I finally got remove the ugly green carpet in my living room and dining room. I was treated to a nice 1920’s oak hardwood floor, a very nice suprise.
It does need a little so I plan on sanding and refinishing it. My local rental house has both the belt sander and the edger. After reading some of the horror stories about the belt sander, I was thinking about just using the edger.
These rooms are not huge, and I have the time. Is this a good plan or should I bite the bullet and use the belt sander?
Thanks!
Patrick
Replies
Don't know exactly what you mean by an edger but if the floors are relatively flat
(board to board) you could probably get by using the style of floor sander I rented at
HD which has four random orbital sanders on the bottom. It enables you to get very
close to the baseboard and is a lot more forgiving than a drum sander.
If your floors need leveled/flattened board to board or have a lot of deep gouges it
will take some time using this type of sander.
Dan
Ditto what pghdan said. I'm guessing the "edger" you're referring to is a heavy 7" or 8" random-orbit sander. The biggest problem you'll have using this for the whole floor (besides lots of time on your knees) is that it will be hard to get a level job, because you'll only be doing 8" at any one time.I've also used the 4-pad RO sander, and it would definitely take a long time to get rid of significant scratches or gouges, but it is a lot less risky than the drum.Got a good belt sander? Cheaper than renting the edger, and I'd think, with care, you could expect similar results.
An edger is a disc sander on steroids (not a random orbital sander) and will give you problems if you try to use it for the whole floor. It's meant to be used to feather the field into the edges and won't work well to do a large area - It won't give you a flat floor. If you're afraid of the drum sander (which is a good instinct -- those things take practice or you'll end up with a floor that looks like the North Sea), look around for alternates. I've used several. One type consists of four random orbital sanders mounted together on the bottom of a machine. A bit slow, but safe.
Another option is to use a floor buffer with a pad and sanding screen. I like it better since it's faster. There is a bit of a learning curve to these things too, but primarily on how to steer 'em -- you lift the handle up or push it down just a bit to make the machine go left or right. They're WAY more forgiving than a drum sander though and, IMHO, much easier to use.
Check your local shops to see if anyone rents either of these. I know the HD near me rents both types. Also, be sure to be careful with the dust. Never leave it in a bag or in piles inside. Spontaneous combustion is a definite possiblilty.
Mike Hennessy
Pittsburgh, PA
Funny how our brains see things that don't exist. You say BELT sander yet everyone is talking abut DRUM sander. I feel the belt sander is more forgiving than the drum sander and if you use a finer grit than the usual starter grit it will help you get the feel of things, slower for sure, but at least you might avoid digs and or gouges. The edger is a nasty tool to a novice. Once you put the finish on you might be surprised how wavy the area is that you thought was, perfect, I can remember my first time I used one about 40 some years back :-)
Just remember to share your experiences and pictures with us, and good luck!
Virginbuild
The traditional drum sander is MUCH faster but also MUCH harder to handle.
If the floor is in reasonable shape I'd genuinely opt for the pad-type random orbit. MUCH slower, but MUCH easier to handle and nearly impossible to have an "accident".
Mike,
You and/or the last two posters should tell us how do you know when it it is safe to start taking off the surface of an existing hardwood floor without getting too close to the top of the groove in a T&G floor.
I think you know what I mean!
Sometimes it's not safe to sand?
It can be sanded so many times?
TRIGGER
I have been refinishing wood floors for many years using an random orbital sander. Until last month I had been using Porter Cable & Makita, then I bought a Rigid 6", hook it up to the shop vac and have at it. I use 60 grit, fill the hloes, come back with 80, then wipe down with mineral spirits, one coat of Flecto floor finish, let it set for 4 hours, apply a second coat, let it set for 72 hours, sand with 150 wipe with mineral spirits, appy coat 3 let set 4 hours apply coat 4. I end up with great looking and long lasting wood floors.
GR,You're able to do the whole floor with just the 6" sander? My woodworking experience makes me feel a whole lot more comfortable with that.Are you knees and back hurting after using it on a couple rooms though? Are you able to achieve flat floors?I'm interested, this could be a nearly foolproof (I emphasize nearly) way to do my floors. I've also posted another thread about my nail and patch problems with this floor, check it out if you're interested.Thanks!
Patrick
Edited 4/25/2006 9:39 am ET by Corrib
You ask about flat floors.. .if you have great variations in the level of the floor the method that I use may not work. The good side is that you are not taking off very much stock using 60 grit. I am not flexable and young anymore but I found that if I use a kneeling pad (like they sell in the garden department) the back work is not too bad. Give a room a try, I have happy customers (including my wife). I will say that you need to use plenty of light (quartz shop lights) to make sure that you ger even coverage with the Flecto floor finish.
HD rents an 18 by 24 or so pad sander specifically for floors. My 14 year old ran it without a problem. (Good job for a teen by the way) They have sand paper and the backing pads to make it work. Truely a great tool.
If you are doing a gym floor then by all means use the drum sander. However anything drum sanded in a house seems foolish for the once in a while professional.
When you get it sanded smooth remember it is the rainy season. Finish takes a lot longer to cure with humid air. Instead of hours it could be days for your second coat. My 14 year old got a lot of practice on the sander when we had to strip off 2 coats of poly that had alligatored.
Edited 4/25/2006 11:18 am by booch