FLOOR SANDING TUTORIAL

HOW TO SAND AND FINISH

WOOD FLOORS

The following is a comprehensive, systematic guide on how to sand and finish wood floors. Sanding is a process by which you cut your floors with different abrasives to remove old finish, level the floor, and smooth out the wood to accept new finish. Listed below are the four main phases of this procedure.

1. PREPARATION

2. SANDING THE FLOOR

3. SCREENING

4. APPLYING THE FINISH

1. PREPARATION

To complete this task, you will need the following items:

SL-8 floor sander and SL-7 floor edger with 25' cord, dust bags, and wrenches
Floor sanding abrasives (drum and edger paper, 17" screens, 9"x11" sheet paper)
17" floor polisher
Shop vacume set up for dry pick-up
Hammer and nail set
Fabulon(floor finish (satin or gloss)
Finish applicator (t-bar or 9" paint pad)
Electric vibrating sander
Hand scraper
Tack cloth
Safety equipment (dust masks, ear plugs, eye protection, etc.)
Dust pan and broom
Comfortable clothing

After you have acquired the necessary supplies, the next step is to prepare the room(s) for sanding.

Remove any obstructions or items that may collect dust, such as furniture, drapes, blinds, pictures, etc. Also, if possible carefully remove heating grates and baseboard molding. Doing this will enable the edger to sand closer to walls.
Next, closely inspect the area for nails or staples and remove any that are protruding from the floor..Use a hammer and nail set to countersink floorboard nails below the surface of the wood. WARNING: Failure to take these precautions may result in damage to the sanders!
To minimize the spread of dust, tape off doors,cabinets, heat vents, etc. with plastic. Although the sander bags capture most of the sawdust, it is nearly impossible to prevent dust from finding its way into small cracks and crevasses.
After completing these steps, sweep and vacume the floor.

2. SANDING THE FLOOR

In this section, you will use the SL-7 edger and SL-8 floor sander. Ordinarily, you'll need to sand the floor three times with each machine to effectively remove old finish and smooth out the floor. On each pass, a different grit of paper will be used to achieve the desired results. Before you start, take note of the following tips that will make the job safer, easier, and less problematic:

QUICK TIPS:

Make sure the machine is unplugged and the power is OFF before installing sandpaper. If you trip a breaker or blow a fuse, first turn off the machine then reset the breaker or replace the fuse.
Do not try to extend the life of the sandpaper-replace it as needed. If the cutting action of the sander seems slow or diminish, it is probably time to change the paper.
Frequently empty the dust bags, as this will minimize time spent on clean-up. Sawdust is combustible, so find a safe place to store it outside the house.
Before sanding, always remember to wear eye protection, earplugs, and a dust mask.

Before sanding your floor, it is important to know what kind of wood you have, since the procedure for hardwood differs slightly from softwood. Hardwood floors such as oak, usually require starting with a coarse, 20 grit paper, followed by 36 grit, then 60 or 100 grit. When sanding softwood floors such as fir, 36 grit paper is usually sufficient to start with. Followed by 60 or 100 grits. It is also necessary to assess the condition of your floor. If it is old with thick finish and scratches, then you will probably start with 20 grit. However, if it is a new floor in good condition, or a floor with most of the finish already removed, then 36 or 60 grit might be sufficient to start with.

Once you have determined what kind of floor you have and what you want to accomplish, it is time to sand. It is a matter of preference as to which sander you use first.

LOADING SANDPAPER ON THE SL-7

The SL-7 floor edger uses 7" x 7/8" sanding discs. A 1/2" socket wrench is used to apply the paper and should come with the machine. You will start with 20 or 36 grit, depending on the condition of the floor, then follow with 60 or 100 grits.

Bring the SL-7 to the aera you are sanding. Tilt it back on the casters so the rubber driving pad is exposed. Using the 1/2" socket wrench, remove the lock nut and plate. Place a 20 grit piece of sandpaper (36 grit for new or softwood) on the driving pad and secure it in place with the plate and lock nut. You are now ready to begin sanding the perimeter of the floor.

USING THE SL-7

You will sand from left to right, so bring the edger to a left corner of the room. Make sure the switch is OFF and that the dust bag is attached, then plug in the SL-7. Tilt it so that the driving pad is away from the floor, then turn on the power switch. While firmly gripping the handles, lower the pad to the floor. Working in a semi-circular motion, sand in 12-18" sections from the wall and then move over. Remember that the purpose of this step is to sand enough of the floor along the wall so that the drum sander can handle the rest. Note: When sanding wood that runs perpendicular to the wall, rotate the right on each board so you avoid sanding against the grain.

Always keep the edger moving and let it do the work - there is no need to apply extra pressure to the machine. After you have sanded the edges with 20 grit or 36 grit, repeat the procedure, with 60 and 100 grits.
After you are finished sanding the edges, remove the SL-7 from the aera, then thoroughly sweep and vacume the floor. It is now time to sand the remainder of the floor, with the SL-8 floor sander.

LOADING SANDPAPER ON THE SL-8

The SL-8 floor sander uses 8" x 20-3/16" VASL drum paper. A 7/16" open-end, wrench is used to secure the paper on the drum and should be included with the machine. The sanding application for the drum sander is identical to that of the floor edger. Thus, you will sand in three phases, first with 20 or 36 grit paper, then with 60 and 100 grits.

