Sanding a wooden floor is used to obtain a perfectly smooth surface of a parquet or plank flooring. Moreover, this technology is used for both old and new flooring. In the first case, renovation or updating is carried out, in the second - leveling and preparation for finishing protective equipment: varnish, oil, wax.
Any wooden floor assembled from many elements. When laying new parquet blocks or large-format slats, it is very difficult to achieve a perfectly flat surface. The most common occurrence is changes, minor defects, scratches, and areas with sapwood.
Almost the same set of problems occurs with old flooring that has been in use for more than one year. Sanding a wooden floor is designed to eliminate all these shortcomings, the essence of which is polishing the wood and preparing its surface for varnish, oil, wax or any other decorative protective agent.
Thus, the goals of grinding are:
- Leveling the floor;
- Elimination of surface defects;
- Removing old paintwork and dirt.
Renovation of an old wooden floor.
Sanding a wooden floor correctly is not an easy task. For this purpose a series is used hand tools or electrical units. But the secret to good performance is to gradually reduce the grit size of the sanding attachment. That is, first of all, rough processing is carried out with sandpaper with a grain of 40-60 units, then fine - 100-120, 140-180 units. Compliance with this simple rule will allow you to achieve excellent results even in difficult cases. For example, if wood flooring has multiple surface damage or differences between planks of more than 3 mm.
Sand the floor no need in the following cases:
How to sand wooden floors
Processing a new wood coating and restoring an old one begins with the question: which tool to choose? Focus on two basic conditions - the amount of work and financial capabilities.
Masters perform grinding in two ways:
To sand a wooden floor manually you will need:
When manual, as well as machine grinding, it is advisable not to forget about personal protection - a respirator mask and protective glasses.
For fast and high-quality preparation wooden floors The machine method is most often used. In this case, they apply the following types electrical equipment:
- Belt or drum type sander.
This is a complex unit for preliminary scraping and rough sanding of coatings made from boards or small-format parquet blocks. Abrasive grain size – from 40 to 80 units. The difference between the tape and drum apparatus is small. For the first, a cutting belt of abrasive paper is used, which moves between two moving rollers. The second uses glued under specific size drum is a piece of sanding belt that is mounted on a cylindrical shaft.
Note that grinding machine This category is produced in a wide range: professional and standard, with a single-phase connection for 220 V or three-phase for 380 V, with an integrated dust bag or an adapter for connecting a construction vacuum cleaner, etc. The cost varies widely: Appliances can be purchased for an average of 3,000 - 50,000 rubles, the price of professional ones reaches 600,000 rubles.
- Surface grinder.
It is produced as a single-disc with a mono sandpaper attachment or as a three-disc, equipped with 3 abrasive wheels with a grain size from 100 to 340 units.
This type of product is intended for the finest, literally jewelry-grade finishing polishing of wood and cork surfaces. Also used for intermediate leveling varnish coating. Single-disc devices are simpler, but three-disc devices are interesting in that each element rotates around its own axis, and all three revolve around one common center.
Professional units are also equipped with a floating landing system grinding attachments, which, in combination with multidirectional rotation, allows you to work the surface to mirror smoothness and evenness. The price of grinding machines is from 20,000 to 220,000 rubles.
- Single-disc surface grinder of the “boot” type.
Purpose – sanding of wood coatings in hard to reach places eg under radiators or on stairs, in corners or along walls. Modulus of abrasive grain size – from 40 to 320 units. Both household and professional devices are equipped with convenient rotary handles and the ability to connect vacuum cleaners or dust collectors. The price starts from 9,000 rubles.
Surface grinding machines "boot".
- Angle grinders.
Includes grinders, vibrating and eccentric (orbital) polishing machines. This group also includes small household-type belt units. Recommended for coarse and fine processing wooden surfaces. Convenient for working in hard-to-reach places and on small areas. Some products are equipped with a speed or motor power controller, as well as a kind of adapter for connecting a vacuum cleaner or dust collector.
