I’d only consider 20 if you know you need to remove significant material–such as when dealing with deep scratches or stains. Otherwise I’d start with 60. If that doesn’t work quickly enough on the varnish, move to 36 or 40 (from elsewhere, if necessary).

What is a good sequence for sanding wood?

You want to start with a more abrasive grit and then use successively finer grits. The first grit is meant to take off any finish, the next is to smooth out the pattern of the first grit, and the final grit is meant to smooth out any remaining sander marks and provide the finishing touches.

What grit do I need to sand hardwood floors?





Start with 36-grit sandpaper for a floor that hasn’t been sanded in a long time or that has a lot of heavy finish on it. Floors that have been painted may even require you to go tougher and use 24 or 16-grit paper. Maple floors are so hard that they often require 36-grit sandpaper as well.

What is the best grit for sanding wood?

Use 60- or 80-grit for aggressive, fast wood removal. Use 100-grit for all-purpose sanding and 120 or 180 for the finest finish, but follow power-tool sanding with hand sanding. Power tools leave hidden scratches that show up later. And always sand parallel to the grain.

Can you go from 60 to 100 grit?

A typical first cut with an edger is 60 or 80 grit, then completed with 100 grit after the floor has been filled. To soften the cut of the abrasive, there are edger pads that are used under the bolt with an abrasive disc for the final edging.

What are the steps to refinishing hardwood floors?

Prepare the Floor for Refinishing

  1. Prepare the Floor for Refinishing. Take the following steps before wood floor refinishing. …
  2. Pull Up the Shoe Base Moulding. …
  3. Rough-Sand the Floor. …
  4. Sand the Edges and Corners. …
  5. Screen Sand the Floor. …
  6. Remove All Dust. …
  7. Apply the Wood Stain. …
  8. Apply the Finish.

How deep can you sand hardwood floors?





Flooring professionals can sand away as much as 1/16 inches of wood with the coarsest paper. However, some engineered floors cannot sustain more than one heavy-duty sanding, as they may have a surface veneer of only twice that thickness. Refinishing these floors more than once poses a risk of wear-through.

What is 60 grit sandpaper used for?

For heavy sanding and stripping, you need coarse sandpaper measuring 40- to 60-grit; for smoothing surfaces and removing small imperfections, choose 80- to 120-grit sandpaper. For finishing surfaces smoothly, use a super fine sandpaper with 360- to 600-grit.

Why is it important to not skip grits when sanding?

Why You Should Follow The Golden Rule Of Sanding. This comes back to how sandpaper works. When you are sanding, you are applying a sharp cutting tool to your surface and creating scratches made up of peaks and valleys – known as RA and RZ. When you use a coarse grit, you are creating a deeper scratch with higher peaks.

How smooth should hardwood floors be?

4 Tips for Screening Hardwood Floors



You’ll be screening most of the floor with the floor polisher and screens. To be thorough, use four screening grits, from rough to smooth (60-, 80-, 100- and 120-grit). For corners and edges, use a palm sander or sanding pad fitted with sandpaper.

When should I sand my hardwood floors?




Quote from Youtube video: Another way to determine the type of floor is to inspect the area around a heating vent or the area where the wood floor butts up against the carpet or some other type of flooring.

Can I sand hardwood floors with a hand sander?

The palm sander is definitely the most common tool for sanding a wooden floor by hand. Palm sanders also oscillate, however, unlike orbital random sanders, the pad of the palm sander is fixed straight.

How do I sand my hardwood floors?

  1. Seal off ducts. Tape plastic over ducts to keep sanding dust out.
  2. Good sander choice. Rent a drum sander with continuous belts and a lift-lower lever for better control.
  3. Scraping a corner. …
  4. Belt change-out. …
  5. Floor edging tool. …
  6. Sanding out scratches. …
  7. Vacuuming dust and grit. …
  8. Buff with a screen.
  9. What is the cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors?

    Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.

    How do you prep a floor for refinishing?



    When planning a project, don’t forget about the preparation.

    1. All furniture must be removed from the flooring that will be replaced or refinished.
    2. Pull up any carpeting, including tack strips and staples. The subfloor should have a smooth surface.
    3. Remove any linoleum or vinyl floor covering.


    How do you refinish hardwood floors with orbital sander?

    Quote from the video:
    Quote from Youtube video: Natural in other words no stain depending on the condition of your floor an orbital sander might not remove enough of the surface to provide a sufficient.

    How much wood is removed when sanding hardwood floors?

    about 1/16 inch



    Floor sanding removes at most about 1/16 inch of wood, and damage that is deeper than that usually will still be evident, though less obvious.

    Do I need a drum sander for floors?

    If your floor is in rough shape, cupped or damaged, or has a very heavy finish, a drum sander is what you need,” he adds. “An orbital won’t relevel your floor.”