Different Types of Floor Sanders

 Refinishing worn hardwood floors isn’t a DIY project for beginners, but if you’re determined and somewhat skilled, you can pull it off with the right equipment and materials. Sanding a hardwood floor is the first step of the refinishing process.

 

Types of Floor Sanders

There are several different types of sanders used for refinishing hardwood floors. All are available to rent from us or at local tool rental centers, where you can also purchase sandpaper to fit each machine.

Drum Sander

 

Drum sanders are massively heavy beasts that generally require two people to carry. A large sandpaper belt fits over a rotating drum, which spins at high velocity and makes quick work of sanding a floor. A built-in dust bag catches most of the dust and debris, although you’ll need to vacuum thoroughly before coating the floor.

Drum sanders are powerful enough to remove finishes and stains, smooth high spots, and take the floor down to a layer of bare, untouched wood. If you’re not experienced with this type of machine, you can quickly cause serious, permanent damage to your floor if you aren’t very careful. If the sander isn’t positioned just right and properly operated, it can grind deep grooves and valleys into the wood. So we Recommend you leave this step to a professional who has experience using these machines.

Orbital Sander

 

An orbital sander consists of a circular or square sanding pad that moves in a small orbital pattern. Orbital sanders are primarily used for finishing, because they remove little material. Although sanding a floor with an orbital sander will take considerably longer than it would with a drum sander, and it’ll require more sandpaper, an orbital sander is less likely to cause permanent damage to your floor. A square orbital sander can reach into corners and other spaces that a large drum sander can’t reach.

Vibrating Sander

 

Like orbital sanders, vibrating sanders are used primarily as a finishing sander to smooth out the wood after using the drum sander. A vibrating sander is about the same size as a drum sander, and it also has a dust bag attached. However, it’s much lighter, and rather than a rotating belt, it consists of a vibrating sanding pad. This makes it much easier to move across the floor in smooth passes. Like orbital sanders, vibrating sanders are less likely than drum sanders to damage the floor.

Edge Sanders

 

Drum sanders, vibrating sanders, and some large orbital sanders are too big and bulky to reach into corners and along the edges of the room where the floor meets the wall. Enter the edge sander, which is a heavy, hand-held sander with an orbital sanding pad and a built-in dust bag. Because of its weight, an edge sander is as effective as a drum sander at removing surface material, but it can damage the floor if it’s improperly used, causing gouges and circular marks in the wood.

 

Floor Sanding Tips

Sand All the Rooms at the Same Time 

If your refinishing multiple rooms on the same level you should do them all at the same time this way you can ensure a uniform finished product.

Clean as you go

Vacuum and dust that doesn't get collected as you sand. This will ensure you don't get extra grit under that pad which can cause scratch marks in the final product.

Sanding in the Wrong Direction 

Always Sand in the direction of the Grain when doing the final finish sanding to avoid sanding marks and scratches. You can Sand in other directions when sanding the top layers off to smooth out and warping or cupping boards.

How to Remove Edger Swirl

No matter how experienced you are with the edging sander, there’s a high likelihood that there will be “edger swirl” around the perimeter of the room. Remove this by sanding the swirl by hand with 80-grit sandpaper. Using an orbital or vibrating sander to remove the swirl will over-polish the edges, giving them a different texture than the rest of the floor.

Vacuum Thoroughly over Two Days

Even the tiniest speck of dust can show up permanently on your floor once the coating is laid down. A thorough vacuuming is crucial for a perfect finish. Vacuum at least twice over the course of two days as dust will settle on the floor after a day, paying special attention to the cracks between the planks and along the baseboards. After vacuuming, use a dry microfiber cloth to remove the finest specks from the floor.

 Safety First

Always wear Eye protection and a Dust mask Rated for Small Particulates. We Recommend using Goggles not glasses for your eye protection as the fine dust can just float around the glasses. We also recommend a Minimum Rating of N95 for your dust mask to ensure your protecting your lungs as best as you can.

Make sure you keep a eye of the cords of these sanders once you get into the groove its very easy to forget about them and run them over with the sander potentially ruining the hard work you've done so far.