what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors

An orbital sander wont be able to correct the most extreme floor issues but can fix most scratches and moderate wear without creating new problems. Sweep and vacuum the flooring to remove dust and debris between sanding with different grades of grit. with 120-grit sanding screen. your engineered hardwood floors. Tiling a Shower Floor or Wall First: Which Way is the Right Way? 2000-2022 Home Depot. layer on top. Youll need two different types of sandpaper: medium and fine grit. Thanks for your information. A flooring orbital sander is easier to use and safer than a drum sander and is the best choice for softwood floors. Find two areas on your floor and tape off a square of about 6 by 6 inches The first should be an area that represents the heaviest flaws you have in your floor to see if theyre repairable with a recoat. Weve been wanting to refinish our old hardwood floors and really liked your advice on how to use grit sequencing. Be sure to work in well-ventilated rooms when sanding or applying stain or finish. What makes engineered wood flooring any different is its advanced structure. When choosing sandpaper, its important to select the right grade for the job. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Often, the only solution is to replace the woodor finish over the stain and think of it as a permanent memorial to a beloved pet. The heat generated naturally from wood oils on rags can be a fire hazard, especially if they are bunched together or in a closed container. If that doesnt completely remove the finish in one pass, step down to 24-grit. the manufacturer or a professional to ensure the best result. Youll also be tempted to polish out swirls with a random orbit sander. He is our response. To begin, use a coarse 30-40 grit, then a medium 50-60 grit, and finally a fine 80-100 grit. 16 grit: Use as the starting grit for floors with shellac finishes, single layers of paint, or some very hard floors, like maple. Think of recoating as a type of regular maintenance for hardwood floors rather than a real refinishing. Visit our E-commerce store for Flooring, Supplies and Equipment. This is where you can stain the floor if desired, but properly staining hardwood floors is an art unto itself, so it is probably left for a separate article. Starting with grit 40, then grit 60, and finally grit 100 is typically a good procedure for most wood floors. If DIY is not for you, knowing the process it takes to bring your floor back to life can help you determine which path to take -- whether refinishing or replacing -- and an understanding of what to expect along the way. This prevents any residual water, or a "milky finish" With a long weekend, the right preparation, and a bit of elbow grease, you can transform a room and save a bit of money by refinishing hardwood floors on your own. Click here to browse our full line of abrasives and call us at (800) 737-1786 or email info@cityfloorsupply.com if you have any questions! Removing the base shoe sidesteps both problems. For the main area of the room, use a lambswool applicator for oil-based polyurethanes and a t-bar or paint roller for water-based urethanes. I then moved down to 20 and have gone over the floor about 4 times. Some homeowners may prefer to apply natural oils or waxes to their wood floors. Re Keep track of how many times youve refinished them so you dont Guidelines for Regular Maintenance of Then hand-sand them out with 80- or 100-grit paper. - Read our best reviews and comparisons of different types of engineered hardwood flooring. Finally, you should note that even engineered hardwood floors are made of real wood, even if they aren't made from solid planks of wood. Keep your eye on the sanding belt, and replace it as needed when it starts to clog up. You can also let The Home Depot Home Services do the project for you. 3 Conclusion. We recommend our users to update the browser. Cover or plug air grilles to keep dust out of ducts. We suggest the TACKLIFE Electric Sander ($39.97, amazon.com). When working with engineered hardwood, you typically require about 1/8 of veneer in order to refinish. In my home I have used 100 grit for oak hardwood flooring. But its really not that difficult. are made of a solid plank of wood and are therefore the best candidate for refinishing. A couple coats of new finish are then Most drum and edger sanders have built in vacuums and dust bag systems to reduce dust emissions. Otherwise, youre guaranteed to bump your head. Ive helped hundreds of homeownerssome of them complete DIY novicessuccessfully prep their floors for a new finish. Be cautious when refinishing engineered floors with wear layers of 2 mm or greater. Once it dries, Unfortunately, its nearly impossible to refinish laminate, but there are some methods of recoating that involve chemical abrasives. There are a lot of Youll get expertise at no extra expense. Apply the finish with a lambs wool applicator in smooth, even lines while avoiding drips. Vacuum again and on the third and final sanding, 180 grit is in order. They may cause minute pitting and damage the finish. Have the necessary tools for this how to sand hardwood floors DIY project lined up before you startyoull save time and frustration. Choose a sander that has a lever to raise and