Floor Sanding FAQs |
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| Here you will find a set
of typical questions and answers which address
most of the main issues and concerns that
might enter your mind as your consider your
sanding project. |
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| Simply select a question
from the list to find our expert answer: |
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| Q. How
long will it take to sand a medium-sized room? |
| A medium sized room takes
approx 4 to 5 hours if it is old floorboards
which have not been sanded before. On previously
finished and hardwood or parquet floors, it
should take a little less. |
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| Q. Can
I use a big machine on parquet? |
| Yes, because our big machine
is lever-operated so you can control the raising
and lowering of the drum. It won’t damage
the floor. |
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| For best results, use a fine-finisher
to “table-top” finish afterwords. |
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| Q. Do
I need to punch the nails in below the surface
of the floor? |
Traditionally, because of
poor-quality paper-backed abrasives, this
was necessary. However, with our cloth abrasives,
provided the nails are level
with the floor and not above them, you don’t
need to set the nails. |
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| Q. Why
is the cloth 24 grit abrasive expensive? |
We do 3 qualities of the
rough ‘clean-up’, or 24 grit grade
for the regular big machine. Although we stock
it, we don’t recommend the regular hire
shop type paper, as the abrasive is too soft
for such a large, heavy-duty grit, as this
quality frequently breaks and blocks the machine.
Overall it is also more expensive! You use
3 or 4 sheets to every 1 of our silicone carbide
cloth belts. Our cloth belts are nylon-impregnated
and also have a superior glue holding the
abrasive grit so they last much longer.
The most efficient and fastest cutting of
the lot is our top-of-the range Zirconia sheet
which lasts the longest, easily 5 or 6 times
longer than a normal hire shop paper and cuts
the fastest. The cloth is thicker and the
grit continually renews itself by splitting
and forming new sharp particles. |
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| Q. Can
the sanders get rid of paint, glue and carpet
foam? |
| Regular household paint on
a floor is not usually an issue, because of
our unique abrasives. Zirconia cloth belts
should definitely be used to remove regular
household paint from a floor. The black bitumen-type
paint which frequently ‘picture-frames’
floors in old houses, usually about a metre
all round the edge, can be more of a challenge.
However, with the zirconia abrasive, and the
instructions in our book on how to get rid
of it, you should get it all off. It will
take a little longer, however, you will be
rewarded with a particularly attractive floor
at the end, because usually the quality of
wood was superior when this finish was put
around the edges. (The first few coats of
that the “bitumen” would have
been put on as a tint for the wood grain to
show through. Traditionally, the tint matched
the tiles in the fireplace, but over many
applications the original colour would have
been lost.) |
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| Q. How
much will the abrasive cost for the big machine
and edger? |
| Approx £18-25 per medium-sized
room. |
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| Q. How
do I get the bit right in the corners and
behind radiators clean? |
| We sell a very useful item
called a Tungsten scraper for that. |
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| Q. Do
you provide goggles, gloves, masks and earmuffs? |
| In short, "Yes"! |
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| Q. Should
I decorate before or after sanding? |
Before is usually best. It
is much easier to touch up the odd scuff on
the skirting caused by the edger (although
ours have a protective Velcro strip on the
front) than try to protect your newly-varnished
floor or re-do new lacquer where it has been
scratched by ladders or splashed with paint.
Remember our machines are virtually dust-free,
so any small amount of dust can easily be
got rid of. |
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| Q. What
kind of varnish should I use? |
| We usually recommend, and
only stock, high-quality water-based varnish
products, as they are non-toxic, non-yellowing
and quick drying. Please note that this new,
water-based technology has only really matured
in the last few years, and some well-known
and widely-sold products are not very durable.
They can need re-doing in under a year in
some cases, whereas our varnishes are designed
to last at least 5 years, some up to 20, subject
to conditions and regular maintenance, etc. |
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| Q. How
many coats will I need? |
| 2 coats in lightly-used areas
like bedrooms, 3 coats in living areas, and
4 coats in entrance halls, kitchens and bathrooms. |
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| Q. How
much water-based varnish will I need? |
| Approximately 5L for 2 coats
on 25 square metres. |
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| Q. I
can't decide whether to use gloss, satin or
matt. |
| Gloss as a finish is not
popular as it shows up any minor imperfections
in the floor. However, it is sometimes used
effectively on tropical/darker woods for a
particular look. Satin, which is between gloss
and matt, is the popular contemporary look.
It has a sheen and reflects some light, and
is forgiving of the odd minor imperfection.
Matt, although still a small part of the market,
gives a very natural waxed look. |
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| Q. Which
wears better, gloss, satin or matt? |
| In the 20th century, when
solvent-based polyurethanes were common, gloss
was harder wearing, because manufacturers
used additives which weaken the finish to
achieve a satin or matt look. However, with
our range of water-based varnishes, there
is no difference in durability between matt,
satin and gloss finishes. |
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| Q. What's
the best way to apply the varnish? |
| Professionals use rollers.
However, if you are doing one or two rooms,
you can achieve better results with a large
inexpensive floor brush, which we stock. If
doing a hardwood floor in a large area, it
would be worth using a roller or T-bar. |
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| Q. How
long does it take to dry? |
| Around 1 hour for the first
coat, 2 hours for the second coat. On a damp
humid day, a little longer. |
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| Q. What's
the difference between varnishes, oils and
waxes? |
| Varnish coats the top surface
of the floor, and forms a hard surface when
it dries. This is the usual way of finishing
wood floors. |
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| Oil is sometimes used on
hardwoods i.e. oak, walnut, tropical hardwoods
etc. It works by being absorbed into the timber
and relies on the natural inherent strength
of the timber itself to protect its surface.
If oil is being used, the floor should be
fine-finished in preparation. With pine floorboards
and the softer hardwoods, oil finish doesn’t
seem to work as well. It is important that
you see an oiled finish with your type of
wood floor to see if this finish suits your
floor style. |
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| Shellack and wax finish:
pre-1960’s, shellack, a French-polish
type varnish was used, which was then waxed
over. This system is very highmaintenance
and not suitable at all in kitchens and living
rooms, as wax leaves white deposits when in
contact with water. It is also very slippery
when wet. |
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