How to properly grind the floor with a grinder

How to sand the floor with a floor sander

It is not possible to grind a wooden floor qualitatively by hand or even with a single device. This work will require several types of sanders, specifically designed for sanding wood.

The equipment used for sanding:

• Belt type sander.
• Eccentric machine.
• Vibrating device.
• Angle grinder.
• Cylinder grinder.
• Cycle for processing hard-to-reach areas.

This does not mean that you need to use the entire list of tools for sanding. Below are the characteristics of each machine, which will help you choose the best equipment for sanding the floor. The choice of devices largely depends on the material from which the floor is made, as well as on its condition.

Belt sander

The principle of operation of this device consists in surface finishing with a grinding belt, which is in constant motion due to the rotation of two shafts. And the machine itself is moving on the floor, and the master only needs to move it backwards in time. The device is usually used for preliminary floor scraping. Most models are equipped with a dust bag, which significantly reduces the pollution of the room and simplifies the work.

But you need to constantly monitor the filling of the dust bag, if it overflows, the unit will begin to heat up and reduce its performance. Please note that this type of machine effectively grind only a perfectly flat surface, if the floor has irregularities, then the ruined part of the board will remain untreated.

Eccentric machine

The device has a round soleplate, where the abrasive nozzles are attached. The machine perfectly copes not only with flat, but also with a curved surface. Therefore, if the floor has irregularities, this unit will not miss a single ruined area. Another name for the machine is orbital, t.к. it works by orbiting in a sort of orbit. Thanks to the simultaneous performance of a rotating and reciprocating motion, the device provides a very precise and smooth sanding. The machine is able to polish a wooden floor to a shine.

Vibrating machine

Machines of this type provide a high quality of grinding, due to which they are used for secondary finishing. Due to their low weight, they are not only used for refinishing plank floors, but also for sanding expensive parquet. There are two types of vibration devices:

• Machine for sanding large surfaces with a rectangular flat base;
• Devices with a soleplate in the form of an iron for grinding hard-to-reach areas.

Angle grinder

If at hand did not have professional sanders, you can grind the wood floor angular sander. Thanks to the availability of a large variety of accessories on the angle grinder, this device copes well with rough floor sanding, easily removes old paint, as well as a good grind surface.

It is best to use petal nozzles for work. The abrasive must be chosen according to the type of treatment. For rough scraping suit sandpaper 30-40, for grinding. 80-120. However, when working with angle grinder generates a lot of dust, t.к. In contrast to sanders, it does not have a dust bag. To grind the floor with this tool, you need to provide yourself with protective equipment: masks and goggles.

Drum machine

Applies to the class of professional equipment. Suitable for primary processing, can perform scraping and rough sanding of the floor. With its help you can remove the old coating, make a rough scraping, level the base

The drum machine has a heavy weight, so they can perform processing of the boarded floor, and the parquet should be sanded with care not to damage the expensive coating. Drum machine has a high price, so it is rarely used for sanding at home

Tools and materials

Sanding a wooden floor with their own hands. a way to save on the services of specialists. However, the tool is recommended to use a professional. a special flat sanding machine, as the use of manual scraping will require unreasonably much time and effort.

In addition to the flat grinder to perform the work will be required:

• Hand scraper or a professional device for grinding hard-to-reach areas of the floor and skirting boards;
• Construction vacuum cleaner or high-powered household unit;
• sandpaper of different grits, from 40 to 120 numbers;
• scissors for cutting sandpaper;
• Wood filler in the tone of the wood of which the coating is made;
• varnish on wood (parquet) and tools for its application. roller, brushes;
• Personal protective equipment (goggles, respirator), to protect eyes and breathing organs from wood dust.

work process

To loosen the hardwood flooring was performed correctly, should first treat the surface with a grinder, which is equipped with an abrasive material The area to be treated, at a distance from the walls of about 10 centimeters. Hand tools are useful in those areas.

Buffing the floor

The aim of this work is to remove the old varnish. Grinding should be carried out first along and then across the room. Carefully observe the sandpaper, if it rubs off, it can cause dark spots on the parquet.

After the first scraping, which becomes the roughing, you can always find scratches or nicks. You can remove them by sanding with a 0 sandpaper, and then The work should also be carried out along or across the room. After this work, the unevenness in the parquet should not be more than 1 mm.