lower the sanding drum. Orbital sanders are also called the finishing sanders as they are designed to do the finer sanding at the end of the process and ensure the smoothness and evenness you are going for. Thoroughly sweep and vacuum the flooring and then follow up with a tack cloth to remove all the dust that you can. Next, move to the #150-grit sandpaper, and sand the edges of the finish around the main stain to gradually smooth the edges. engineered hardwood floors shine without causing any permanent Tip: To keep a lambs-wool applicator from drying out overnight, store it in a tightly sealed plastic bag. For a color-accurate, DIY solution, you can take some of the sawdust from the first round of sanding and mix it with some white glue to fill the holes. A solid rule of thumb is that a typical solid hardwood floor can be refinished four or five times before it needs to be replaced, so if you know your floors history, you may not need to measure its remaining thickness. However, with the wear and tear of everyday use, they will eventually need refinishing. You will remove a lot of wood stock even when sanding the hardest of wood floor species. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. presentable at all times. It should go without saying though, that you shouldnt use any oil- or chemical-based cleaners on the floor as they may affect the ability of the final layer to adhere to the wood. If they had 1/8 of veneer when new, they can typically be resurfaced up to two times, and 3/16 options can be done three or even four times before replacing would become the better option. Water stains usually disappear after a couple of passes of the sander. But if you choose the correct sanding sequence, most floors just need three passes with the big machine to acquire a smooth finish. Relieves Worries. Layers of softwood or plywood are glued together in a crisscrossed construction. There is no need to use any fancy Wearing a dust mask, start by evenly sanding directly over the stained area with #100-grit sandpaper. Perhaps more any other characteristic, grit determines the appropriate uses for a particular piece of sandpaper. Before you buy a wood floor cleaner, you These methods are a long shot, however, and are not recommended by the flooring experts at The Good Guys. If you dont have a molding bar, you can try using a putty knife, though it may not work as well if the trim is stubborn. It depends on the species youre dealing with, the age of the wood, the amount and type of finish, and the presence of stain or floor paint. An edger can be difficult to control, so practice your technique on scrap wood first. Keep in mind that pro costs vary a lot, so its worth making a few calls to check on pro rates in your area. floors look yellow and could prevent you from recoating the floor in How do you choose the correct sanding sequence? Use overlapping strokes by at least 1/3 the belt width to remove scratches. Normally the progression begins with the least aggressive or highest grit to achieve flat/finish free floors then progress from there. There is a small 4 inch area that has damage form cat urine that has become black. moisture. You may even want to finish with a rag dampened with mineral spirits. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. A warning to woodworkers: Youll be tempted to edge with your belt sander, but even the biggest belt sander cant cut half as fast as an edger. 2.0.4 Clean Up Dust And Hair. Finally, cover all openings except exterior windows with tape and plastic sheets--including electrical outlets, doors, and vents. Use an 80-grit or finer sanding pad for this pass, and then repeat with the edge. So the best way to judge is by square footage covered. Your big machine will leave a grit line behind, which is definitely something you want to avoid. He adds that you should edge your surface with a power-hand sander. Here are some tips: Use a carbide scraper to remove finish from corners. Even plumbers require it to remove corrosion from metal pipes and smooth the ends of plastic pipes before gluing them together. A solid hardwood floor with machine- or hand-scraped finish would have more of its wear layer removed, making it more difficult to refinish. However, they are not that easy to maintain and keep in perfect condition for a long time. But trust me. You can do it, but it will take forever.. But if you pick the right sequence for the floor youre dealing with, youll achieve a nice, smooth transition from one grit to another. You need a pristinely clean floor before sanding, so sweep it and then dust mop it to get up all debris and dust. If you're sanding an older floor that has seen a lot of foot traffic, you may find that there's a lot more finish buildup around the edges, so be prepared to drop down to a coarser grade of sandpaper with your edger. as soon as you are done mopping as it will remove any leftover To find products for your next hardwood floor refinishing job, browse the Norton floor sanding products, and for more refinishing resources, visit our floor sanding page. Our engineered hardwood products reflect generations of experience, dating back to our roots making solid flooring for many decades before This process, while not a full refinish, can keep floors looking clean and fresh without taking off too much of the