Wooden floors are timeless, easy to clean, and look good in any home. If you wish to restore the wood underneath old carpet in your space to pristine condition, the first step is to professionally sand it. It’s possible to do this without hiring an expert, and this basic guide on how to tackle the job should help.
Preparation stage
Begin by clearing absolutely everything possible from the room before sweeping, vacuuming and cleaning the floor. During this stage, look closely at the wood, checking for damage such as rot or weaknesses. These issues will need your attention before you can actually start sanding the floor. Make sure there are absolutely no nails or tacks sticking out of the floor as this could cause some huge problems later. Some people advise hammering all floorboard nails until they are just under the surface of the wood.
Gather the equipment
The two main tools you likely need to hire are a drum and an edging sander. The shop staff should teach you how to operate them and run through safety procedures. You’ll also need a few items you may already have at home: sandpaper, a hammer and a nail punch, and something to protect your eyes, ears and feet while sanding. Steel-toed boots or anything solid and purpose-made ear protection and dust masks are essential.
Start sanding
Work with the grain of the wood, using the drum sander for large open spaces and the edging sander for the areas around the skirting boards. It’s sensible to start with a very coarse grit sandpaper like 24-grit before changing to finer grits as they are stripped down. This is a proven method that leaves the wood looking great, so don’t be tempted to skip levels.
Professional flooring
If you love the sound of a wooden floor but sanding yours is not feasible or practical, it’s well worth considering something like engineered flooring, which can be sourced through specialists such as https://www.woodfloorwarehouse.co.uk/engineered-flooring.html. This gives you the appearance of a real wood surface and more stability than a solid wood floor could offer.
Whether your wooden floor is restored from the original or delivered from an expert source, you can be sure it’s going to look amazing and really make your house a home.
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