Floor Sanding Old Nails

Using a 120 grit sanding screen buff the floor along each board moving back and forth with the grain.

Floor sanding old nails.

Use an approved vapor retarder. How to refinish floors with antique nail heads. This type of sanding will level minor unevenness left by the drum sander and edger as well as buff away sanding scratches. Nail down any loose boards with finish nails.

Using a pole sander is a bit more time consuming but also easier to use than a buffer and more affordable. After mopping the floor and letting it dry you use the buffer to run a 120 grit sanding screen over the surface. The other problem you will have is trying to sand the floor flat you don t want to be sanding down more than 1 32 inch on your new floor because you will run into nails very fast and be out of wood to hold them in place. This floor restoration method requires a floor buffer with a sanding screen to scuff the old finish of the floor which is why it s called a screen and recoat.

When you re sanding nail heads will rip the sanding belt which costs you money or gouge the sanding drum which costs you more money. Avoid using roofing felt as the asphalt may heat up while sanding and bleed into the floor. Normal flooring nails don t have a wide head so it is possible to drive them below the surface but these have a big head. So countersink all nails by at least 1 8 in.

Many old floors are sanded after the previous coverings are removed and suitable wood is found hidden beneath. This fine detail work can make your diy project look more like a professional job. Basically you want an empty clean surface to start working from. Floor sanding is the process of removing the top surfaces of a wooden floor by sanding with abrasive materials.

After completely emptying your room remove any old floor coverings nails and anything else that is attached to the floor and then give everything a good vacuum and clean. Most hardwood floors are installed with invisible nails and those that aren t are either old or intended to look old. Sanding floors really isn t difficult it s just a lot of hard work. Next use a floor buffer fitted with a fine grit screening pad to screen sand the flooring.

When it hits a nail you ll hear it. To detect nails drag a metal snow shovel across the floor upside down. It totally sounds like it s. It will still squeak if you don t lift and renail the floor.

Some people rent an industrial floor buffer for this step but a pole sander pictured is another great option.