How To Sand Hardwood Floors With Orbital Sander
If you have an orbital sander and you have no idea how to use it, then it is safe to say that the sander probably isn’t doing you much good and you’re probably hoping someone will teach you how to use it. Lucky for you, that’s exactly what I am going to do with this post and you will learn everything there is to know about an orbital sander when it comes to using one to sand hardwood floors. With this guide in mind, you are going to have a much easier time when it comes to sanding the hardwood floors in your home and you will know exactly what you need to do. Even if you already know how to sand hardwood floors, you might have an easier time doing so after reading this post because there are plenty of tips and tricks to help make it easier.
What You Need To Follow This Tutorial
When it comes to just about any tutorial you are going to read or watch, it’s going to be considerable easier for you to watch (a video attached down below) and learn from the tutorial if you can do some hands on work with it. For this reason, I highly recommend having an orbital sander on hand so that you can fully understand how to work it as well as understand what you need to do in order to sand the hardwood floors in your home with the orbital sander. While you probably shouldn’t practice on hardwood floors while you are learning, it can be a big benefit to you if you just understand how the orbital sander itself works.
In addition to hopefully having the sander with you and on your person, then you will find that the next important thing would be to have a writing utensil and some notebook or other paper with you at all times. Over the course of this tutorial, you’re going to learn a lot and you might find easier or simpler ways to get things done. If you do, you’ll want to have a way to write things down so having a pen or pencil with some paper handy can be really helpful.
Step By Step Instructions
Inspect The Floor
Before you do anything, you really want to make sure that you closely inspect the floor for anything that might be on the floor. Nail in all of the nails and remove any stables that might be left on the floor. If you miss any, it can tear the sandpaper and leave you with damaged sandpaper that needs to be changed. If you have to, go over the area twice or three times to make sure you do everything and nothing is remaining.
Cover And Tape
After you have inspected the floor and removed any potential hazards, be sure to cover all of the vents in your home as well as any fixtures and doorways. You could use plastic if you want but an old sheet will do the trick as well. Tape thoroughly around the edges to ensure that no dust can sneak in.
Coarse Grit
Sanding with an orbital sander is a three-step process and it will take three separate sanding sessions to get the floor you want. To begin the process, you should start with the coarse grit of around 30 to 40 grit as the coarse grit is going to help get up the initial layer of the floor to help give you the best results.
Medium Grit
After you have finished sanding the entire floor with the coarse grit, you will need to move onto the medium grit. When you choose the sandpaper for this application, look for something close to 50 to 60 grit.
Fine Grit
Next, you can move onto the very last sanding application that will require a sandpaper that is very fine and is around 80 to 100 grit. This will be the final sanding you have to do and it will provide you with a nice smooth finish you expected to get from the beginning.
Clean Up
Once you finally finish sanding using all three of the different sandpaper grits, you can begin your cleanup by thoroughly cleaning the room with a vacuum and also wiping away all of the excess dust that might have been collected on the walls, fans and other fixtures in the room. Then, be sure to wipe the floor clean with a cloth soaked with mineral spirits.
You can watch this video to learn more.
Conclusion
As you can see, there is a lot of information you need to keep in mind when it comes to sanding hardwood floors when using an orbital sander. You want to make sure you follow most of the information in this post because it is going to make your life much easier knowing exactly what you are doing. In the end, make sure you are able to follow the guidelines provided above and if you do so, you will have great success when it comes to sanding the floors in your home and anywhere else you need to get the job done.
About the Author Darrell Webster
I believe there is a handyman in all of us as long as you have the right tools. I started this blog to help anyone who is interested in fixing things to learn their way around the different tools and to know how to perform different DIY tasks. I have been doing this for years and believe I am a master of this art.