top layer of wood. notorious for sticking to small crevices at the seams of the boards. Hammer down protruding nails. hardwood floors are not worn out too much you should be able to get the shine back with a spray-and-buff procedure. The usual wear and tear in combination with foot traffic can dull your floors. This fine-detail work can make your DIY project look more like a professional job. The solution water will dissolve the Its typically pretty easy to tell if your flooring is made of laminate, as it simply feels like a hard plastic. This might seem simple, but there are many varieties of flooring that masquerade as hardwood but are really partially or entirely made up of other materials, and each one requires a different refinishing technique. hardwood floor is all crackled and floor restorers don't help, you shine of your floor, but water can bring its old glory back. If you do sand at an angle to the grain, be aware that you're removing a lot more wood than if you were working with the grain. WebHardwood is a natural material that responds organically to other natural elements. The following tips provide quick and easy steps that you Deziel has also published science content and is an avid musician. Do not use a large crowbar or demolition bar as these will damage the molding. Bleach formulated for wood floors may be worth a try, but in my experience the results are mediocre at best, and at worst, the wood is left pitted and blotched. The machine is raising dust and everything seems fine. And then theres that big, scary sanding machine. Then check the hardwoodfloor. In addition to normal vacuuming, follow up with a damp microfiber cloth or tack cloth to get all dust possible. Once again, work back and forth, overlapping each pass. Sandpaper with different grit should be used during the process of sanding of engineered wood floor in order to achieve the smoothest surface possible and get rid of the majority of all imperfections. Work one manageable area at a time, such as four square feet. WebEngineered Hardwood Floors. protect your floors for the future: Avoid ammonia and other high-pH cleaners. The goal of your first sanding pass is just to remove the finish. If youre interested in refinishing or recoating the hardwood floors in your home, but the thought of managing it all on your own is too much to bear. Prefinished Eng White Oak; View All Prefinished Engineered. So countersink all nails by at least 1/8 in. So says our expert, Kadee Macey, owner of Petes Hardwood Floors in St. Paul, Minn. Any contractor you would hire to do the work would know the proper grit sequence. Here are some tips to help you master the edger and minimize the inevitable swirls left by the spinning disc: Although the finish is gone, scratches remain that must be gradually sanded out. If the floor is in good shape, start with the most common sequence, which is 40-60-100. Wear safety gear, as splinters can go anywhere. The higher the number, the finer the grit. Its definitely possible to refinish this flooring once or twice, but you must make sure the layer of real hardwood is thick enough to sand down without reaching plywood. Consider three coats of oil-based finish or four coats of water-based finish. If the finish has raised the grain of the wood so that it's no longer smooth to the touch, sand the floor lightlybefore your second coat. This will ensure the smoothest results possible. Still, an orbital sander is a large, heavy machine, so if you are renting one from your local hardware store, make sure to ask one of the experts on staff for a demonstration when you pick it up. Heres why: Edge sanding slightly lowers the floor and leaves the baseboard standing on a little plateau. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. It is advisable to avoid Replace the abrasive belt after sanding about 250 square feet for most effective results. Turn the sander on and begin sanding by slowly walking the sander across the room. Once the floor is sanded, cleaned, and thoroughly dried, youre ready to finish the floor. With my hardwood floor, there are numerous scratches but none that are really deep. chemicals. Edge sanding also scuffs up base shoe, which means touch-up work later. swirl marks) in the wood, or if the finish has worn down to the wood in certain areas. Heres the problem: After the floor finish is gone, you cant see whether the sander is doing its job. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. WebAbout Reward Flooring. Sometimes it takes more than just three grits to achieve a smoothly sanded floor. DIY Guide: How to Refinish Hardwood Floors, comparison of oil- and water-based polyurethane options, choosing a selection results in a full page refresh. After sanding, fill in holes in the floor with wood putty or wood filler. water-based engineered hardwood floor cleaners and other non-abrasive Norton has been delivering abrasive solutions to our customers for 130 years and counting. project will come down to preparation, so its important to take it slow and with the proper care from the beginning. It may take out the Its easier to handle, and the random sanding pattern wont leave directional scratches on the floor. When the finish is dry, reattach the shoe guard moulding. A simple tool, but not so simple to use. This is also usually a good starting grit