The cheapest are vibration devices. Their cost varies from 1,000 to 35,000 rubles. Grinders can be purchased for household, semi-professional and professional purposes at prices ranging from 1,500 to 70,000 rubles. Orbital machines will cost a little more - from 3,000 to 90,000 rubles.
In addition to the above units, you need to purchase or rent in advance construction vacuum cleaner and buy a whole set of components. Including abrasive wheels, belts or attachments of various grain sizes (preferably from 40 to 240 units), scissors, etc.
What is the best grinding machine to choose? There is no exact answer to this question, but it is worth paying attention to the main parameters:
Purpose and class of product
Household products are lightweight, low priced and compact in size. But they are intended for one-time or rare work. Power – no more than 1 kW. In addition, the width or diameter of the useful surface rarely exceeds 15 cm. It is difficult for an inexperienced craftsman to work smoothly over large areas - you need a good eye and a steady hand.
The professional series are large-sized and heavy devices with a working width of up to 30 cm or a diameter of up to 60 cm. There is good thermal protection, special kit for quickly changing attachments, as well as various protective elements - RCDs, limiters, speed switches, ergonomic rotary handles, etc. The average power consumption of a grinding machine is about 2-2.5 kW.
Grinding machine for the pros.
Build quality
Pay attention not only to ease of use, but also to the quality of the parts. The machine must have a flat surface, without chips, coating sagging, drips, and the gaps between parts are minimal. Be sure to check the strength and reliability of the fastening elements.
Availability of additional devices
Including dust collectors or adapters for connecting a vacuum cleaner, soft start and engine speed control functions, overheating protection, etc.
All other criteria are selected by the buyer independently. We recommend choosing products famous manufacturers, such as Lagler, Stanley, Bosch, Aeg, etc. They not only provide a warranty and post-warranty service, but also have a wide network of dealers and service centers in Russia and CIS countries.
Technology
The sanding job is not that easy. This is a rather complex and labor-intensive complex, including six main stages.
Coating preparation
The new flooring must be checked for defects, such as fallen knots, un-glued dies, protruding nails, chips, and excessively wide gaps. Old parquet checked for integrity, damage and strength of fixation. To eliminate deficiencies they most often use parquet glue and putty masses (special liquids or PVA glue mixed with fine sawdust). It is better not to use elastic grouts and sealants, as they do not gain sufficient strength and “clog” the abrasive nozzle.
In order not to damage the drum or disk of the machine, all steel elements must be “sunk” into the floor by at least 3 mm. Damaged planks must be replaced with new ones, not glued ones - fixed with glue and hardware. Dust and debris are removed with a damp cloth or a construction vacuum cleaner.
Primary grinding
Rough grinding.
The drum or drum machine is primarily used. belt type as the most productive and efficient. This stage is most often called scraping or rough grinding of the surface, since an abrasive material with a grain size of 40 or 60 units is used. Removes irregularities, scratches, old paint coatings, dirt, etc.
Professional devices allow you to adjust the clamping force of the abrasive. This is very convenient, because it ensures a uniform fit of the nozzle to the surface, which means more quality work. A tape or glued strip is installed on the base, carefully fixed and deep processing is carried out:
- For decking - along the grain from wall to wall. Lateral movement with such installation it is allowed only when turning the machine near vertical enclosing structures;
- On herringbone parquet - diagonally, with uniform advancement over the entire surface;
- When laying wicker, shield or palace parquet (multi-directional installation) - crosswise without highlighting individual sections;
- On artistic parquet– circular motion, twisted in a spiral
The grinding process is quite dusty, therefore drafts are an undesirable phenomenon. Therefore, be sure to close the windows and entrance doors in the work area.
The technician must periodically check the condition of the abrasive attachment and, if necessary, replace the worn part with a new one. This is a kind of preventive measure against stripes and individual untreated areas.
