Renovation 4th Edition

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Renovation 4th Edition Page 130

by Michael Litchfield


  Volatile chemicals. Finish manufacturers have reduced the volatility and

  try cleaning it with a wax cleaner. If scratches

  strong odors of their products, but you should always limit your exposure to them by

  and scuffs are limited, wax will be reasonably

  wearing an organic-vapor respirator, long sleeves, and gloves when sanding old fin-

  easy to remove by applying wax stripper or min-

  ishes or applying new ones. Even fumes from water-based polyurethane are

  eral spirits and wiping up the residue. Then apply

  unhealthy to breathe, so as soon as finishes are dry to the touch, open windows to

  a new coat of wax. However, if floors are badly

  let vapors disperse. and sleep elsewhere until they’re completely dry.

  abraded and can’t be buffed out, sand the floors,

  fire and explosion hazards. Sparks or open flames can ignite chemical fumes

  refinish them with a penetrating stain, and then

  or dust. So before you start sanding or applying finish, turn off pilot lights for water

  wax them. Even if you sand wax-sealed floors

  down to bare wood, wax clinging to board edges

  heaters, ranges, and furnace. also tape light switches down so they can’t generate a

  may prevent a nonwax finish from adhering

  spark. trash bags of moist sawdust or covered garbage cans full of oily rags can gen-

  properly. (Get a second opinion from a profes-

  erate enough heat to combust spontaneously, so don’t allow debris to collect on

  sional floor refinisher.)

  site. Empty sander bags often into a metal container safely away from the house and

  other combustibles.

  Test 2: Shellac or varnish. Find an area where

  the finish is in poor shape and scrape it with your

  lead paint and asbestos. Floors painted before 1978 may contain lead-based

  thumbnail or a penny. If the finish flakes off, it’s

  paints, so don’t sand them until you’ve had the paint tested, as suggested in chap-

  shellac or varnish, which were good in their day

  ter 18. lead paint is generally not a problem until the dust becomes airborne or it

  but should now be sanded off completely and

  flakes in an area where small children might eat it. old linoleum floors may have

  replaced with polyurethane. If the finish doesn’t

  been adhered with asbestos adhesive, which wasn’t banned until 1977. Here again,

  flake, try test 3. If the abraded areas are small, try

  asbestos is usually harmless if undisturbed, so first consult a local health depart-

  restoring damaged areas by lightly sanding them,

  ment to get the name of a test lab.

  vacuuming and dust-mopping them well, then

  applying a new coat of finish. If there’s not too

  much sanding to do, you may not need to rent a

  sander: A random-orbit sander with 100-grit or

  120-grit sandpaper should do the job. Use a

  P R O T I P

  natural-bristle brush or a lamb’s wool pad to

  apply shellac or varnish.

  if you’re not sure what finish

  was used on floors, first examine

  Test 3: Polyurethane. In an inconspicuous

  old paint and finish cans in the

  place, brush on a small amount of paint stripper.

  basement, garage, or workshop.

  If the finish bubbles, it’s polyurethane. If it

  the contents of the cans will

  doesn’t bubble, the floors were probably sealed

  almost certainly be useless, but

  with a penetrating oil finish. If floor damage is

  their labels may tell you what’s

  limited, you may be able to touch up the pene-

  on your floors.

  trating oil with a similar substance, testing small

  areas until you find a good color match. If the

  finish is polyurethane, which is a surface finish,

  Most rental companies offer drum sanders because their

  sand the floor lightly if it is in good shape to help

  paper clamping slots make changing sandpaper easy.

  the new coating adhere. Fortunately, polyure-

  Before accepting a rental drum sander, inspect slot lips for thane will stick to other polyurethane even if one nicks or metal spurs, which could damage wood floors.

  is oil based and the other is water based. As long

  Before leaving the rental company, learn how to insert

  as the base coat is dry, it doesn’t matter whether

  sandpaper so it’s tight to the drum.

  you apply oil-based urethane over water-based

  562 Chapter 20

  urethane or vice versa. Of course, if the finish is

  sand all engineered wood floors at least once or

  P R O T I P

  in bad shape, you should sand down the whole

  twice, and thicker wear layers three to five times.

  floor to bare wood and then refinish it.

  EquiPMEnt

  don’t use chemical paint strip-

  rECaP: WHEn to

  per to remove a floor finish, even

  Most sanding equipment can be rented. Be sure

  if the floor is painted. Strippers

  rEMoVE Floor FiniSHES

  to have a knowledgeable person at the rental

  are caustic to wood and hazard-

  ous to users, and even the small-

  Sand floors to bare wood when:

  company explain how to operate the machines

  est residue—between boards, for

   Floor finishes are gouged, pitted, or

  safely, how to change sandpaper and adjust

  example—can create adhesion

  showing bare spots.

  wheels and drive belts, and what size circuit

  problems for the new finish.

  breaker or fuse each tool requires. Finally,

   Stains go below the surface, such as mold

  inspect each piece of equipment. Sander drums

  stains beneath potted plants.

  and edger disks should be smooth and free of

   Floorboards are irregular or uneven.

  nicks or metal spurs that could scar floors. Check

   New finishes won’t adhere to the

  to see that sander wheels roll freely and that elec-

  P R O T I P

  flooring.

  trical cords aren’t frayed or swathed in tape

   You need to repair rotted or split boards.

  because they have been run over by the sander.

