Important Facts About The Wood Floor Restoration Process

Before you begin reading, it's necessary to say that this is not a guide on how to sand your floor. This article is meant to give you a general idea of the risks and dangers involved, that someone who has never before attempted floor sanding, might encounter. We will also provide you with some insight into how the different stages of floor restoration, to allow you to understand how the process works.

Floor Sanding, Refinishing and Restoration. What’s The Difference?

The procedure known as "floor sanding" involves stripping away the old, damaged protective coating on top of your wooden floor using abrasive materials. Once that protective coating (also called 'floor finish') is removed, the underlying wood is left bare and unblemished, ready for a new finish. This process is also referred to as "refinishing."

It's important to clarify these terms because there is a third term—"floor restoration"—that often confuses. When clients enquire about "floor sanding," they might assume it only involves sanding down the surface, applying a finish, and considering the job done. However, for contractors, "sanding" often implies a comprehensive "floor restoration."

Floor restoration goes beyond mere sanding. If you have an uneven subfloor, the contractor will address and fix it. If your floorboards are missing or damaged, they will repair or replace them. For large gaps between boards, they will fill them. This is the essence of complete wood floor restoration.

While some companies might exploit this for financial gain, there are practical reasons for the extensive process during floor rejuvenation. The primary reason people call professionals to sand their floors is to enhance their appearance. Proper floorboard restoration can significantly improve the look of your floors. An experienced professional minimises the risks of improper installation and potential complications.

It's important to note that unstable or broken floorboards should not be sanded, as this can lead to further damage. Ensuring the structural integrity of the floor before sanding is essential for achieving optimal results.

More Isn’t Always Better

Contrary to popular belief and despite clear evidence to the contrary, some contractors and manufacturers may try to convince you that sanding your floor as often as possible is beneficial. They might claim that you should undergo the procedure every 2-3 years. While this frequency might be applicable for high-traffic commercial projects, it is unnecessary for residential spaces. The average homeowner typically needs to sand their floors every five to ten years, depending on the amount of foot traffic.

Each time you sand your floors, you remove a thin layer of wood, typically a couple of millimetres. Over time, repeated sanding will thin the boards to the point where the procedure is no longer viable. Excessive sanding can ultimately weaken the structural integrity of your floors, making them more susceptible to damage and reducing their lifespan.

Although floor sanding is an excellent method for rejuvenating and maintaining wooden floors by preventing the spread of certain types of damage, it should be done judiciously. Over-sanding can lead to a variety of problems, including compromised floor stability and the need for complete floor replacement sooner than necessary. Proper care and maintenance, such as regular cleaning and the use of protective mats, can help extend the time between sanding sessions, preserving the beauty and durability of your floors for many years.

Dust Everywhere

Decades ago, when the first drum sanders were introduced, the sanding process resulted in a significant amount of residual dust. This association with dusty messes remains in people's minds even today. However, advancements in technology have revolutionised the floor sanding process. Modern sanding equipment now includes sophisticated dust extraction systems that capture and contain nearly all the dust generated during sanding.

Today's experts use state-of-the-art machines equipped with powerful vacuum bags and dust containment systems, ensuring a much cleaner and healthier environment. These machines efficiently collect the dust, which is then disposed of properly, minimising any mess left behind.

If you are concerned that sanding your floors will create a dusty disaster in your home, rest assured that contemporary sanding methods are designed to be virtually dust-free. Professionals take great care to protect your living spaces, allowing you to enjoy beautifully restored floors without the hassle of extensive clean-up.

In addition to dust containment, many modern sanding services also offer eco-friendly finishes and sealants that are low in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), contributing to a healthier indoor air quality. This means that not only will your home remain clean during the sanding process, but it will also be safer for you and your family.

Sanding Isn’t For Everyone

It's worth noting that a homeowner can sand their floors using rented equipment, potentially saving a substantial amount of money. However, many people still choose to hire professional floorboard restoration experts. You might wonder why, and we're here to explain.

Sanding floorboards is not an easy or pleasant task. It can be extremely time-consuming and physically demanding, requiring a level of patience and, more importantly, a skill that the average person may not possess. While it's possible to read about or watch videos on the process, no amount of research can fully prepare you for the practical challenges of sanding.

Professionals bring years of experience and expertise to the job, understanding the intricacies and nuances that come with it. For instance, achieving a perfectly even finish requires a steady hand and knowledge of how to handle the equipment properly. Amateurs may struggle with maintaining consistent pressure, leading to uneven sanding and potential damage to the wood.

Even if a DIY enthusiast manages to complete the sanding, the result is unlikely to match the quality achieved by a seasoned professional. Mistakes made during the process can be costly. Uneven sanding, gouges, or over-sanding can necessitate expensive repairs or, in extreme cases, complete floor replacement.

Additionally, professionals use high-grade equipment that may not be available for rent to the general public. This advanced machinery often includes superior dust extraction systems and finer sanding capabilities, ensuring a smoother and cleaner finish. Hiring professionals also means you benefit from their ability to identify and address underlying issues, such as damaged or unstable floorboards, which could compromise the results if not properly handled. Moreover, they can advise on the best finishes and maintenance practices to prolong the life of your newly sanded floors.