When it is possible to sand the parquet with abrasive 0, the surface needs to be puttied. Match the grain and color to the existing wood. Often sawdust is used for this, which was formed during scraping along with the varnish. Apply with a metal trowel so as to fill the gaps between the slats.

Work to fill in gaps

Manual process

If there is no possibility to rent or buy equipment, than grind the parquet in such a case? It can be done using a manual scraping machine. It is a small tool that has a metal plate, and one edge is curved and sharp. This side is convenient to remove the varnish, and the other side is led into a holder made of wood, so to speak a convenient handle. It is long and hard to work with such a tool. But, with the help of it treat even those places where it is difficult to reach.

Work: manual sanding

Instead of manual scraping it is possible to use emery paper. To do this, it is attached to the sole of the shoe. Parquet is rubbed down with the feet. This method is not easy either. That is why the machine scraping method becomes popular.

How to sand the boards: tools and equipment for work

Each type of flooring has its own equipment for grinding.

For example, when it is necessary to polish a wooden floor laid on the joists, you will need drum-type equipment. It is quite heavy, not suitable for thin flooring.

For each type of flooring has its own equipment for grinding

• Flat sanding (for work with parquet). Divided into two subspecies. for work with a large area and manual.
• Belt (used for preliminary scraping the floor surface);
• Vibratory (for work with ordinary wooden floors).

Normal angle grinder with a petal wheel is a lifesaver when you can not get expensive equipment. It is also suitable for work with parquet. The work will take more time, but in the end the coating will look just as good.

Sanding the floor of tongue and groove boards: work step by step

If the purchased tongue and groove floor needs to be covered with a layer of olive and varnish, sanding of the boards is required before these works. You will also need to sand the boards when you need to breathe a second life into an old floor covering. This procedure is called scraping.

Sanded tongue and groove board flooring

After sanding the boards are treated with antiseptic again.

Before you start: Preparing the surface and taking safety precautions

To begin with, you must take care of safety. It makes sense to wear special outfit.

Before starting work, the room must be free of furniture, textiles and other decorative elements

Before you begin, the room must be free of furniture, textiles and other decorative items. Skirting boards are also removed. The boards must be clean, rotten boards are replaced with new ones. The floor is cleaned with a construction vacuum cleaner.

The first step: sanding the floor

The first step is to fill the machine with sandpaper. In the drum of the grinder is inserted a coarse-grained sheet labeled P40. After turning on the equipment, it is slightly inclined towards yourself, so that the abrasive does not spoil the boards. The floor is sanded starting from a corner of the room, moving diagonally to the opposite corner. Every time the machine is turned, it must be lifted slightly. The new row must overlap the previous one by 10 cm.

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Floor scraping is an uncomplicated and effective process, which is accomplished with a floor sanding machine

The corners of the room, places under the radiators and stairs can be planed manually scraping, angle grinder or sandpaper bar. Remove wood dust with a vacuum cleaner after each step.

Second step: sanding

Begin the next stage by changing the sandpaper to medium grit sandpaper marked P60. Move with the machine in the direction of the wood fiber, that is, now move across the room.

Floor sanding is performed with a special machine, after preliminary preparation of the surface

The surface is then cleaned of dust again. In the process, the abrasive will often wear out and should be replaced in good time. The equipment motor is turned on or off only when in motion, otherwise the surface will be left with traces. Do not stop with the machine switched on.

The final stage: finish sanding

The paper in the drum is replaced by fine paper (marked P80 or P100). The movement also starts from a corner diagonally, along and across the room. After sanding the boarded floor (not tongue and groove), the surface is putty.

The finished coating is cleaned from dust and debris, and then varnished. The first coat can be applied the same day. Usually, a wooden floor or parquet floor is treated with 2 to 3 coats of lacquer. A polished surface looks fresh and refreshed.

Advantages of professional sanding equipment

Compared with manual sanders, which are suitable for small areas, these machines offer many advantages. Consider the benefits of such sanding equipment in more detail.

The main advantage of such machines is that they include a regulator. When switching this unit, the speed of rotation of the working parts changes. Wet sanding of surfaces is considerably simplified with the help of professional equipment. Machines for grinding concrete are able to supply the necessary amount of fluid, which binds dust particles and does not let them rise into the air.

Dry sanding is also greatly simplified and accelerated, as professional units have a special dust collector. The result is a very low contamination level.

Use of professional equipment ensures the quality of the grinding

Works to improve the surface of concrete floors, carried out with the help of special units, are characterized by high accuracy. The maximum error does not exceed 2 mm. These machines are easy to operate and do not require permanent maintenance.