After completing the main work, it is necessary to process corners and other hard-to-reach places. For rough grinding of the floor with a grinder, orbital machine or “boot”, you will need circular nozzles of the same grain size - 40 or 60 units.
Fine grinding
The final leveling stage is carried out using single- or three-disc surface grinders. In this case, all minor irregularities, dents, cracks and other defects on the floor boards are finally eliminated. For efficient work Wheels of different grain sizes are used - 60, 80, 100 and 120. In some cases, even abrasive discs with a grain size of 180 or 240 are used.
The work is again carried out along the fibers. Nozzles should be replaced with new ones as they wear out. Corners, steps and other difficult areas are processed with an angle grinder or a “boot” with circles of the same grain size. At the end of the work, the surface must be vacuumed again or wiped with a damp soft cloth. Fine wood particles and dust must be completely removed.
Filling gaps and small defects
After leveling the surface, you can begin to putty. For this purpose, paste-like ready-made compositions for wood or special filling liquids. Professionals prefer the latter, since when mixed with sawdust from the treated plank floor, a mass of identical shade is obtained that perfectly fills all the voids, while being quite elastic and not cracking over time. The mixture is applied with a stainless spatula, which allows you to fill the pores while cutting off the “rising” small wood fibers.
Final sanding
Before applying varnish, oil or wax, the surface must be polished again. The work is carried out after the putty has dried and polymerized. It is implemented using a surface grinder and an angle grinder with abrasive attachments with a grain size of 120-160 units. The direction of movement is the same - along the fibers. After treatment, the floor must be thoroughly vacuumed again.
As a result, everything unnecessary is completely removed from the surface and the floor becomes perfectly smooth.
Priming and finishing coat
Even after applying the putty mixture, it is advisable to prime the floor or treat it with impregnations with a fungicidal, bioprotective or tinting effect. If you used ready-made colored putty, be prepared for the surface to be multi-colored. Putty liquids mixed with fine wood dust from parquet do not have this drawback.
After the primer has dried, the first layer of varnish, oil or wax is applied. Then intermediate, very fine floor grinding or polishing (with oil or wax) is carried out using orbital or surface grinders with nozzles with a grain size of more than 140 units. Before applying the final layer of varnish or oil-wax mixture, the surface must be vacuumed again or wiped with a damp cloth.
Thus, sanding a wooden floor requires a lot of time and effort, not to mention finances. But it is this technology that allows you to get a beautiful and remarkably smooth floor without the slightest flaw in a few days.
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More than once I come across situations where builders neglect some important stages when processing wood. And if interior decoration forgives a lot, with the exception of decorative properties, then mistakes in painting the outside lead to inevitable financial losses. By the way, expressions like “my second cousin did this and everything was fine” mean only one thing: he was a lucky person from a high-risk group. You can try your luck too, and for those who are not used to relying on chance, I will tell you about the important or not so important stages of wood processing using the example of exterior finishing.
Surface preparation. Lumber made from good machines, have a fairly smooth surface that does not appear to require additional grinding. Why is it still important?
The smoothest gouge will in any case be inferior to a polished surface.
Glazing (translucent) compositions contain pigments that are unevenly distributed over the surface. Colorants are absorbed more strongly into soft layers, less into hard layers. And in small scuffs and roughness they remain the most a large number of. Result: stains on the surface.
Another feature of wood is the oxidation of resins and polyesters on the surface, clogging the pores. This is a natural defense mechanism. After removing the top layer, you have 48 hours to apply the first compound, after which the penetration of the compounds becomes minimal. Without sanding, penetration and adhesion (adhesion) to the surface are greatly reduced. Result: delamination of compounds.
After sanding the surface, apply the first layer of your composition. Next error no intermediate grinding. By the way, not all formulations require it. A little more detail about where this need comes from after good preparation.
