Floor Sanding Old Nails

This floor restoration method requires a floor buffer with a sanding screen to scuff the old finish of the floor which is why it s called a screen and recoat.

Floor sanding old nails.

After completely emptying your room remove any old floor coverings nails and anything else that is attached to the floor and then give everything a good vacuum and clean. Most hardwood floors are installed with invisible nails and those that aren t are either old or intended to look old. A variety of floor materials can be sanded including timber cork particleboard and sometimes parquet some floors are laid and designed for sanding. If you just sand over the nails it may not work leaving the heads high.

This fine detail work can make your diy project look more like a professional job. When you re sanding nail heads will rip the sanding belt which costs you money or gouge the sanding drum which costs you more money. When it hits a nail you ll hear it. After mopping the floor and letting it dry you use the buffer to run a 120 grit sanding screen over the surface.

The other problem you will have is trying to sand the floor flat you don t want to be sanding down more than 1 32 inch on your new floor because you will run into nails very fast and be out of wood to hold them in place. Many old floors are sanded after the previous coverings are removed and suitable wood is found hidden beneath. It will still squeak if you don t lift and renail the floor. Next use a floor buffer fitted with a fine grit screening pad to screen sand the flooring.

Using a pole sander is a bit more time consuming but also easier to use than a buffer and more affordable. Sanding floors really isn t difficult it s just a lot of hard work. So countersink all nails by at least 1 8 in. Avoid using roofing felt as the asphalt may heat up while sanding and bleed into the floor.

Floor sanding is the process of removing the top surfaces of a wooden floor by sanding with abrasive materials. Nail down any loose boards with finish nails. Use an approved vapor retarder. Using a 120 grit sanding screen buff the floor along each board moving back and forth with the grain.

Normal flooring nails don t have a wide head so it is possible to drive them below the surface but these have a big head. To detect nails drag a metal snow shovel across the floor upside down. Basically you want an empty clean surface to start working from. Some people rent an industrial floor buffer for this step but a pole sander pictured is another great option.

The use of those common nails seems to be somebody s desperate attempt to reduce the problem.