The presence of removable accessories for surface treatment makes it possible to control the roughness of the floor. It allows you to get exactly the result that was conceived at the beginning of the work. However, for grinding concrete with your own hands, it is better to buy a less complex device.

Special equipment has many advantages, but there are also some disadvantages of its use. First of all, all such machines emit a lot of dust, as well as they are quite noisy. Of course, their main disadvantage is considered a high cost. Before you purchase a particular machine, experts strongly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the list of equipment and study the technical characteristics.

Grinders are easy to use and do not require constant maintenance

angle grinder with an attachment: equipment for domestic use

Buying expensive grinders for domestic use is not advisable. If there is a need to correct and treat the concrete surface of the house, then the best option is to use an angle grinder with special attachments.

Such a device is suitable for quick and effective grinding of small surfaces. Such tools have a reasonable price, which is often the decisive factor in their choice. Concrete grinding with an angle grinder has yet another advantage: due to the compact size of the device it is possible to process hard-to-reach places.

The working tool of the angle grinder can be a disc. As a rule, it has a small diameter. The diamond coating ensures efficient use of the discs. Bowl-shaped nozzles serve as an alternative to discs.

The quality of concrete surface treatment directly depends on the weight of the tool. To polish the floor at home use small machines, which are equipped with a diamond disc. Such units do not have a planetary mechanism, but are highly effective.

With an angle grinder it is possible to work on a concrete floor in hard-to-reach places

Floor sanding “helicopter”: features of the equipment

Professional and semi-professional devices, which are found on the modern market, are in high demand. The most popular among them are those models that have been produced by European and American manufacturers.

Among all devices used for sanding floors, it is worth allocating models that masters call “helicopters”. The use of such a device allows you to get a perfectly smooth surface. Today there are two varieties of such units:

Models belonging to the first group are characterized by compactness and ease of use. In turn, twin-rotor units refer to complex equipment for grinding concrete floors. Such grinders are characterized by large dimensions and have a special operator’s chair.

Grinding helicopters are in high demand

Trimmers with multiple blades perform surface finishing in two steps. First, a low-grade sanding is made with special nozzles, which are fixed on the blades. During the second stage the blades moving at high speed are used directly.

Sanding of tongue and groove boards. step by step

If the purchased tongue and groove flooring needs to be covered with a layer of varnish and lacquer, the boards must be sanded before these works. You will also have to sand the boards, when you need to breathe a second life into an old floor covering. This procedure is called scraping.

Sanded tongue and groove board flooring

After scraping the boards are treated again with antiseptic agents.

Before the job: surface preparation and precautions

To begin with, you must take care about safety. Special equipment makes sense.

Before starting work, the room must be free of furniture, textiles and other decorative elements

Before starting work, clear the room of furniture, fabrics and other decorative items. Skirting boards are also removed. Boards should be clean, rotten boards are replaced with new ones. Using a construction vacuum cleaner the floor is cleaned.

The first stage: smoothing the floor

The first thing to do is to fill the machine with sandpaper. A coarse-grained sheet marked P40 is inserted into the drum of the grinder. After turning on the equipment, it is slightly inclined towards yourself, so the abrasive does not spoil the boards. The floor is sanded starting from a corner of the room, moving diagonally to the opposite corner. Every time you turn the machine, you need to lift the unit slightly. The new row must overlap the previous one by 10 cm.

Floor scraping is an uncomplicated and effective process, carried out with the help of a sanding machine

Planing in the corners, under the radiators and stairs can be done manually with a scraper, angle grinder or emery board. Remove dust from the wood after each step with a vacuum cleaner.

The second step: sanding

Begin the next step by replacing the sandpaper with medium grit paper marked P60. Move with the machine in the direction of the wood fiber, that is, now move across the room.

Grinding the floor is carried out with a special machine, after preliminary preparation of the surface

Then the surface is again cleaned of dust. The abrasive will often wear off in the process and should be replaced in good time. The equipment motor is turned on or off only when in motion, otherwise traces will be left on the surface. Do not stop with the machine running.

The final step: Finishing sanding

The paper in the drum is replaced by fine paper (marked P80 or P100). The movement also begins from the corner diagonally, along and across the room. After sanding the boarded floor (not the tongue and groove board), the surface is putty.

