5 Common Floor Sanding Mistakes & How To Avoid Them

Although we couldn't have been happier with the results, there were some mistakes made in floor sanding.

We discovered the hard way there are certain things that you shouldn't do, and more importantly there are some things that you can do to make floor sanding much easier.

We make floor sanding errors all the time. So we share our tips and tricks with you to not only make your life easier, but also to help you avoid making them.

We have made the same mistakes as you so you don't have!

1. Use The Wrong Grit Sandpaper

The biggest error I see is using the wrong grit paper.

It is a crucial skill that I cannot stress enough. You will not do yourself a favor if you start sanding with too fine paper.

The type of your floorboards will determine the grit that you use. You can start sanding with finer papers if your floorboards have been sanded previously. However, in most cases you will need to use a coarser paper than you think.

24 grit is the recommended grit for floors that have never been sanded. Although it sounds extreme and drastic, any finer paper will not remove enough dirt and varnish.

It will also cause more work and cost more, as you will end up using more paper than you would if you used the right grit.

We started to sand with 16 grit paper because our floors were slightly wobbly and had a thick layer of varnish.

Your sandpaper will clog up quickly if you use the wrong grit (too coarse). You should avoid clogging up your paper.

It will end up costing more, not only because you'll have to replace the paper constantly but also because you'll need to spend extra time changing it.

2. Not enough sanding

Sanding floors is a physically exhausting job that requires a lot of effort.

You'll notice a difference in your floor almost immediately when you start sanding. However, once you have removed all of the dirt and varnish from your floor, progress will be slower.

This is mostly due to the fact that the floorboards are not completely flat. The drum of the floor sander machine will not be able reach all areas of floorboards at once.

Shadows will often appear at the edges or middle of the floorboards if they are concave.

Although your floors may look great enough for you to call them done, resist the urge to stop right now. It will make all the difference!

This is the hardest part of floor sanding, as it can seem like there is no progress.

It is important to continue sanding until you have removed all shadows and marks.

Your floorboards should be sanded until they look new, regardless of whether you are staining them or not. This is what will make the difference in whether your floor looks professional and professional or amateurish.

3. Not sanding diagonally

Although we didn't sand diagonally our first few floors, we did so in our new house and it was something we would definitely recommend.

This makes it easier to sand your floors. It'll even your floorboards, and you won’t have any difficult-to-reach areas (which is what I called the shadow problem).

Although we didn't think of the Edwardian floors as being uneven, I was really shocked at the difference between them and our new sanded floors.

Although it's hard to explain and difficult to show in photos, they feel more natural and balanced.

4. Sanding the Edges

Sanding your room's edges can be a tedious task. You'll spend hours hovering over the edge sander, which can be very tedious.

You can sand the edges slightly more than the main surface, which is a good thing!

Finish sanding with 120 grit, but for the edges we recommend 80 grit. You'll save time and it will still be smooth enough.

You can sand with fine grit, but it is possible. However, scorch marks can form quickly on your floor due to the friction and heat generated between the sandpaper & your floor.

5. It's not enough to change the sandpaper too often

We made one of the most costly floor sanding errors when we first sanded our floors. It wasn't changing the sandpaper enough.

After about a day, we realized our mistake in floor sanding. We were able to speed up the process by changing the paper more often.For more details to visit GulvafslibningKøbenhavn

You might be thinking, "I'd rather save money on sheets and disks." But trust me, once your sanding is complete, you will want to spend as much time as possible.

It's amazing to stand back and admire your floors. Although we do moan about the hard work involved, it's a rewarding project that is easy and rewarding.