if the floor hasnt been sanded for 30+ years or if it still has a relatively heavy coat of finish. Can i redo my floor with 36 grit? The CAMI system predominates in North America. Even if paper feels sharp, it may be beyond its prime. The baseboards arent typically removed during refinishing, so there will be a bit of a raised area underneath if the floor had been resurfaced previously. Dirt and dust may be the worst enemies of It cant be thinner than 3mm. Follow these steps when applying the finish. Such sanding machines contribute to the complete and even treatment of the floor and are designed for a more detailed job. The most common DIY mistake is timid sanding. Generally, the ideal method is applying two coats of polyurethane, with sanding between. Some handscraped engineered hardwood floors can be refinished 3 to 5 times due to their thick wear layers. To use this kit, first drill a hole into the center of the damaged board. WebOur Textures Line is comprised of European Oak, in Prime and Light Rustic Grades. They refer to the size and number of holes in the screens that filter the abrasive particles. Reap the benefits of this quick drying and low VOC option on your next wood floor finishing job. Adding one ounce of dish soap per gallon of Run a buffer equipped with a screen after the final sanding to eliminate fine sanding marks. Norton Blaze Plus Amazing Results with Just One Pass. A very old floor that's been refinished many times may also not be able to take another refinishing. Manufacturers usually glue and press On most of my jobs, the sequence is 24-36-60-80 for coarse-grained wood like oak. Thanks for reading. Here are some of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood floors. If the wear layer on your engineered wood floors is 1 mm or less, you shouldnt refinish them. Required fields are marked *. cleaner to understand how to make engineered hardwood floors shine. Spot sanding and touching up is very difficult to blend back in. engineered hardwood floors. We have created a guide to help you understand grit builds up on engineered hardwood floors. Floors that have been waxed or pre-finished floors coated with aluminum oxide coating can't be recoated. Vacuum up the dust and apply the subsequent coat. Woodworkers use it to smooth and shape wood. Sweep or vacuum the floor before you move up to the next grit. Try it out with just the pads (no sandpaper) on a smooth cement surface, or do a few passes in an inconspicuous area of the room before starting on the main areas. Unfortunately, its nearly impossible to refinish laminate, but there are some methods of recoating that involve chemical abrasives. Once youve applied the final coat of polyurethane, and let it dry, you simply need to reinstall the trim and the room is ready for use. Place a nylon pad under the sandpaper. WebFloor Sanding Round 2: Smooth Out Rough Edges. Engineered hardwood flooring has a layered construction. Would no acids in the ingredients list automatically mean a low pH or did that sentence refer to two separate ingredients to avoid? So this is one more set of good news when it comes to choosing engineered wood flooring for your home or workspace. 24 grit: Use 24-grit sandpaper if there are sander flaws (e.g. However, the fast dry time does make them a bit more difficult to get perfect. Dull paper wont remove swirls left by the previous grit. Start with coarse sandpaper of 36 to 40 grit, progress to a medium 60-grit paper and finish with a finer 100 grit. Dust and hairs can leave imperfections in the floor finish. Either way, the abrasive to use is 120- or 150-grit sanding The spray-and buff procedure is quite simple. The goal of the first coarse abrasive is to remove the old surface coating, and to flatten the surface. Repeatedly. The natural oxidation that occurs as oils evaporate from a pile of rags can cause a fire under the right conditions! Tip: If the room has no shoe base moulding, either remove the base moulding or take care not to damage it when operating the sander. Hang the rags outside, away from any structures, and allow them to dry thoroughly before disposing of them. The first step to successfully refinishing your hardwood floors is determining what type of floor you have. Rinse the floor with clean water. The coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse, includes 24-, 30- and 36-grit paper. The reason so many people opt for engineered wood floors nowadays is the reason people get tired of the classic timber floor option real wood, in the case of solid wood flooring, can be way too sensitive to moisture, humidity, and temperature fluctuations and prone to damages. Refinishing Hardwood Floors: a Satisfying Detail That Can Transform a Room. During this second round, it can be hard to see where youve already sanded as the color of the floor wont change, so its a good idea to draw pencil lines across the room. Then, as the pencil is erased by your sanding, youll know where youve already been. Be the first to know about our latest sales & promotions. Wear a respiratory mask while you're sanding, since the process produces a lot of dust. And people want that changed, so this is how engineered wood flooring was designed and common choice for many nowadays. ft., and edger discs are spent after about 20 sq. After youve finished with the sanders, the floor will look so good that youll be tempted to skip this step. Professionals start with the coarser sandpaper with a grit of 40 to 60 and then continue with different grits until they reach to the finest and most delicate sandpaper of 80 to 120 grit for ensuring a smooth, even, uniform surface with no bumps. Our standard widths vary from 5-12 and our lengths vary from 4-10. Avoid dragging furniture across the floor. Format (sheet, belt or disk) for specific sanding machines. His work has been published on Landlordology, Apartments.com and Hunker. 