Wood treatment compounds often raise the lint (fibers) of the wood. In this context, all compositions can be divided into three categories. On water based They raise the pile the most. Solvent-based (including popular German brand oils contain a small amount of solvent!) also have the ability to raise the free ends of the fibers. Pure oil products (highest price category) do not raise the pile and do not require intermediate sanding.
Raised pile has two disadvantages. The first is that it imparts roughness to the surface, reducing decorative properties(as well as retaining contamination on the surface during further operation). The second raised pile equals open pores. This is a kind of gateway for spores of fungi and microorganisms. And it’s not at all a fact that the next layer of composition will close every pore.
Intermediate sanding is not at all the same as initial sanding. It is done manually with an 80-120 abrasive stone (in no case mechanically, there is a risk of removing the paint layer), quite simply. The pile just needs to be knocked down. Not at all complicated, but an important procedure. IMHO, neglecting it is not the wisest decision. Unless, of course, your task is to take revenge on the owner of the house.
What I wanted to say in this article. The economy must be economical. If today you save 100 rubles, and after a couple of years you spend 2000 rubles. (yes, removing the old layer of paint, buying a new composition, hiring skilled workers this time, etc.), then you are not the best economist. I advise everyone not to succumb to the persuasion of careless performers and wish for long years service to your property!
Sanding wood by hand, although it requires more labor, in return provides a number of important advantages: less aggressive processing, better control over the process and high quality processing surfaces in hard-to-reach places - in corners, on smooth bends and other reliefs of any complexity.
Manual technique is indispensable for interlayer sanding finishing coatings, since it ensures the most delicate work and eliminates the risk of rubbing the applied finish. When using the same abrasive hand grinding guarantees more high-quality surface than sanding with a grinder, grinder or drill.
About grinding pads and making them yourself
Sanding pads (grinding pads) – indispensable assistant in the carpenter's arsenal. These simple devices ensure uniform contact of sandpaper with the surface being treated, increasing the speed and quality of the work performed. Using such pads, you will significantly improve the quality of grinding, extend the life of the abrasive, and avoid irreparable defects in the form of depressions and rounded ends.
To get one like this grinding tool there is no need to spend extra money. It will not be difficult to make it yourself from dense foam or wooden scraps. Check out some easy sanding block projects in our gallery.
With this sanding block, which you can easily make from scraps of wood you have lying around, you won't have to waste time changing sandpaper. Wedge clamps are a simple and functional alternative to traditional clamps. A simple corner block will prevent accidental rounding of edges when sanding the ends. To sand smooth curves, use curved blocks made from scrap wood or foam. For grinding grooves or wooden products With round, for example, balusters, use an additional soft backing. Don’t rush to throw away the profile scraps; they will still serve you as a block. Everything ingenious is simple!
How to choose sandpaper for working with wood?
There are quite a few characteristics by which sandpaper is classified. But the main and most significant parameter that you should focus on when choosing a sandpaper is the size of its abrasive grains - the so-called. graininess index. For specific tasks when working with wood, a certain type of grain size is chosen.
TABLE: SELECTION OF ABRASIVE FOR WORKING WITH WOOD
Practice shows that to perform basic tasks, a master needs a set of five types of abrasives:
- P150; P180; P240(wood processing before applying finishing);
- P280; P400(interlayer and finishing sanding of finishing coatings).
You can read all about the intricacies of choosing sandpaper in.
Dry or wet sanding?
For intermediate sanding of finishing coatings - stain, varnish, polyurethane, etc. Traditionally, two techniques are used - dry or wet.
Dry grinding increases the efficiency of the abrasive and makes it possible to better control the work process, which is especially important at the stages of intermediate grinding of delicate coatings. The disadvantage of this technique is the rapid clogging of the skin. Partially compensates for this problem sandpaper with anti-clogging stearate coating.
At wet grinding wooden products are used as a humidifier mineral oil, white spirit or ordinary soapy water. With this technology, the abrasive becomes clogged much slower and, accordingly, lasts longer. But the mess formed from foam and shavings significantly complicates the grinding process. There is a need to constantly wipe the surface and carefully monitor the result of grinding.