The Actual Floor Restoration Process

What is the main reason behind wood floor sanding being such a hard task to complete by yourself? We will discuss the reason behind this, as well as the basic stages of floor renovation, to understand it better. However, keep in mind that even professional contractors will rarely, if ever, even claim that they 'enjoy' their job. This is hard work, no matter how easy, or difficult, it looks on paper. A person must be able to give a proper evaluation of his willpower, patience, and skill if he is to undertake such a project on his own.

Floor Preparation

The first thing you must do is to remove any furniture, or coverings, in the room and clean the floor's surface. Any dirt or debris left there may unnecessarily complicate the process, especially if there are gaps that will need to be filled later. Any screws, nails, or staples, must be punched down before the sanding begins, to ensure the equipment's safety, as well as your own. Some flooring companies might also offer to move the furniture for you, but as you can imagine, this isn't done for free.

Floor Repairs

The next logical step will be to check the condition of the floorboards and determine if any of them are in critical shape, need wood floor repair. It's rare to find boards that are completely beyond saving. Even those that seem badly broken can usually be secured, and the cracks on them can be filled. Of course, something that has been rotting for some time now, or infested by worms, is too far gone to be saved.

Particularly challenging are floors laid with bitumen. Bitumen (also known as asphalt) was used as a flooring adhesive during the Victorian age. Today that era has passed, and that situation is only encountered on floors that are over half a century old. Bitumen is not compatible with modern adhesives and must be completely removed if you want to have a stable surface to thread upon. The disposal process can be quite tedious and boring since the substance is extremely hard to remove.

Floor Sanding

Once the floor has been thoroughly cleaned, any sharp objects, such as nails, will be punched or removed from the boards. The boards themselves, if they prove to be in good condition, will undergo the floorboard restoration. However, this isn't as simple as picking the machine and slowly dragging it across the floor. The sanding process can roughly be divided into three stages - rough, medium, and fine. The rough sanding's purpose is to remove the old finish and level the boards in preparation for the next step. The medium sanding slowly smooths out the surface and eliminates most imperfections left from the previous stage. Finally, the fine sanding makes the floor perfectly even and prepares it for the application of a stain, or a finish.

The Equipment

The industry distinguishes and offers several types of sanding machines but the majority of the work is performed either by a drum or a belt sander. Most flooring companies, like ours, use a belt sander. Compared to the drum sander, this one offers much more control and the end results will be much better. The only reason why someone would use a drum sander would be because it's cheaper to buy or hire, however, the quality of the work will suffer because of it. The most popular brands when it comes to equipment are Bona and Lagler, and we prefer using Bona's products. For buffing, we also use Bona's machines, namely the FlexiSand and Edge, for those hard-to-reach places.

Technique

Every floor is different, hence there is no general approach to sanding it. This is a lengthy topic, and we can't cover it here, but it's enough to say that sanding an engineered, or a parquet floor, is more difficult than doing it on solid hardwood. The general idea is that stripping the wood must always follow the direction of the grain. If this rule isn't strongly adhered to, you risk sanding unevenly and leaving marks on the surface. However, parquets are arranged in blocks with patterns following different directions, and sanding in such a case can be a bit tricky.

Gap Filling

Two are the main reasons behind every decision you take to fill the gaps on your floor. First and foremost, it's because the floor will look better and will trap less dirt, which automatically means that it will be way easier to clean. The less obvious one is that gap filling is a great way to prevent draughts and limit the amount of heat that would escape your home during winter. This is particularly handy when it comes to saving some money from the heating bill. There are several ways to do the gap-filling, but the two most popular ones are by using a mix of filler resin and sawdust and using wood slivers. The first method with the resin and sawdust allows the gaps to retain the colour of the wood and is suitable mainly for smaller gaps. The second option is used more often on bigger gaps, where the resin mix simply won't be an efficient solution.

Staining and finishing

Staining is a procedure that allows you to change your floor's colour. It can even be considered as science on its own since colour matching requires years to truly master and perfect. If you ever decide to stain your floor, you should note that if the surface isn't perfectly and flawlessly sanded, any imperfection will become much more pronounced and noticeable. The modern trend nowadays is to go for extremely dark, white-washed, or grey colours.

Floor finishes are always in several coats (at least 3, but you could go for 4), and serve as a protective layer, guarding the floor against possible damage. There are two types of finish - those that protect only the surface (lacquers and varnishes), and those that soak into the wood to safeguard it from within (penetrating oils). In terms of resilience, lacquers are head and shoulders above the oils, but the former offers a somewhat plastic look that doesn't look appealing to every homeowner. Oil, though, provides a more natural appearance, yet requires more maintenance and offers less durability.

Conclusion

Now, one of the main reasons why people opt for a hardwood floor at all is because of the possibility of sanding and refinishing. Our goal with this article was not to scare you and make you reconsider a potential future hardwood floor purchase but to try and give you a better understanding of the renovation process. A process that you will eventually encounter, if you choose this option. We hope we have achieved our goal and if you have any follow-up questions, feel free to call us, for either some clarifications or to book an obligation-free site visit.