- 1). Rent a heavy-duty drum floor sander and an edging sander. If the area of the floor you're planning to resurface is no more than a couple of square feet, you can use an orbital sander in place of an upright drum floor sander. Make sure the company you use can supply a range of sandpaper discs and a mask for you to wear while you're sanding your floor. Some rental companies may be able to deliver the equipment you need if you don't have access to suitable transportation.
- 2). Remove everything from the room you're going to be working in.
- 3). Remove any nails from the floor. If you can't pull any protruding metal out of your floor with the claw of a hammer, use the hammer's head to knock them below the surface of the wood. Any nails above the line of your floor will damage your sanding equipment.
- 4). Wipe over your floor with detergent to remove dirt and debris, and allow it to dry naturally.
- 5). Attach a coarse sandpaper disc to your sander. The method of doing so will vary depending on the make and model of the equipment you're using. If you're using an upright drum sander, you'll need to fit a bag to the unit's exhaust to collect the particles of sand it produces while you work.
- 6). Put on a safety mask. As well as being very unpleasant, inhaling particles of sand could be potentially carcinogenic.
- 7). Plug your sander in and start to sand your floors. Work in the direction your floor boards travel from one side of the room to the other. Replace the sandpaper on your sander if it becomes worn.
- 8). Fit finer sandpaper to your sander once you have gone over your floor with the coarser pad.
- 9). Plug your edging sander in and sand around the perimeter of the room to remove any of the old surface your larger sander was unable to reach.
- 10
Vacuum up any sand particles from your floor, and then give the surface a thorough cleaning with warm water and detergent. - 11
Allow the floor to dry completely. - 12
Paint your floor with wood primer. This will ensure that the finish you add to it applies evenly. You may not need to apply a primer if you're using certain varnishes, but will always need to do so when applying paint. Check the directions on the product you're using for guidance if you're unsure. - 13
Paint the first coat of your final finish onto your floor once the primer has dried. If this appears patchy once you've allowed it to dry, apply a second coat.
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