How to sand wood correctly?
Grinding technique . The wood is sanded with active movements along the grain or at a slight angle, but without excessive pressure on the block. Movements should be as light as possible, on the second or third pass using fine-grained sandpaper with virtually no pressure.
Preparing the surface for finishing . When preparing wood for applying a finishing coating (varnish, oil, stain, polyurethane, etc.), start working with P120 or P150 abrasive (depending on the nature of the irregularities). After that, move on to P180 grit and finish with P240 abrasive.
Intermediate grinding of coatings . When applying the finishing coating layer by layer, intermediate sanding of each layer is carried out with fine-grained sandpaper P280. For final polishing use P400 sandpaper. Use P600 grit abrasive to remove even the slightest imperfections in a glossy finish.
Requirements for finishing coatings to be sanded . Matte types of coatings are not as demanding on the quality of sanding as glossy ones. At the same time, a dark stain will expose all the flaws of unfairly performed sanding.
Why is intermediate polishing of varnish necessary? Is it necessary at all and how is it done?
Intermediate sanding of varnish differs from parquet scraping in the task presented to it. It is performed after the first layer of varnish after the primer has dried, after which the finishing layers will be applied. It is possible to grind the primer layer itself if it is made of two components polyurethane primer. Block parquet or board sanded by a professional modern equipment with fine-grained abrasive they leave fiber, which is unacceptable for the protective and decorative layer of varnish. When wetted with the first primer layer, the pile rises and becomes more noticeable both to the touch and visually.
when updating the parquet flooring, for a perfect appearance of the floor and its smooth surface, as a more gentle, effective and cost-effective procedure for solid wood, in contrast to complete sanding and restoration work.
to remove the “lint” raised by the initial priming, which, if not removed, will dry out and give a guaranteed mechanical and visual defect during subsequent finishing coating, which will lead to repeated work. Thus, intermediate sanding is necessary for all types of parquet work: sanding, restoration, primary or re-varnishing of the finished floor.
Intermediate sanding of the varnish is not necessary: if the lint from sanding the parquet has already been removed and the work is using polyurethane varnish, the coating of which has not had time to completely dry (for water-based varnish - this is 2 hours, for solvent-based varnish - 6 hours); if varnishes containing acrylates are used.
Intermediate sanding of varnish as prevention parquet flooring guarantees budget savings in a tangible difference from global restoration, general sanding, and varnish consumption. After all, it is much more profitable to apply 2-3 layers with intermediate sanding every 3-5 years than after 7-8 years to carry out more costly and labor-intensive sanding work, which will also remove a layer of wood, thinning parquet strip and reducing the overall lifespan of the parquet.
Since this type of sanding should give a perfectly smooth matte surface only at the level of a thin layer of varnish/primer and hairs, without touching the wood itself, the work can be considered delicate and requires certain skills. Craftsmen use modern surface grinding equipment and mesh with abrasive P150-P220. No less important is the professional skill of the specialist, experience in working with parquet varnishes, updated equipment models - all this will eliminate any shortcomings and errors. And if you take into account the cost of professional parquet varnish and its consumption in several layers (approximately 300 - 350 grams per meter) - the pleasure is not cheap. This and many others parquet work at Pro Parquet have been successfully solving problems for many years.
It should be noted that the use of intermediate grinding of the primer layer for solvent-based polyurethane varnishes is fraught with complications - the primer on parquet staves with loose wood (and parquet is not always perfectly homogeneous) can be accidentally removed when sanding with abrasive meshes. Therefore, it is recommended to apply the first layer to sufficiently dry soil. polyurethane varnish and let it dry. And only after that carry out intermediate grinding. In this case, you will spend a little more topcoat on the first coat, but will save yourself from the trouble of stains showing through the primer layer.