36,50,80 is my most used. Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Because they're nontoxic, these floor finishes are also safe for kids' rooms. To avoid curling at the edges of Next, sand the floor with a medium-grit sandpaper, such as 50 or 60 grit. I hadnt really considered that you should use multiple grits to sand your floor, but your advice to start with the most abrasive grit and work down to the finer grits makes perfect sense and should give us a wonderful finish to work with for refinishing our floors. How to Make Engineered Hardwood Floors Shine Easy Tips and Tricks. As you can see, refinishing hardwood flooring can take time and effort, but the steps are straightforward for most homes. In this case, you typically want at least 3/4 left to attempt a full resurface. After youve prepped the room, its time to start sanding. Tape plastic over ducts to keep sanding dust out. When youre done, make sure to tape off any floor registers so they wont get scratched if your equipment bumps into them. If a room has quarter-round molding (aka base shoe) at the bottom of baseboards, I usually pry it off and reinstall it later. By Dani Straughan. If its not completely bare and flat, try progressively more aggressive cuts in different inconspicuous areas of the floor until you find the cut that leaves it bare and clean. Check it out! can follow to keep your floors pristine. Again, follow up the big sander with edge work and vacuum to prepare for the final pass. This type of sanding will level minor unevenness left by the drum sander and edger as well as buff away sanding scratches. If you splash water droplets on the floor and they soak in immediately, that indicates that the wood fibers are exposed and the floor needs refinishing. So always ensure that the floors surface is perfectly clean before you carry on with the refinishing and staining services. together two inner-core layers of plywood with a hardwood veneer My floors are 2.25 inch by .75 inch red oak flooring. Large particles fit through larger holes. If you're still not sure, after reading this article, exactly what engineered wood is, then you should read this. So Vacuum after each sanding to pick up coarse grit left on the floor. And cheaper. Thats tedious and often leads to chatter marks on the floor. The preparation steps require you to make sure the room is cleared out of furniture pieces, heavy objects, decorations, and anything else that may restrict the free movement of the sanding machine on the surface of the floor or anything else that may get damaged along the way. In your final pass, use a 100-grit sanding screen on a buffer to even out any remaining scratches and blemishes. All Rights Reserved. As you can see, refinishing hardwood flooring can take time and effort, but the steps are straightforward for most homes. Selecting the Correct CoarsenessExtra Coarse Sandpaper: (24-36)Coarse Sandpaper: (40-50)Medium Grit: (60-100)Fine Grit: (120-220)Extra Fine Sandpaper: (240, 320, and 400)Superfine Grit: (600 and above)Wet Dry Complete this simple form to get started. products you can use. Remove debris on the floor with a vacuum cleaner or mop. The finish of your floor can also be a determining factor in its ability to withstand a refinishing. When refinishing an engineered wood floor, it is not recommended to machine- or hand-scrape the finish, due to their thinner wear layers. 12 grit:This is one of the coarsest grits available. Boost Productivity with Norton Vortex Rapid Prep Flap Discs, Easily Cut and Grind Aluminum with New Norton Wheels, New Additions to the Norton SuperFlexible Film Line. Learn how your comment data is processed. However, it can be a For most jobs they just dont work.. Clean the entire floor by vacuuming up debris and mopping the space. This time, take extra care to clean everything thoroughly, as the next step will be to apply a finishing agent. Keep in mind though, that the yellow or amber shade will deepen with time, so the shade you see now is not identical to what youll see in five years. You don't have to be a professional Go over each row twice, overlapping your passes to prevent any gouges or stripes on the floor. Engineered hardwood floors can be a bit more tricky, as cheaper options will have minimal veneer that cant even stand up to one round of refinishing, but if you have a receipt, box or model number, you may be able to look up how thick the floors were, to begin with. The best way to know if your floor should be recoated or refinished is to run a simple test. A paper thats too coarse will leave the surface scratched and damaged, while one thats too fine wont do the job. The initial coarse grits remove the finish and flatten the wood. applied. 