sanders who understand the process. I have conversely seen thousands of floors full of divots and marks that did not look particularly good. These floors belonged to those who have tried to use the powerful floor sanding machinery without really understanding the process.
Sanding is a relatively simple process once you understand it. However it is not something that you can simply pick up. For example, with most trades there are tips and tricks. In sanding a timber floor there are overlaps points you need to understand that relate to each of the three machines. You need to know this. Otherwise you would never know when you are ready to move on to the next machine. It is this lack of tuition and lack of understanding that has resulted in so many damaged floors over the years.
Don’t damage your floor. Stop and accept a little tuition.
Sanding equipment and tools
In this section discussing sanding and finishing we discuss how to sand solid timber floors. Solid timber floors are those that through the cross-section are completely made of a single timber.
The evolution of the sanding process has gradually developed over a period of many decades. In the modern era we use a standard set of tools and equipment and the aim is to achieve a very high grade of finish to the timber floor. Since the early 1990s developments in sanding equipment, abrasives and methodology have allowed for major improvements in the way that floors are finished. The range of tools that are now used has broadened substantially to include a number of small tools. Abrasive quality and consistency has also played a key role in improving the standard to which the timber floor may be finished.
Belt sander in use
The core machinery used in sanding has three central pieces of equipment.
The drum sander or belt sander
The main workhorse in the timber flooring industry has been the drum sander. This machine is required for the major leveling work in addition to coarse and medium sanding. In recent years the drum sander has been challenged by the arrival of belt sanders. Although these machines were initially regarded with skepticism they are now seen as offering a major improvement as for a sanding activity is concerned.
Standard Belt Sander
The drum sander is more versatile in that it can be used to sand concrete; something that you should never use a belt sander for. At the same time a belt sander offers a way to achieve a higher standard of finish to the timber surface more quickly than would normally be the case using a drum sander.
Both machines appear similar upon first inspection. Basic to both is a chassis on wheels that carries a large electric motor. This motor is used to drive the drum or belt as well as a vacuum system. Power from the motor is transferred to the drum/belt and vacuum system using drive belts along one side of the machine. On professional machines the additional feature that the machines both have in common is a clutch system that allows the machine to raise and lower the sanding abrasive. Where the machines differ is on how the abrasive is fitted to the machine.
Drum sander
With this machine the sanding abrasive is in sheet form. The drum itself is a rubberized unit that has a split for tensioning the paper. The precut abrasive sheet is wrapped around the drum and the two ends are slotted into the split where tension rollers grab the paper on adjustment. Alternatively the two ends of the paper are held in place using a metal plate.
Belt sander
With this machine the sanding abrasive is a belt. It is vital that the belts used on a belt sander have a good join in them. Companies specialize in producing belts with joins of different types designed to have minimal impact in the sanding process. The drum is a rubberized unit that sits below a top roller. The pre-sized abrasive belt slots over the top roller and the drum. In this way that is no split or metal plate to strike the floor.
The abrasive is said to be a continuous belt and this is how the belt sander achieves a smoother sanding action that appears to sand the floor to a higher standard more quickly than would be achieved using a drum sander. Because the belt floats freely between the rubberized drum and the top roller it is essential that everything is sized accurately. Top roller technology is extremely accurate.
Side View Of Belt Sander With Top And Bottom Rollers
The edge sander
It is vital that the perimeter of the rooms are sanded for