It's great to be a DIY enthusiast; the satisfaction of being able to do a home improvement project on your own is great for your self-esteem (not to mention your bank balance!). Whilst some projects have a great chance of success, other more complex tasks really require expert experience and equipment. Parquet floor restoration and sanding wooden flooring are two such examples.
DIY Floor Sanding, Why shouldn’t you do it yourself?
While we may deny it, many of us just lack the motivation to see certain activities through to completion. We become bored, discouraged, or find an excuse not to continue. Wooden floor sanding is one such task that’s messy and requires quality tools and equipment. You can certainly attempt it, but if you are looking to completely restore your parquet flooring, it really is best left to the experts. Wood floor sanding is only one element of parquet floor restoration, and we’d argue that it’s more cost-effective and less disruptive to hire the help of an expert.
Straight and Across, or Diagonal Sanding?
To correctly begin sanding wooden flooring, you must first understand the nature of the wood. Let's start with the fundamentals. What exactly is grain? It is basically the longitudinal arrangement of wood fibres. When it comes to parquet floor restoration, the first thing anybody learns is to sand with the grain of the wood.
Wood floor sanding is divided into three processes: rough, medium, and fine. Rough sanding eliminates the most worn sections of the floor with coarse abrasives. The middle phase, as the name implies, is where the surface gradually takes shape and evens out. Finally, fine sanding with a high grit sandpaper is employed to ensure that the floor is completely smooth.
Some individuals try to peel the wood diagonally while rough sanding, as it cuts faster. That's a great idea in principle, however this method can do damage to the grain, which may show when you apply the finish later. As a result, it is preferable to sand straight first, leaving the grain intact. When working on severely uneven, damaged surfaces, diagonal sanding has its place as it is just more efficient at removing more material.
Wood floor sanding Parquet floor Restoration - Parquet Flooring Suppliers in Teddington
Parquet floor restoration certainly has a set of best practices. Parquet consists of rows of blocks that face in opposing directions. So, how do you sand the grain on one side, without going against the other? For how to effectively handle this issue, there are two opposing opinions. That you must stand straight and diagonally across, or simply across. We will attempt to clarify both methods.
Straight Across
At 90 degrees to each other, straight and across. According to those who use this method, sanding diagonally causes certain blocks to be stripped more than others due to the varying grain orientation, resulting in an uneven surface. You never strip back the grain completely in any direction when standing straight and across, so you never remove too much.
Diagonally
Those who employ this method feel that while doing rough and medium wood floor sanding, it is acceptable to strip the wood straight and across. Fine sanding, on the other hand, should be done at least once for each diagonal. This allows you to proceed in the other direction after following the grain once.
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Original Source - http://southerncrossflooring.populr.me/should-parquet-floor-restoration-be-left-to-the-experts
