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Q. Can anyone sand a hardwood floor?
A. YES, if the right equipment is used and you take your
time. Silver-Line sanding equipment is designed to make it easy for the DIYer or
first time user to complete the job.
Q. I've been told that drum sanders are hard to use and will gouge my
floors, is this true?
A. NO, if the correct equipment is rented. The Silver-Line
SL-8 is designed to allow the DIY customer to sand and refinish his or her floors to a
professional finish without damaging the floor.
Silver-Line floor sanding equipment is the
only machine to rent! The first advantage to the Silver-Line SL-8 is the drum type and
speed. Gouging is caused by a high speed drum staying in one place too long. The SL-8 runs
the sanding drum @ 1800 RPM, or about 1/2 the speed of our competition. It is much more
forgiving. The drum also runs at a constant speed, giving an even cut across the floor
because the motor does not run the drum faster and slower as you work the machine. A drum
that runs at different speeds during the sanding process will leave waves in the floor.
Another advantage of the Silver-Line drum is the paper holding system and the drum cover.
The cam holding system has proven to be the easiest to use and is designed to eliminate
chatter marks from the finished product. The soft rubber drum cover is the same rubber
used on professional sanders. It is very resilient yet soft and forgiving for the renter.
Q. Is it true that the lever type sanders are the best to use?
A. NO, the tilt action of the SL-8 sander gives the user
total control of the sanding process. By lifting the handle on our machine you bring the
drum to the floor to sand. This type of control allows the renter to feel what he is doing
as well as seeing the sanding. The user has both of his or her hands on the sander while
it is working. On a lever type sander the user has one hand on the lever and one on the
sander, making it harder to control. The weight of the rental lever machine is not great
enough to sand correctly. The motor on a professional sander weighs almost as much as the
whole lever type rental sander. The heavy weight is needed because the machine moves on
the lowered drum and a rear pivot wheel when it is in the sanding position.
Q. Will a square orbital machine sand my floor?
A. NO, an orbital machine will not cut through heavy
finish or level a floor, this is the first step in refinishing your hardwood floors. It
can be used to do light sanding or screening before putting a new coat of a compatible
finish on a floor that is in good shape. The orbital machine can also be used as a
polisher on resilient floors, to strip, clean and polish. It may be easier to use for some
renters than the standard rotary polisher. We sell an orbital polisher to the rental
industry to be used in very specific instances.
Q. What is the heaviest grit of sandpaper I should use on my floor?
A. That depends on the condition of the floor being
refinished. The rule of thumb is use the lightest grit that will complete the first cut.
The first cut should remove the old finish and level the floor to prepare for the finer
grits. If you can use a 36 or 40 grit and complete this first step than you are ahead of
the game. If the floor will not level or you can't remove the finish than you must drop
down to a lower grit usually a 20 grit. Most rental stores will take a deposit on the
paper and charge you for what you consume. If this is the case, take all the grits, even
if you don't think you will need them. It is better to have a heavy grit that you won't
use than to go back to the store to get paper that you need.
Q. What is the heaviest grit paper available?
A. Sandpaper is available in grits as low as 12 and 16.
Most renters will not need paper this coarse and a lot of stores do not carry them. If the
20 grit will not cut a floor, ask the rental shop if they carry anything heavier.
Q. Is there a trick to putting on 12 or 16 grit paper on the SL-8?
A. YES, You must remove some of the grit on the paper that
will be put into the slot of the drum. To do this, put on safety glasses, and strike the
grit with a hammer on a hard surface. This will allow the paper to go into the drum slot
easier.
Q. How far do I have to turn the cams on the SL-8 to lock in the
paper?
A. Only 1/4 turn on each cam. There are arrows on the cam
to show which way to turn to tighten them. The cam on the right turns up while the left
cam turns down.
Q. Is there a suggested way to insert paper?
A. The rental store should show you how to install paper
on the sander. When installing 20 grit paper we suggest that you put the top flap in first
and then the bottom flap. Paper installation is also shown on the "How to Refinish
Wood Floors" video available from the rental stores.
Q. What grits do I need to refinish my floors?
A. Depending on the type of floor, we suggest the
following:
- 20 grit Rough sanding
- 36 or 40 grit Initial sanding or Second sanding
- 60 Medium sanding grit
- 80 or 100 grit Final sanding
Q. Do I need to use all the grits?
A. YES, You should use all the grits to get the best
finish. Remember, you're sanding your floors, and if done properly they will last for many
years and you can take pride in the project. Take your time, don't skip any steps and
enjoy the floors.
