What to Consider When You're Planning to Sand Your Timber Floor

Many years ago, you may have decided that wall-to-wall carpet was not for you and that you wanted something else on the floor of your dream home. At that time, therefore, you decided to install timber flooring, and even though this was quite a significant amount of upheaval, you've been very pleased with the effect since then. However, with the passage of time the floor has lost some of its lustre and will need to be retreated. But what do you need to think about before you plan such a big job?

Assess the Challenge

Due to the nature of the installation, it's almost inevitable that your floor will suffer from a certain amount of wear and tear. Indeed, you may notice the odd scratch here or there where you have moved some heavy furniture, or you may notice that some of the surface appears to have faded where it has been sitting in direct sunlight.

In the majority of cases, however, the timber itself is perfectly fine but the finish will need to be reapplied in order to bring everything back to its original condition. Before that can happen, the imperfections will need to be sanded away using a specific process.

Sand the Floor

Timber floor sanding is quite a labour-intensive job and you need to ensure that you use the right equipment. For most people, this will mean hiring in the gear or, preferably, outsourcing the entire work to a specialist. During the process, different grades of sandpaper will be applied with varying amounts of pressure to get rid of the worn finish.

Don't be surprised if a very thin layer of timber is removed during the process as well —  some experts actually recommend that this be done. In fact, it's possible to do this several times during the life of the timber floor, so you should have nothing to worry about.

If the sanding process is done correctly, it will make the timber very receptive to the replacement finish, and it could also open the pores within the structure of the wood for additional effect.

Get Ready

Remember, you will have to prepare your home carefully before the experts arrive to do their work. Typically, this means that you will have to move all the heavy items of furniture out of the way and cover anything else in proximity. After all, while the procedure may be mostly dust free, you will want to reduce the amount of time spent during cleanup as well.

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