Wooden floors are elegant and timeless, and they do not lack charm. They fit both modern, minimalist interiors and those decorated in a retro style. To maintain the beautiful appearance of parquet floors, we need to remember about their regular sanding. What does such a renovation procedure consist of?
At the outset, we must emphasize that parquet sanding is only possible for natural wood floors. If our floor was laid with laminate panels, we will have to replace them in case of damage or abrasion. Self-sanding is carried out every 10-20 years or so. The frequency of renovation depends on the intensity of use of the floor or the quality of the wood protection layer.
Sanding a wooden floor is a process that involves sanding the surface with a scraper, which is equipped with discs or belts of sandpaper. During sanding, other sanding equipment can also be used to help comprehensively restore the wooden surface.
During sanding, the top layer of the wood is peeled off along with the varnish covering it, usually about 1-2 mm of material is removed. After removing the damaged layer, we see a surface without discoloration, dirt and dents. Thanks to sanding, the floor is refreshed, smoothed and can serve for years to come.
After sanding, it is a good idea to varnish or paint the floor with special paints, which will further protect the wood from damage.
Before sanding, we need to properly prepare the room and the floor. We bring out all the furniture, pull down the curtains and blinds so that they do not get dirty during the renovation. It will also be necessary to remove the baseboards, as well as vacuum and wash the floor.
After cleaning the room, we can prepare the tools and machinery. We will need a scraper, thanks to which we will remove old varnish coatings. We will sand the hard-to-reach places, for example, under the radiator, with an edge-sanding machine. It’s also a good idea to prepare a polisher, which will help remove scratches and nicks created during sanding. We still need to have rollers and brushes nearby, with which we will apply protective agents, and a vacuum cleaner.
We start cyclining by carefully sanding the floor, removing old varnish coats and leveling the surface. To begin with, it is best to apply sandpaper with a gradation of 36 to 40 on the cyclinder.Then we repeat the sanding procedure, using a paper with a gradation of 60.We carry out finishing sanding with an abrasive with a gradation of 80 to 100.We continue sanding until we consider that the floor is perfectly smooth.
After sanding, we clean the floor of dust and check for cavities. If there are, we can seal the surface of the floor with specialized preparations, which we mix with the dust created during sanding. After the preparation dries, we sand the floor again with 120-grit sandpaper.
Finally, the polished floor should be varnished with an agent that provides effective wood protection and resistance to mechanical damage, abrasion or scratches. The varnish is best applied with a mohair roller with short bristles.
main photo: pixabay.com/karishea