Q. Why should I use all the grits?
A. The floor sanding process actually starts with a heavy
cut on the first step and removing the heavy marks with the remaining cuts. If you skip
different grits you are not going to remove all the heavier marks and not get the correct
finish.
Q. After I complete the final sanding is there anything else I should
do before I put new finish on the floor?
A. YES, The process is called screening the floor, and it
will give the project a professional finish. Using a screenmesh disc and a polisher you
give the floor a very fine sanding that blends all the sanding processes together, and
also will show any areas that may need special attention before you apply finish. The
screening can be done with either a rotary polisher or an orbital polisher.
Q. Is there really any difference between the sanders available at
rental stores?
A. Yes, the design between sanders is very important when
you choose a sander. Remember the Silver-Line SL-8 has the slow constant speed drum, soft
rubber cover, cam lock paper holding system, tilt action operation, the largest dust pick
up system and quiet sanding.
Q. Do my floors need to be completely sanded?
A. YES, In most cases the floor should be sanded to bare
wood and refinished. If the floor is in good condition, (no bare spots, no uneven wear, no
stains) and is level you may be able to just screen and recoat. BUT, you must know the
type of finish you are going over, because your new finish may not adhere.
Q. My floors were waxed, can I put urethane on them?
A. NO, you must remove all wax before you put any
polyurethane on the wood. Sand to bare wood and refinish, polyurethane will not adhere to
wax.
Q. I have cracks in my floors are they a problem, should I fill them?
A. If the cracks are throughout the floor, between the
flooring pieces then it is probably normal. They tend to go away during the summer months
when you have high humidity. The wood will retain moisture so these changes are considered
normal. During winter months when you are using heat they will appear. If you fill the
cracks in the dry times you may have problems in the times when the wood expands with the
moisture.
Q. Can I fix a squeaky floor?
A. YES, but you must decide what is causing the noise.
Usually a few nails sunk into the floor will take care of the problem. You should pre-drill holes for nails, add the
face nails before you sand the floor, and putty them before you refinish them. If face
nailing does not help you can try to support the area from below. Nail a piece of wood to
the joist to help support the floor.
Q. How do I clean my hardwood floors?
A. Depending on the finish you use there are several ways.
The most common is to sweep and vacuum your floor on a regular schedule. If you have used
a polyurethane then you can damp mop your floor with clear water. Do not soak your floor
because water can and will seep into any cracks and could cause problems later. Do not wax
a polyurethane floor, it is not required and can cause problems later if you want to
screen and recoat your floor. If you want to restore a luster to a high gloss finish you
may only need to buff them with a polisher and lambswool bonnet. A nylon polishing pad can
also be used with the buffer. Down the road you may recoat the floors, if the buffing does
not work or you see signs of wear. Many manufacturers of polyurethane now make cleaners
for their products, follow the instructions on the labels of these products. Waxed floors
can be polished and rewaxed as needed.
Q. Are there any differences between polyurethanes?
A. YES, there are very definite differences between
cheaper polyurethanes and more expensive products. The old saying "You get what you
pay for" is very much evident when you see how the polyurethanes are applied and how
they last. FabulonŽ products are your best bet. They are formulated for wood floors and
use only the highest quality polyurethane resins. Other products may state that they have
high solids content, but they include fillers and other non-polyurethane resin items to
reach this number. The key is POLYURETHANE RESINS. Fabulon has exceptionally high
polyurethane resin content. Apply this with confidence. When you look into the purchase of
your floor finishes remember to think of the cost of the product over the life of the floor,
not of the cost at the time of purchase. The money spent on a top quality finish will more
than pay for itself over the next 10 to 15 years when it is properly maintained.
Q. Are Water-based finishes as good as Oil Modified finishes?
A. Water-based finishes have become very good floor
finishes. At this time it is more of a preference call for the user. When you use
water-base you should put five coats of finish on the floor. The more coats the better the
gloss you will see on the floor. The dry time is much quicker with these finishes and
there is minimal odor. The water-base finishes also dry crystal clear, they will not
yellow with age as a oil modified finish will over time. If you apply water-based finishes
to bare wood they do not darken the wood like an oil modified finish.
Q. How do I sand corners?
A. Use a scraper with a sharp blade, and then hand sand
the area. Scrape your corners after you complete the final sanding. There are scrapers
made for this application, and can also be used between spindles and on the nosing of
stairs. Be careful when sharping the blade.
Please remember to read our disclaimer page before beginning a project.
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