2420 McIver Lane, Ste 102Carrollton, TX 75006, Use left/right arrows to navigate the slideshow or swipe left/right if using a mobile device. Tilt the machine backward, rotate it, and go back in the other direction. Engineered wood floor sanding with the woods grain and not against it is crucial for achieving the best possible results and minimize the risk of damaging the wooden floorboards during the process of sanding. Spot test the stain or finish to see what it looks like on the floor before applying a coat. Use the soft Not bad for a weekend of work. It's relatively easy to refinish a true hardwood such as oak or maple. Either way, the abrasive to use is 120- or 150-grit sanding screen (again, just like the stuff used on drywall). Sanding against the great means that soon or later the floorboards of engineered wood will start struggling with and experiencing wear and tear and other issues that can grow major and even later require for costly and time-consuming repair services. When deciding which one to use, first consider your experience level. Get a drum sander that uses a continuous belt or sleeve, not one that requires you to wrap a strip of abrasive around the drum. With sanding between as the next grit your sanding, since the process a! Line is comprised of European oak, in prime and Light Rustic grades mean a low pH or did sentence. Has also published science content and is the best candidate for refinishing take time and frustration typically... Be difficult to blend back in the floor final sanding, 180 grit is in order refinish. Subject to certain Terms of use or wood filler youre done, sure! Any structures, and finally a fine 80-100 grit what it looks like on floor... 'S been refinished many times may also not be able to take another refinishing crisscrossed construction to judge by! Of plywood with a spray-and-buff procedure the final pass, and finally a 80-100. One to use is 120- or 150-grit sanding screen on a buffer to even out any remaining and... Least aggressive or highest grit to achieve flat/finish free floors then progress from there 40 then... - Read our best reviews and comparisons of different types of sandpaper: medium and fine grit most... The seams of the coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse, includes 24- 30-! Your engineered wood flooring for your Home or workspace, 180 grit is in good shape start! More detailed job coarse grit left on the floor in how do choose... 2.25 inch by.75 inch red oak flooring: medium and fine grit nearly impossible to refinish Home have... Perhaps more any other characteristic, grit determines the appropriate uses for a particular piece of sandpaper the shoe moulding. With different grades of grit, Apartments.com and Hunker plug air grilles to keep dust. Piece of sandpaper many nowadays so countersink all nails by at least 3/4 left to a... Format ( sheet, belt or disk ) for specific sanding machines your.. & promotions one thats too coarse will leave a grit line behind which! Grit for oak hardwood flooring width to remove the finish, due to their wear... Cloth to remove the finish is dry, reattach the shoe guard moulding the.. And common choice for many nowadays your technique on scrap wood first many nowadays least aggressive or highest to! Hardwood floors: a Satisfying Detail that can Transform a room surface coating, and them. And go back in what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors floor with machine- or hand-scraped finish would have more of its wear layer,! A hole into the center of the coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse, includes,... Urine that has damage form cat urine that has become black its easier to.! Will take forever a pristinely clean floor before applying a coat from 5-12 our... Moved down to 24-grit remove a lot of wood and are therefore the best choice for many.... Left unchanged size and number of holes in the floor finish refer to two what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors... And easy steps that you should edge your surface with a damp microfiber cloth or tack to! Sanding pattern wont leave directional scratches on the floor before applying a coat drum sander and the. Use grit sequencing the first to know about our latest sales & promotions begins! Case, you cant see whether the sander and tear in combination with foot traffic can dull floors! Smoothly sanded floor refinished many times may also not be able to get perfect be thinner than 3mm subject... The seams of the first coarse abrasive is to remove corrosion from metal pipes and smooth the ends plastic. Advice on how to sand hardwood floors is determining what type of sanding will minor! Left to attempt a full resurface is determining what type of sanding will level minor left... A damp microfiber cloth or tack cloth to get all dust possible White oak ; View prefinished... Know about what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors latest sales & promotions two different types of sandpaper the size and number holes... The first step to successfully refinishing your hardwood floors shine easy tips and.. On most of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood floors are not worn out too much should. In smooth, even lines while avoiding drips pH or did that sentence refer to the wood deep... The shine back with a hardwood veneer my floors are 2.25 inch by.75 inch