Over time, oak floors get darken, and areas of wear and tear become apparent. To keep the shine of wooden floors up and damage-free, sanding oak floor is very important.

The procedure of sanding and refinishing depends upon the type of wood; the floor is made up of.

 

How to Sand Oak Floors/ Sanding Oak Floor

Sanding can be done by hand, but for quicker results and an easier job floor sander is recommended.

It is important to use the right tools and safety equipment.

 

Finishing

  • Use a sander that can connect to a dust extractor. It will not only protect you from harmful particles but also will ensure a much cleaner work area.
  • Start with the right level of sandpaper. 36 is a very coarse type of sandpaper, and so it is perfect for the removal of the tough hard wax oil layer and the excessively worn areas.
  • As the finish clogging up the discs, the initial sanding change to sandpaper discs will be greater than towards the end of the process.
  • In the beginning, maintain a constant speed across the boards. This consistency is important to ensure that all areas are sanded uniformly. Remember that some areas can face differences by excessive sanding.
  • To focus on a few board runs at a time, follow the oak floorings natural grain direction up and down the boards. Getting as close to the walls without touching the walls, at this point, will save further sanding later on.
  • When you continue the process around the room, you will notice that the oil is reduced, and the oak flooring lightens. No, there is a need to change.

 

When to Use Scrap?

  • At this stage, the level of wear is quite high, leaving darker patches in-between the grooves of the boards of the oak floor. Use a scraper to scrape between the joints, a great way to clear away the wear.
  • Sanding must be done by hand or using an electric hand sander for the edges of the room. This way, you can get all of the small, hard to reach areas in your room.
  • To add more before the final run of sanding, to make the most out of sanding, you can give a wick cleaning to your oak floor through a vacuum. This is to ensure that any excess build-up of dust is eliminated.

 

Refinishing

Once you have sanded back your oak floor to bare timber, recoating the floor with your desired finish is then next step.

  • Keep the time between the final sanding and the new application as minimum as possible. This way, freshly sanded flooring does not become marked in its unprotected state.
  • The application of finish can vary as per your choice, so the process from this point also differs accordingly. Generally, for recoating, a hard wax oil finish is applied.
  • It is important to make sure oak flooring is thoroughly cleaned before the application of the finish can begin. So no dust or residues swirl on the surface.
  • A natural floor brush is always reminded to apply the hard wax oil. This type of brush will ensure efficacy and fit onto the end of a standard broom handle, allowing for quick and easy application of the finish.

 

Application of Oil Coating

  • Before applying, stirrer well the hard wax oil into a container. Not overfilling the brush, dab the floor brush into the mixture of the oil.
  • Beginning from the furthest point of exit, apply the oil thinly, and evenly along the length of the boards. As you do in the sanding process, working down a few runs of boards at a time is best.
  • To cover the whole area, continue this process working across and down the room.
  • Once you are done, the area should be left to dry with good aeration. The drying process can take time, depending on the hard wax oil brand you are using.
  • De-nib, the first coat is done to achieve a glass-like (smooth touch) look before applying a second coat. In this sanding over the surface of the boards is done very minimally, which helps to take off the slight bit of raising that can occur when applying an oiled finish. This process may require additional coats to be applied.

Again make sure that the surface is deep clean and devoid of any dust particles sitting on the surface of the boards.

Once completed, the second coat is then applied using the same method as the same first coat.

 

This is how Sand and Finish Hardwood Floors is accomplished.