Hardwood floors can help create a unique panache and an inviting feeling in your home. Unfortunately, your hardwood floor may lose its lustre over time as it's subjected to constant traffic or use. The good news is that you can restore the look of your hardwood floors, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is by sanding. Sanding is a simple task that you can accomplish on your own. However, to get the full advantage of your hardwood floor sanding, you need to use the right tools and follow the right techniques. For this reason, here are some tips to help you sand your floors the correct way.

Consider Hand Sanding In Between the Boards as Part of Preparation for Sanding With a Machine

Hand sanding should be part of your preparations for machine sanding. This simple technique will ensure that the grooves in between the floorboards match with the colour of the boards once you complete the sanding. You don't want to end up with a floor that has some parts with a newer or lighter shade than others because this will affect its overall aesthetic effect.

Choose the Sandpaper Coarseness Carefully

When choosing the coarseness of the sandpaper that you will be using, you need to be very careful because it has a huge impact on the overall quality of the job. Since you will adjust the coarseness to finer grains as you proceed with the sanding, it's best to choose a grain that will just be sufficient to get rid of the surface scratches on the wood as well as what is left of your old hardwood floor finish. While you want the old finish and the scratches on your hardwood floor gone, you don't want to overdo it such that you sand away more of the wood than is actually necessary.

The coarseness is usually categorised in grits. Starting with half grit should work well.

Think About the Sanding Pattern

This requires that you identify where to start and where to finish. Your choice may vary depending on the orientation or shape of your doorways as well as the room you want to sand. If you have decided to sand your floor in row patterns, the most effective way to ensure that you don't miss any spots is to overlap the rows while sanding.

Remember To Keep an Eye on the Sandpaper While Sanding

Sometimes your drum sander could be having a problem that may lead to uneven sanding of the floor. Therefore, watch the sandpaper as you sand and make sure you flip it, if necessary, to ensure that your floor is sanded evenly.