  Empty sander bags when they

   The floor is thick enough to withstand

  A large floor sander does most of the heavy

  become about one-third full. as

  a sanding.

  bags fill up, they become less

  sanding. Most professional refinishers favor large

  efficient filters, and more dust

  belt sanders, as shown in the photo on p. 556,

  iS it tHiCK EnougH to Sand?

  will stay in the air or on the floor.

  because their belts are continuous, whereas

  rental companies usually rent drum sanders

  To avoid splintering wood floors when sanding

  because the paper is somewhat easier to change.

  them, keep at least 1⁄8 in. of solid wood above the

  Typically, a special wrench or key turns a nut at

  tongue of T&G flooring. The easiest way to check the end of the drum, which opens a paper-

  the floor’s thickness is to remove a forced-hot-air

  clamping slot on the face of the drum. Drum

 
floor register and look at the exposed cross sec-

  sandpaper must be tight or it will flap and tear:

  tion of flooring. If that’s not possible, pull up a

  Use old pieces as templates for new ones.

  threshold or a piece of trim and bore a small hole

  Caution: A drum sander is a powerful

  to expose a cross section. Or drill in a closet,

  machine that can gouge even the hardest wood,

  where no one will see the hole. If you’ve got engi-

  so always keep the machine moving when the

  neered flooring, its wear layer (top veneer layer)

  sanding drum is down. A lever on the handle

  won’t be very thick to start with—5⁄32 in. is typi-

  lowers or raises the drum. Start the machine

  cal—so start sanding with a less aggressive sand-

  only when the drum is up. Then, as you walk,

  paper, as suggested in “Floor-Sanding Materials”

  gradually lower the drum.

  at right. Manufacturers contend that you can

  Floor-Sanding Materials*

  zzzzzz How deep Can You Sand?

  ENGINEERED

  SOLID-WOOD

  tyPe of material grit size

  when to use

  FLOORING

  FLOORING

  Wear layer

  Flooring

  sandpaper belts

  36

  aggressive; use on first pass if boards cupped, uneven

  (top veneer layer)

  Tongue

  nail

  for large floor

  

  sander; disks for

  36 open coat use on first pass if floors coated with wax, paint

  edger

  60

  try for first pass; switch to 36 if not enough cut

  100

  Second or third pass

  buffer screen

  100

  Final screen before applying finish

  (use with

  

  220

  Smooth between coats of finish

  Flooring

  backer pad)

  Subfloor

  nail

  sandpaper strips

  180

  Smooth between coats of oil-based finish

  

  You can sand only the top veneer layer of engineered

  (attach to buffer

  backer pad)

  220

  Smooth between coats of water-based finish

  flooring. Solid-wood, tongue-and-groove (T&G)

  flooring is a lot thicker, but you can sand only to

  the top of its tongue. If you sand lower, you’ll hit

  flooring nails. T&G nail heads should be just flush,

  * Consult finish manufacturer’s specs for sanding requirements.

  as shown.

  Flooring

  563

  Worth a look: The U-Sand®, a four-headed

  be used within 6 in. of walls.) Edgers may be

  P R O T I P

  random-orbit floor sander, comes highly recom-

  smaller than floor sanders, but they can still

  mended by Charles Peterson, a hardwood floor-

  gouge flooring quickly. So practice on plywood.

  When sanding floors, follow

  ing expert and a consultant for the National

  The edger’s paper is held in place against a rub-

  the physician’s creed, “First, do

  Wood Flooring Association. Peterson notes that

  ber disk by a washered nut. To prevent gouging

  no harm.” it can take hours to

  the U-Sand “is aggressive enough to take down

  the floor with the edger, many professionals leave

  repair a trough cut by paper

  that’s too coarse. in fact, you

  floorboards, yet gentle enough for light abrading

  three or four used disks beneath the new one,

  may have to replace the damaged

  between finish coats.” Its orbiting heads are con-

  which cushions the cutting edge of the sandpaper

  section. So start with the least

  figured so that you can sand right up to walls,

  somewhat.

  aggressive sandpaper grit that

  thus eliminating the need to rent an edger. The

  A buffer is a versatile tool. With abrasive buffer

  will do the job, whether it’s

  U-Sand can be rented from Home Depot®, True

  screens, it can lightly sand floor finishes you want

  removing old finish or leveling

  Value®, and other chains.

  to restore or fine-sand a floor that you’ve stripped

  uneven boards. if that proves too

  An edger (disk sander) goes where drum or belt down to bare wood. Its slow, oscillating move-

  gentle, you can switch to a more

  sanders can’t—along the perimeter of floors and

  ment is perfect to scuff-sand between finish

  aggressive grit.

  into tight nooks. (Large floor sanders should not

  coats. Or, when the final coat is down, you can

  put a lamb’s wool buffing pad on the buffer to

  bring up the sheen of a finish; thus it’s often used

  to buff out a new wax coat.

