Hardwood Floors April May 2018

Unique Techniques

Sanding Beyond Strip and Plank (Continued)

Load the sandingmachine with the nest abrasive selection possible to a en the ooring. It is recommended not to skip any grits when sanding end grain ooring. e rst cut should be at a 45° angle to the direction of the installation. Walking speed is slower than normal due to the grain orientation and the subsequent density of thematerial. Vacuum between cuts. e second cut should be on the opposite 45° angle, using the next grit of sandpaper, not skipping any grits between sanding. Again, walking speed is slower than normal. Each of the subsequent sanding cuts with the big machine should also be at a 45° angle to the direction of the installation. Typically, the nal sanding grit for end grain ooring will be ner than for a strip or plank ooring. Vacuum thoroughly. Use an edger to sand edges and other places inaccessible to the sanding machine, using the nest grit that will a en the oor. For the nal cut with the edger, use the same grit that will be used on the nal sanding cut with the big machine.

For the nal cut with the edger, use the same grit that will be used on the nal sanding cut with the big machine. Hand scrape corners, around doorjambs and other areas where the edger cannot be used. Apply even pressure, scraping in the direction of the grain. A er scraping, use a sanding block and paper (same grit as on the sanding machine) to blend the ooring. Sanding the bevel with the corner of the block may be necessary on bevel-edged products. Do not sharpen scrapers on raw wood when using waterborne nishes. e lings may cause rust spots or black spots in the nish. Vacuum thoroughly. is is the point at which professionals are separated from everyone else: examine the oor for visible edger and sander imperfections by closely inspecting the oor with bright lights and on hands and knees, then make repairs as necessary. Extra sanding may be required using hand-held orbital sanders, scrapers, or by hand to remove imperfections. If the result is not satisfactory, the previous steps must be repeated, and the abrasive selection and/or tools used may need to be adjusted accordingly. When using random orbital sanders or other sanding machines to remove scratches, be sure to use the same grit as was used in the nal sanding process. Again, vacuum thoroughly. Parquet oors should be nal sanded using a hard plate a achment on the bu er, a multi-disc sanding machine, or an oscillating sander to minimize dish-out and uneven ooring. When transitioning to these types of sanders, start with the last grit you used on the big machine and progress to the desired nish grit without skipping any grits. ese types of sanders will also mask or alleviate any cross-grain scratch pa erns, which may otherwise become apparent on the nal product. END GRAIN FLOORS Check the moisture content of the wood oor before sanding to ensure moisture content is at the same level as properly acclimated/conditioned ooring from the installation process. If the oor is installed in an adhesive application, sanding and nishing should occur a er the adhesive has cured and the moisture content of the wood has returned to the same level as properly acclimated/conditioned ooring from the installation process. Refer to the adhesive manufacturer’s recommendations for proper curing time.

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