Finishing sanding process

The finished coating is cleaned of dust and debris, and then varnished. The first coat can be applied on the same day. Usually apply 2 to 3 coats of varnish on wooden flooring or parquet. A polished surface looks fresh and refreshed.

Choosing a vibratory grinder

What is a vibratory sander?

Vibratory grinders are designed to mechanize one of the most monotonous and laborious jobs. grinding flat surfaces. Hours of “rustling” sanding pad, achieving a perfect surface, or get the same result in a few minutes of the grinder? The answer is obvious. No wonder that the grinders have won the people’s love and got a worthy place on the shelf of every craftsman. Today the market offers a large number of different vibratory grinders. Before you buy one, you should understand the main differences between these machines and the possibilities behind these differences.

It should be noted that vibration grinders occupy a certain field of application between belt and eccentric grinders. Vibratory grinder, as the name suggests, operates by vibration, more precisely, the reciprocating movement of the sole with a sheet of abrasive material attached to it. This is their difference from the eccentric machines, where the sole plate moves along a complex rotational trajectory. The device vibrogrinders easier, so they are, on average, cheaper than the eccentric, but the probability of traces (scratches) on the treated surface they have higher, so for finishing, polishing they are worse suited. In comparison with belt vibratory sanders, they win in terms of surface finish, but lose in performance. In this comparison, we can also mention angular grinders (in performance close to belt, but to achieve an even surface without round marks from the grinder. not an easy task even for an experienced craftsman) and renovatorsa grinding attachment (could replace a small vibratory sander with a deltoid).

As can be seen from the picture, a vibratory sander is a fairly versatile tool. But the wider the range of the tool, the more expensive it is. At the same time, a universal tool always loses out to a highly specialized, and its price can be many times more expensive. Therefore, before choosing a grinder, you should clearly understand what it will be used for. and not expect it to do the impossible.

What exactly can a vibratory sander be used for?

• for sanding wood, metal, plaster and putty;
• removal of old paint, varnish coating, rust;
• for workpieces made of plastic, stone, gypsum;

We can also mention quite exotic applications like felting and preparation of solutions (in vessels attached to a vibrating sole).

Based on these features, vibroschlifmashina widely used in woodworking, repair and furniture manufacturing, repair and decoration of premises, body work in car repair.

Characteristics of vibratory sanders

The vibratory sanding machine’s soleplate is driven by a motor. Motor power consumption (as with most power tools) is one of the most important factors. But for vibratory sanders this parameter is strongly related to the next parameter. the amplitude of vibration. the greater the amplitude, the faster (but rougher) is the surface finish.

In each particular tool the motor power is selected optimal for the amplitude used. from 120-250W for 1mm oscillation amplitude to 400-600W for 5mm oscillation amplitude. Therefore, it will be better to choose amplitude in the first place, and then choose power from the defined range, based on how much larger volumes and what surfaces are to be processed. Remember. the harder the material to be ground, the more power is needed for grinding.

At the same time, it is necessary to choose with caution a tool with minimal power. Even if you do not plan to machine anything harder than soft wood, a power reserve is not unreasonable. any electric motor will last much longer if used below its power limit.

Another important parameter is the number of soleplate vibrations per minute, or in other words, the speed of the blade. Different materials require different speeds: plastic and lacquered surfaces should be machined at minimum speed so that the increasing friction does not spoil the surface. At medium speed it is recommended to process soft metals, e.g. aluminum. At high speed. hard wood and metals.

What to do if the machine is not purchased to process one specific material? In this case it is necessary to have a speed regulator. it gives the tool the required versatility.

Parameters related to the size and shape of the soleplate influence which parts can be processed with a vibratory sander.

The larger the size of the soleplate, the easier it will be to process large surfaces. But at the same time, a machine with a larger soleplate area, in order to maintain performance, should have accordingly more motor power; and, ultimately, a higher price. When choosing between two machines with the same power and different soleplate area, you should keep in mind that the performance of the machine with the larger soleplate will be noticeably lower. However, some models have interchangeable soles.

The shape of the soleplate can be rectangular, closer to square or deltoid. It is thought that the rectangular shape of the sole is preferable to the square one because of its versatility: moving the machine forward with the wide side of the sole allows a better effect on large surfaces, and the narrow side allows to penetrate into grooves and corners where the wide side cannot penetrate. The deltoid shape of soleplate allows to machine details of difficult shape, with inner corners and grooves. Disadvantage of the deltoid sole. for such soles, sanding can be attached only with Velcro.