If your hardwood floors require a sanding session anywhere sooner, and you are thinking of using an orbital sander for the job, you’ve come to the right place.
Today you shall get a lot of useful information regarding sanding your floors using an orbital sander.
The easiest way to sand your floors with an orbital sander is to place it perpendicular to the floors and then move it horizontally just as you would with a lawnmower.
However, there is a lot more to this process and you will have to read the information ahead to get to know the precise details.
Table of Contents
What Is An Orbital Sander?
The orbital sander is a small hand-held machine that runs randomly and allows you to sand your hardwood floors.
It does not work in circles like most other sanders, that is why it is commonly known as a random orbital sander.
It is an aggressive tool with tremendous sanding power, making it highly suitable for surfaces that need a grinding session or have a varnish on top that must be removed.
It is highly suitable for a quick and powerful sanding session, especially on finished floors where you want to remove varnish from hardwood floors.
It gives a far smoother surface than most other sanders and is known for its high-speed, powerful sanding.
Moreover, if you have a buildup on your hardwood floors that consists of a layer of dirt, debris, and grime, you need not worry about using corrosive cleaning agents to clear it up.
The orbital sander is powerful enough to cut through the crusted layers and work on the surface of your hardwood floors.
However, you would need to understand that if you are planning on cutting through the build-up layer, you will do that with a low-grit abrasive pad so you don’t end up scratching the floor or causing excessive sanding.
Often, old hardwood floors are not in very good condition, and using traditional sanders becomes a questionable act as the floors do not have enough strength to retain heavy sanding.
Yet, they require something powerful which can clear away all the unnecessary layers and refresh the wood’s grain.
The orbital sander is very effective in such scenarios where precision and power are both required simultaneously.
It works best in removing unwanted substances from the top and makes the surface lose years’ worth of age as the grain becomes much softer and fresh as compared to earlier.
The other effective ways to sand hardwood floors are:
How To Sand Hardwood Floors With Orbital Sander?
Below is a completely comprehensive guide to how to sand hardwood floors with an orbital sander:
Clean & Clear The Floors
Before any sanding session, it is mandatory that the hardwood floor should be cleaned and any furniture or other items must be removed from the surface.
While clearing the space is inevitable if you want effective sanding, many people think compromising on cleaning is not that big a mistake.
However, the reality begs to differ. Leaving your floors dirty will increase the time and effort required in sanding and can also scratch the surface.
The dirt layer when cut by the sander can get grinded on the wood’s surface causing scratches throughout the surface.
Furthermore, the orbital sander follows a random motion and the pad runs in loose oscillations.
Resultantly, putting extra pressure on it can cause the machine to stop or may even induce irregular sanding.
In worst cases, the machine might give up as the spinning of the pad is not tight enough to counter the downward force with the spinning motion.
Only trained professionals are skilled enough to cut through the build-up layer using the orbital sander (only if necessary).
In addition, sanding the wood through dirt and other unwanted materials can often result in uneven or excessive sanding; both of which are very dangerous for your hardwood floors.
Place At A Correct Angle
The right way to sand the floors using an orbital sander is to place it on the floors and align the pad with the grain of the wood.
Many people make the mistake of holding the orbital sander at an angle to the floors or the wood grain.
This can cause serious scratching as the random motion of the sander can cause scarring and scratching on the surface of the hardwood floors.
As the name suggests, the random orbital sander sands randomly as the pad oscillates and spins in a looser motion.
Therefore, using it at the wrong angle can cause more damage than good on your hardwood floors.
Start Sanding
Sanding your hardwood floors using an orbital sander is not going to be a very different task compared to the usual sanding process.
You need to select the starting area of the sanding on your floors.
It is recommended that you choose the farthest end from the door to start with as you can end at the doorway and won’t have to step on the sanded surface immediately.
However, this is not a rule as you can simply start at the center and then pan out to all sides as you like.
Both methods are effective and work well so you can choose the one that you like better.
But make sure to keep the safety factor in check as you surely would not want to get hurt while sanding your hardwood floors with an orbital sander.
Therefore, it is recommended that you wear gloves, protective goggles, a face mask, and earplugs even before starting the sanding session so you don’t expose yourself to any risk.
Move Parallel To The Boards
One of the major differences in using an orbital sander instead of other versions to sand your hardwood floors is that you have to keep the sanding session parallel to the hardwood planks and not diagonal; which is the conventional method.
This is because the orbital sander pad moves in a loose motion and it can cause scratching if you work it diagonally. It is best to use it as a lawnmower and move in a similar motion.
If you are wondering about the right grit, you will have to decide according to the condition of the floors and the type of look you want on your floors.
However, a general recommendation would be to start with above 120 grit and move up to 200 if necessary.
Run the sander on the floors for a few rounds until you think you are close to what you want to achieve with your sanding session.
A useful indicator is the color of the hardwood floors which will determine the amount of sanding the floors have received.
Once close to your target, use a snapper of the finest grain ranging from 80-100, and give the floor another one to two rounds for a smooth and clear finish.
After you are done with this process, repeat the same sanding process for the edges and end with cleaning the surface using either a dry mop or a vacuum cleaner to collect all the dust.
Conclusion
Sanding hardwood floors with an orbital sander is a fairly easy task if you know how to do it.
The guide above can greatly aid you in your sanding process so make sure to follow it to achieve a desirable sanding for your hardwood floors.
As a co-creator of FlooringFlow.com, Emma Sophia comes on board to answer all your questions related to any flooring problems. Together with John Henry, she’s gained extensive experience in fixing many flooring problems in their own house as well as in friends and family’s. Now, she wants to share her knowledge that she gained during floor remodeling, restoring, and DIY projects.
