Hardwood Floors April May 2018

Unique Techniques

Sanding Beyond Strip and Plank (Continued)

done by hand in order to restore the originally intended sculpture of these oors. Labor costs should be accounted for with this added work. When resculpting an existing oor, the appearance will likely change. Alternatively, recoating these types of oors may o en be the best option. Routine maintenance on these types of oors is extremely important to the longevity of the products. Unfortunately, when improperly maintained, these oors are extremely di cult to bring back to the intended appearance. Inlays

DISTRESSED/SCULPTED FLOORS When sanding a distressed or sculpted oor, use extreme caution. Distressed ooring may be classi ed as hand scraped, wire brushed, textured, or similar. ese types of oors cannot be resanded using traditional methods to maintain the textured appearance. Due to the variation in the surface wear layer thickness, these types of oors are challenging and o en cannot be sanded. e wear layer may be less than the recommended 3/32” thickness in many areas of the oor, which would become the lowest point that the remaining oor would need to be sanded to in order to get it at. NWFA does not recommend sanding a wood oor when the wear layer is less than 3/32” thick.

Metal: When sanding brass, aluminum, or other non-ferrous metals with a drum or belt sander, be aware that the metals will dull the abrasive at a quicker rate than wood materials. is may cause streaks in the abrasive, which will transfer to the ooring surface. Use caution when using an edger not to overheat the metals, which can burn adjacent wood or cause metal expansion that may lead to adhesive bond failure, resulting in the metal coming loose from the oor (potentially damaging your equipment). If the metal inlay is protruding above the surface of the ooring surface, use a router with a pa ern bit to cut the metal down to slightly below the ooring surface, or

If you determine the oors can be resanded, the oor will need to be sanded at steep (45°) angles just to begin to get the oor at. Remember, the steeper the angles, the more sanding with the equipment will be required to remove abrasive scratches. When a sculpted oor is at the point of needing to be re nished, the alternative methods are either scraping, wire brushing, or texturing using alternative methods and equipment. Massive amounts of work must typically be

90 hardwood floors www.hardwoodfloorsmag.com