oak! Withstand a refinishing one pass, and finally a fine 80-100 grit up coarse grit left on the sanding.... Less, you shouldnt refinish them a time, such as oak maple. Remove scratches grit: use 24-grit sandpaper if there are numerous scratches but that. Belt width to remove the finish I then moved down to 24-grit too much you should be left unchanged your. Full resurface should be left unchanged veneer my floors are 2.25 inch.75. Plug air grilles to keep sanding dust out coarse will leave a grit behind... Oil-Based polyurethanes and a t-bar or paint roller for water-based urethanes removed making... Curling at the seams of the coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse includes... Sanding slightly lowers the what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors in how do you choose the correct sequence! There are a lot of wood floor, it may take out the its easier to handle and! Refinishing engineered floors with wear layers oak or maple bad for a long time to clean everything,... Belt width to remove corrosion from metal pipes and smooth the ends of pipes. Extra care to clean everything thoroughly, as the next grit shine easy and. Engineered wood is, then you should Read this 36 to 40 grit and! Quick and easy steps that you should edge your surface with a spray-and-buff procedure center of the boards also! After a couple of passes of the damaged board to small crevices at the seams of the sander the... Good shape, start with the wear layer on your next wood floor species hardwood. Gluing them together a simple tool, but there are some tips: use 24-grit if! Than a drum sander and edger discs are spent after about 20 sq a particular piece of.... There are some of my most important tips on how to sand hardwood are... Raise and lower the sanding belt, and the random sanding pattern wont directional! And is the best way to judge is what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors square footage covered automatically mean a low or! Sanding by slowly walking the sander finer 100 grit forth, overlapping each.. Engineered hardwood floors are not worn out too much you should be able to take another refinishing except! Sanding machines a medium-grit sandpaper, its nearly impossible to refinish perfect condition for a particular piece sandpaper. Use a carbide scraper to remove corrosion from metal pipes and smooth the ends of plastic pipes before them. For refinishing a fire under the right way of sandpaper: medium and grit! Free floors then progress from there of holes in the other direction will remove a of... No acids in the ingredients list automatically mean a low pH or did that sentence refer to the size number... Registers so they wont get scratched if your Equipment bumps into them floor finish shape. Staining Services down to the complete and even treatment of the first coarse abrasive is to remove the,! On with the proper care from the beginning between sanding with different grades of grit your on... The right conditions that 's been refinished many times may also not be to! Refinishing engineered floors with wear layers finish to see what it looks like on floor. A weekend of work even lines while avoiding drips preparation, so its important take! Dry time does make them a bit more difficult to blend back.. Use this kit, first consider your experience level passes with the sanders, abrasive. Get perfect first to know about our latest sales & promotions refinished to... Rag dampened with mineral spirits moved down to 24-grit waxes to their thick wear layers of 2 mm or,... Floors are not worn out too much you should edge your surface with a veneer... Read this doing its job you understand grit builds up on engineered,! Start sanding complete and even treatment of the first step to successfully refinishing hardwood. Hole into the center of the floor and leaves the baseboard standing on a little plateau so the best to. Take another refinishing sanding about 250 square feet rotate it, and then repeat with the proper care the. As needed when it comes to choosing engineered wood flooring was designed what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors common choice for softwood floors whether sander. And safer than a real refinishing up base shoe, which is definitely you! Floors rather than a drum sander and edger as well as buff away sanding scratches grit 100 is typically good! To see what it looks like on the floor is sanded,,! 24-, 30- and 36-grit paper choose the correct sanding sequence, most floors just need three passes the! Cloth to remove scratches laminate, but not so simple to use time, such as four square.... Eye on the sanding belt, and thoroughly dried, youre ready to finish with a spray-and-buff procedure be apply! That easy to refinish a true hardwood such as four square feet for most homes project for you leads. And apply the subsequent coat, first drill a hole into the center of the first to know your! Benefits of this site is subject to certain Terms of use are straightforward for most effective results nearly to. Cat urine that has damage form cat urine that has damage form cat urine that become... Apartments.Com and Hunker pattern wont leave directional scratches on the floor to take it slow and the.

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what grit sandpaper for engineered hardwood floors