Take the SL-8 to the aera you are sanding. tilt it back, then insert a piece of 20 or 36 grit paper into the paper creaser, which is located on the drum cover of the machine. With the back of the paper facing you, fold it over the lip to form a crease, then insert the other end of the paper and repest. Remove the paper, then use a hammer to flatten the aera between the crease and the edge of the paper. doing this lowers the grit on the sandpaper and makes it easier to install on tile drum.

Next, raise the drum cover so that the drum is exposed. Locate the two cams on either side of the drum and make sure that the arrow on each cam is visible. Insert one end of the paper into the slot located in the center of the drum, then rotate the drum so that the paper wraps around it. Now insert the other end of the paper into the slot.

Using the open-end wrench, twist each cam 1/4 of a turn in the direction of the arrow. This should constrict the slot on the drum and loosen any slack on the paper. Once you have made sure that the paper is snug and fits uniformly around the drum, you are ready to sand.

USING THE SL-8

In this step, you will use the SL-8 to sand the remainder of the floor. Always sand with the grain of the wood, unless your floorboards are cupped so that the drum can't sand each board uniformly. In this case, your initial pass with coarse grit paper can be done at a 45 degree angle to the grain of the wood. Each pass thereafter should be done along the grain. Note: Most finishes can be removed with the proper grit of sandpaper, so this should be a last resort.

Start sanding at the right side of the room with two-thirds of it in front of you. Make sure the power switch is off and plug in the sander cord. Find an outlet that is behind you so the cord will not get in the way. Also, make sure the dust bag is attached.
Tilt the sander so it is resting on the back of the chassis and not the drum. Turn on the switch and slowly lower the drum to the floor. Overlap the area cut by the edger and sand in a straight path towards the wall. Always keep the sander moving while exerting a slight, upward pressure on the handles. Leave yourself room to lift the drum before reaching the wall, then reapply it to the floor and sand backwards along the same path.
Sand this section of the room from right to left, overlapping the previously cut path like you would mowing a lawn. Then turn around and sand the remaining third of room from right to left, overlapping the two sections. After you have finished sanding the room with 20 or 36 grit, repeat the whole procedure with 60 and 100 grits. Be sure to empty the dust bag when it is no more than half full.
Once you have compleated sanding the floor with all the required grits, remove the equipment from the room and vacume.

III. SCREENING THE FLOOR

Screening is a process that enables you to identify mistakes in the floor and blend the areas sanded by the drum sander and edger. It is a necessary step that will help your floor attain a uniform look and a finer appearance. It involves using a 17" polisher with a nylon driving pad and a screen mesh disc. Ascreen is an abrasive product that looks like the screen you would see on your door or window. They come in various grits and sizes, but for this procedure we will use 17" 150-grit screens.

Before you start, it is important that you become familiar with the polisher. Start it in the middle of the room without the screen and practice maneuvering it until you feel comfortable. For most polishers, exerting downward pressure will move them left.
When ready, place a 150-grit screen on the driving pad. Screen along the edges first, then do the rest of the floor along the grain of the wood.
Look for edger marks, drum stop marks, or any other imperfections and screen until removed.

IV. APPLYING THE FINISH

Before appling the finish, thoroughly vacume and tack cloth the entire room. Attack anything, that can catch dust - the floors, walls, woodwork, Light switches, etc. Wait awhile after you are done sanding to allow the dust to settle.

Prepare the finish by thoroughly stirring it. There is no need to stir vigorously nor do you need to shake the can. this will create air bubbles in your finish that could be problematic when it dries. Regularly stir the finish as you are using it so that it will maintain its consistency.

Befor you apply the finish, plan it so that you can exit the room without stepping on areas that are already coated. Once you have determined your escape route, pour a line of finish on the floor along the grain, but be careful not to pour to much, as this will affect the drying time. Using a T-bar applicator or a 9" paint pad, pull the finish towards you as you walk from one end of the room to the other. Remember to overlap the finish and try to avoid missing spots. Repeat this process until the entire room is coated.

Before you apply the second coat, leave ample time for the finish to dry, usually about two to four hours. Also, close off area so that children and/or pets do not walk on floor. Once the finish has dried, recoat the floor. Unlike the previous coat on bare wood, it will be more difficult to see areas that need their second coat. Put pieces of masking tape on base board to keep track of where you are on the floor. After the second coat dries. it is recommended that you screen the floor befire you apply the final coat. there are several reasons for this. One is that polyurethane raises the grain of the wood; screening will lower the grain and make for a more level final coat. Second, even if you were very careful in stirring the finish, it is still likely that air bubbles are present, screening will remove these bubbles. Finally, screening will roughen up the surface of the finish and allow the last coat to better adhere to the previous coat.

Screen the floor with a 17" polisher using a 150-grit screen. Like before, screen with the grain of the wood, edges first then the rest. If you do not want to use a polisher, you can use a pole sander with fine grit sandpaper to achieve the same result. Make sure the finish is dry before screening or sanding.

When you are done screening, thoroughly vacume and tack cloth the whole room. Then apply the final coat of finish in the same manner as the previous coats. Allow time for the finish to dry before moving furniture back into rooms, generally about two to three days. It is recommended that furniture pads be placed under the legs of all the furniture. Also, wait at least 10 to 14 days before you place any area rugs on floor. The polyurethane will fully cure in 14 to 21 days.

Congratulations! You have successfully sanded and refinished your wood floors.