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Friday, October 21, 2011

How Many Times Can My Hardwood Floor Be Sanded?-

The number of times your hardwood floor can be sanded depends on several things.  Flooring manufacturers recommendations, the type of sanding equipment used, flatness of the floor, remaining wear layer and the skill of your floor sanding professional sanding your floor.  


Always measure the remaining wear layer thickness in a few different areas.  This will give you an idea of the flatness of the floor system and help you determine whether you should even attempt sanding.  You can measure the wear layer either by removing floor register covers or shoe molding so that you can see how much "life" is left before you hit the blind nails.  Another option to measure the wear layer is to locate a gap between floor boards and use a "feeler" gauge to measure down to the tongue of the board.  This method will work well on solid hardwood floors, however, I do not suggest using the gauge on engineered products, as they are a ply construction and the "real wood" wear layer will NOT go all the way to the tongue.  If the wear layer measures less than 3/32"...  No sanding!


Another point I would like to make, while on the subject, has to do with factory pre-finished products that have micro-bevels.  Should you decide to refinish these types of floor systems...  Please be aware that there is no way to sand these floors without completely eliminating the bevels!  If they are not completely sanded out, they will be extremely inconsistent across the floor system.  In other words... It looks bad!  Also, keep in mind that by sanding out micro bevels, you will also sand off more of the wear layer on the floor system's first on-site sanding than you will on the second or third sanding.


Using the proper grit sequence on the sanding equipment is also very important in managing the life of your floor system. The rougher the paper, the more life you are sanding away...  Why start with a 24 grit paper when you can start with 40?  Educate yourself on the sanding process and your local sanding professionals...  After all...  A bad job will cost you more money and limit how many times your floor can be sanded.  Remember... You get what you pay for!

18 comments:

  1. You certainly do get what you pay for, particularly when it comes to flooring! Thanks for sharing the tips.

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  2. The best is to leave sanding and sealing to a wood flooring professional. This process requires special equipments and experience. While you can rent equipment, you can only practice on your own wood floor.

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  3. Ya its right that this process requires special equipments and experience. While you can rent equipment, you can only practice on your own wood floor.You can do hardwood flooring by youself but you have to learn some tutorial related to that....

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  4. Hardwood floors are one of the most important design elements in home or business. Wood floors add beauty and warmth to any decor.

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  5. So many people are turning to do-it-yourself projects these days as a way to save money. But, you know, on jobs where messing up comes with great cost, I think at least hiring a professional to come and give you some advice is worthwhile. I would at least opt for paying someone for a little house call before jumping into refinishing a floor if you haven't got any experience doing it.

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  6. Hardwood flooring is the best option for decore or remodeling home.Wide Plank Hardwood Flooring

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  7. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  8. Thanks for the tips! Can you possibly recommend a video on how to do those stuffs?

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    Replies
    1. Here is a link to our You Tube page. The vids aren't really how to, however, you may be able to get the idea.

      http://www.youtube.com/user/refinedhardwood

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  9. Great Blog!! That was amazing. Your thought processing is wonderful. The way you
    tell the thing is awesome. You are really a master.

    Carpet Store Lowell MA

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  10. The statement about the micro never isn't exactly true you can save the bevels by scrapping the bevels out by hand but it is very costly and labor intensive

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    Replies
    1. That is a great point! The only downfall is that it would ultimately be cheaper to rip out the entire floor system and replace it. The labor costs would be through the roof! Having said that... I'd take the job! ;)

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  11. This post offers very helpful tips whether you are a beginner or a pro wood installer. If you want DIY sanding and re-sanding, I would recommend after sanding, once the dust has settled use vacuum then wipe and let it dry. It is more better if you will apply varnish to seal the wood; you can do this using a floor pad.

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  12. Thanks for sharing superb informations. Your web-site is very cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this blog. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the information I already searched all over the place and simply could not come across. What a perfect web site.
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  13. Thanks for the information! I have a hardwood floor in my house that I've just installed. I've been wondering about how often I need to sand it. I didn't realize that refinishing pre-finished floors with micro-bevels would damage my floors. This information is very helpful. Thanks for the post!
    Bill Li | http://www.carpetonefortworth.com/

    ReplyDelete
  14. You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic
    to be actually something which I think I would never understand.
    It seems too complicated and very broad for me.
    I'm looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang
    of it!

    My blog :: Appliance Repairs Brisbane

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yes i am totally agreed with this article and i just want say that this article is very nice and very informative article.I will make sure to be reading your blog more. You made a good point but I can't help but wonder, what about the other side? !!!!!!THANKS!!!!!! Los Angeles Home Remodeling Services

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