Sanders for Refinishing Hardwood Flooring

With more than 20 years of practical experience in renovating, repairing, and enhancing residences, Lee has been offering home improvement guidance for many years.

Sanding

If you possess a hardwood floor, it’s likely that you will eventually need to refinish it. Sanding, along with staining and applying a protective top coat, plays a crucial role in the refinishing process.

Floor sanders are specialized tools intended solely for sanding floors. Typically, homeowners do not keep these sanders in their tool collections. Fortunately, there is no need to invest in these costly machines. Many sanders are available for rent at local tool rental facilities or at certain home improvement stores that offer rental services.

Tip

Compact belt and orbital sanders are ideal for reaching tight and difficult areas.

Drum Sanding Machine for Floors

A drum sander is a substantial and weighty type of belt sander. The operator uses the drum sander in a standing position.

The drum sander is made up of the main sander unit, a spacious dust collection bag, and a drum that holds sizable sanding paper belts.

The drum sander effectively removes imperfections, elevated areas, stains, paint splatters, and even stubborn, ingrained blemishes from your flooring. If your goal is to strip your wooden floor down to its raw wood, a drum floor sander is an ideal choice. However, exercise caution, as it can create unattractive, lasting grooves in the wood.

Tip

A floor stripper is a more effective tool than a drum sander for eliminating dried adhesives, mastic, mortar, underlayment, linoleum, and vinyl tiles.

Purchase sanding paper from the tool rental facility, as it’s unlikely you’ll come across this specific type at your nearby hardware store. The staff at the rental yard might suggest using at least three different grades of sandpaper: coarse, medium, and fine. It’s advisable to buy more sanding paper than you think you’ll need, as many rental yards will accept returns of any unused paper, but it’s wise to verify this policy beforehand.

The drum sander serves as the primary tool for sanding hardwood floors. This substantial machine is quite heavy, necessitating the assistance of two individuals for transportation.

  • Most powerful floor sander on the market
  • Can eliminate paint and stains that are deeply ingrained.
  • Challenging to transport because of its heaviness.
  • Risk of sanding excessively into the wood.
  • Replacing sanding belts can be quite challenging.

Orbital Floor Sander with Vibrating Function

An orbital vibrating floor sander, similar to a drum sander, is used in a standing position. However, unlike the drum sander, the sanding head and sandpaper do not spinthey instead move in small, circular vibrations.

Once you’ve finished with the drum sander, the typical next step is to refine the wood using a vibrating orbital sander. This tool is effective for a variety of solid hardwood floors, including parquet, engineered wood, as well as cork and wood composite flooring. It can help achieve the smoothest possible finish for your wood flooring.

Similar in dimensions to the drum sander and also featuring a dust collection bag, the vibrating sander offers a refreshing alternative to the drum sander. This sander is more lightweight and portable compared to its drum counterpart. Additionally, the risk of damaging the wood is reduced when using an orbital vibrating floor sander.

  • Simple to transport and relocate.
  • Versatile
  • Will not remove deep scratches or blemishes through sanding.

Edge Floor Sanding Machine

An edge floor sander is a compact, portable sander specifically created to access tight spaces that larger drum and orbital sanders cannot. It is equipped with a dust collection bag.

Renting edge floor sanders offers significantly more power compared to the hand-held orbital sanders that many homeowners might possess. Given that edge floor sanders can be rented at a reasonable cost, it makes sense to take advantage of this option.

Handheld

Safety Precautions for Floor Sanding

Floor sanders function at a greater power level compared to many tools typically present in a homeowner’s workshop. Therefore, it is important to prioritize safety measures.

  • Due to the significant power consumption, particularly with drum sanders, it is essential to utilize only the recommended type of extension cord. In certain situations, the use of extension cords may be prohibited altogether.
  • When utilizing an extension cord, avoid winding it tightly around a spool or reel, as this may cause heat accumulation, potentially resulting in the cord melting.
  • Always disconnect the floor sander from the power source before replacing the sandpaper or performing maintenance on any component of the equipment.
  • While floor sanders come equipped with dust bags, they are not capable of capturing all dust particles. To safeguard other parts of your home, utilize dust barriers. Additionally, make sure to wear a dust mask when using the equipment.
  • Fine dust suspended in the air has the potential to ignite. When operating a floor sander, ensure that there are no open flames in the vicinity. It’s also important to ensure the area is well-ventilated.
0