Wood floors are considered to be an essential investment for most homeowners. Wood floors can last a lifetime given that proper care and maintenance are followed. Most floors are made of hardwood but some use pine as an alternative since softwood is less expensive. Pine is compatible with a wide variety of finishes, making it ideal for most homes. Sanding the floor in order to make it look new again if you find the floor showing some signs of wear and tear. It also important to note that when sanding a pine floor, ensure to use gentle, soft touch. It is preferred that you use an electric sanding machine to sand the floor in order to save some time. However, you can still sand the floor by hand if you don’t have any access to such machine.
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You Will Need
- 80, 100, 150 and 220-grit sandpaper
- Belt sander
- Hand disc sander
Steps
- Before you do any sanding work, ensure that you check the floor for screws or nails that protrude above the surface. In case you find one, secure it back down before you start sanding. Use local or other similar professional filler to repair loose boards and fill in gaps.
- Attach the 80-grit sandpaper to the belt sander to refinish a pine floor. If the floor is new, you need to use the 100-grit sandpaper instead for best results.
- When sanding pine floors, make sure that start sanding in one end of the room. Gradually move backwards until you reach the opposite end of the room, leaving approximately 6 feet before you come to the wall.
- Turn the belt sander around and finish the area. Keep on sanding the entire area of the pine floor. Using a hand disc sander, make sure to sand the corners and the area along the walls.
- Shift to a 150-grit sandpaper for both sanders. Sand the pine floor again following the same techniques stated above.
- Next, change to a 220-grit sandpaper for both sanders. Keep on sanding the pine floor until the surface looks and feels smooth.
- In order to get rid of the dust embedded in the cracks, you can use a shop vac. Before applying any wood stain, make sure to eliminate as much dust as possible.
- It is also important to note that you need to avoid sanding in short segments as it can leave sanding streaks when you apply wood stain. Make sure to occasionally check the sandpaper of you are sanding a refinished floor. If you find a buildup of varnish on the sandpaper, make a quick change if necessary. You should sand in the boards’ direction rather than across. Sanding across the direction of the boards will leave undesirable scratches and damage the appeal of the pine floor boards.