Floor Sanding Advice required

pinksl412

Hello,

I am planning to sand the floor of a bedroom. The area is 10ft x 14ft.

I am considering hiring a drum type floor sander. Does anyone know how many sheets/belts I can expect to use ? i sanded a little area with a hand sander grit P60 and another grit P40 the P60 leaves a smoother finish and is what I am after. So any idea on amount of P60 belts or sheets required?

Also from pic below can anyone tell what wood this is ?

http://www.doubleclick.ie/Photo0164.jpg

mad m

Wood looks like white deal.

First thing to do is get a hammer and make sure none of the brad nails on floor are protruding as it will tear your sandpaper in a second..

The hire company will give you ample amount with the sander, they then charge you per sheet of what you used. Start off with the roughest, then use a lower P-grade sandpaper. Remember to keep the lighter grades for later on when you used your lacquer to sand in between coats.

They say to start from corner to corner when sanding a floor but I found in past that it scours the wood too much, you will also get natural cupping in these floorboards.

When you start the drum make sure you have it lifted in air, then walk with it slowly forward lowering it slowly onto floor until you feel the bite, when your coming up the end lift slowly. If you dont do this it will tear into the floor.

I found also to rent an 9inch angle grinder and sandpaper to get right into edges. Be carefull when coming up to radiator pipes because one slip and it will slice into a copper/qualpex pipe, then thats a whole different ball game..

pinksl412

Thank you Mad m for advice.

Multiple lacquer coats are required I take it. would 2 -3 be enough

mad m

3 would be more than enough. Its a bedroom so it won't get much traffic during the day. I'd try and go for a water based lacquer rather than a cellouse based. Granted the cellouse based one can be harder wearing but todays water based versions can be good,plus the fumes from the cellouse based one can knock you out, and seeing as its a bedroom and not too much traffic then it would be ok...


Have fun now....and sand inbetween coats.

S.L.F

The last time I sanded a floor was a good few years ago and all the advice you have here has been good but I'd never sand a floor again.

I perfer to get someone in to do it for me instead as it cost me almost as much to hire and buy all the stuff as it did to get the guy I got in.

meemeep

Hi,

we've hired a drum sander for the weekend but the paper keeps ripping without doing very much. We've put it in as tight as we can...any tips? It's doing a great job for the little time it stays in place, but the hire place closed at lunchtime and at this rate we'll be out of paper by this evening - must be doing something wrong? nails all hammered in as per other posts.

thanks
meemeep

Qualitymark

meemeep wrote: »

Hi,

we've hired a drum sander for the weekend but the paper keeps ripping without doing very much. We've put it in as tight as we can...any tips? It's doing a great job for the little time it stays in place, but the hire place closed at lunchtime and at this rate we'll be out of paper by this evening - must be doing something wrong? nails all hammered in as per other posts.

thanks
meemeep

Nails need to be hammered down below the actual surface with a nail punch, though. My (shudder) memories of sanding all contain a lot of images of me weeping helplessly as the sandpaper breaks with a tremendous bang for the tenth time, and a lot of cursing too.

meemeep

Thanks QM - we've hammered all the nails but we seem to have it sussed (I'm going to regret typing that). After tightening the clamp screws, we spin the drum without putting it down on the ground. Then unplug, and re-tighten. Then periodically stop and repeat the tightening. It seems the screws are loosening very quickly. Fingers crossed we've enough paper to finish the job. Thanks for the fast reply. Losing the will to live rapidly!!

Qualitymark

meemeep wrote: »

Losing the will to live rapidly!!

That's the sanding experience all right.

Sounds a bit as if it's a faulty machine; I've never had that happen.

toadfly

Hi All,

hopefully someone here can help.

We got the keys to our house on Friday, had planned on spening this wekeend sanding the downstairs (dining, sitting room & hall) hired a sander and have seriously regretted starting it. Its not even taking the varnish off properly never mind the scratches. We have been at it since first thing yesterday and since 12 today and its a disaster. We have a crowd calling over this evening to price it but said it would cost around €18 square yard (I think). Anyone know how much we should be paying and can you recommend someone good, reasonable priced and available to start tomorrow in Galway?

We have to move in Friday!

HELP

meemeep

Tilly - sorry for your trouble - I can feel your pain. The machine we hired was a disaster also. We had huge strips throughout where the machine didn't get the varnish. We went out and bought a hand sander -cost 100euro but it did a brilliant job - our backs and knees are broken mind you. We've one floor done (stained (3-4 coats), varnished/sanded - 5 times). Still one floor to do. Never again:-) Hope you found someone good.

toadfly

We have a hand sander as well but its taking forever so have to get someone in. We have a quote from The Ultimate Sanding Company to do it Wed/Thurs for €18 square yard. Thats for sanding, priming, varnish and sealing. No choice at this stage as we have to go back to work tomorrow and have to move in Friday so cant do anymore.

If anyone can recommend some that will do a good job this week for cheaper please do!

So pi$$ed off!

galwaydude18

Just sent you a PM

galwaydude18

did u get sorted out since?

toadfly

All sorted - thanks guys

galwaydude18

good stuff.how much a square metre did u get it done for in the end

toadfly

Got it done for €10 square yard. Lovely guy from Milltown, done in one day and its perfect. Relief!

Thanks again.

galwaydude18

well done! Thats some result! Almost half what the other crowd wanted!

irishlady29

Any recommendations for someone to sand wooden floors? In the Galway area. Would'nt be brave enough to take on the job meself!