  Hand scrapers and sanding blocks reach cor-

  ners, flooring under cabinet toekicks, and other

  places edgers can’t reach. Hand scraping is

  tedious, but it goes more quickly if you periodi-

  cally use a fine metal file known as a mill file

  (bastard file) to sharpen the scraper blade.

  Other hand tools you’ll need include a nail set

  to sink nail heads below the surface of the wood

  before you begin sanding, a hammer, and wide-

  blade spackling knives or metal squeegees to

  apply wood filler. If you cut your own edger

  disks, you’ll need a pair of heavy scissors.

  Brushes and applicators should be matched to

  Thanks to orbiting heads in all four corners of the U-Sand sander’s business end, you can sand tight When renting sanders, be sure to get any specialized tools against walls, so there’s no need for an edger. Nor do you need to “sand with the grain” as you must they require, such as the T-wrench needed to change with a drum sander.

  sandpaper on this edger.

  564 Chapter 20

  specific finish types. You’ll find those tools dis-

  Buffer screens are held on with

  cussed and paired with finishes in “Finishes,

  friction. Use them to fine-sand a

  Cleaning Solvents, and Applicators” on p. 569.

  floor that’s been stripped or to sand

  between finish coats.

  Personal safety equipment is not optional. Get

  a close-fitting respirator with organic vapor fil-

  ters. During the sanding phases, wear eye goggles

  with side vents; vented goggles admit a bit of

  sanding dust, but they won’t cloud up with water

  vapor. Drum sanders and edgers are noisy and

  tiresome; wearing hearing protection will keep

  you alert longer, so you’ll be less likely to gouge

  the floor because you’re punchy with fatigue.

  Wear disposable plastic gloves when applying fin-

  ishes or wood filler. If you can, buy latex-free

  nitrile plastic gloves, which auto mechanics, gar-

  deners, and postal workers swear by. Nitrile

  gloves are tough enough to withstand automotive

  solvents and garden grit, yet thin enough to sort

  mail with. You can find nitrile gloves at auto

  parts stores, typically sold in boxes of 50 to 100
<
br />   in sizes ranging from small to extra-large.

  Edging and hand scraping are hard on knees,

  so get knee pads comfortable enough to wear

  all day.

  Rent a heavy-duty vacuum, since there’s no

  point in frying a home vac that’s really not up to

  the task. Ideally, the vacuum should have a HEPA

  filter to capture dust rather than recirculate it

  into the room, but not all rental companies carry

  them. A backpack vac, shown in the bottom

  photo at right is less likely to bash woodwork

  and has no wheels to compact sawdust, but

  most rental companies offer only wheeled canis-

  ter types.

  SandPaPEr and BuFFEr SCrEEnS

  Sandpaper and buffer screens are rated accord-

  ing to the concentration of grit per square inch

  and the size of the abrasive particle. The lower

  the grit number, the larger, coarser, and more

  widely spaced the grit particles. Lower-grit

  papers cut more aggressively, whereas the higher

  the grit number, the finer and more closely

  spaced the grit. Consequently, as you sand floors,

  each grit should be slightly finer than the preced-

  ing one, smoothing out scratches of the previous

  grits, until you arrive at the grit level specified on

  the label of your floor finish. Always read the fin-

  ish manufacturer’s sanding requirements before

  renting equipment and buying sanding material.

  If you’re sanding floors to bare wood, you’ll

  typically need to make two or three passes with

  a large floor sander and an edger and one pass

  Backpack vacuums are less likely to gouge flooring or bash woodwork, but

  with a buffer with an abrasive screen before

  their capacity is generally less than that of floor models. Empty vacuums

  when they’re one-third full because the fuller they get, the less efficient

  floors are smooth enough to apply finish.

  they become.

  (Vacuum after each pass.) Get 36-grit, 60-grit,

  and 100-grit paper for the floor sander and the

  Flooring

  565

  credit you for unused paper when you return

  the equipment.

  PrEParing For Sanding

  After testing floors to determine the finish, empty

  rooms of all movable items (don’t forget window

  blinds and shades). Then use 3-mil polyethylene

  sheeting to cover the cabinets, radiators, smoke

  detectors, doorways, and heating or air-

  conditioning openings, using painter’s tape to

  avoid pulling paint off the walls and trim. Dust

 

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