How To Sand Uneven Hardwood Floors?

If you also have uneven hardwood floors which have received a high amount of traffic and require sanding, this article is surely the only thing you can have right now.

Even if you are a professional looking forward to your first solo project, this article will certainly prove helpful.

To sand uneven hardwood floors effectively, perform a two-step process: begin with coarse sanding to even out the surface, then follow up with smooth sanding. This approach ensures a level and polished result, restoring the floors’ appearance to its best.

However, you would need to read the entire article ahead to get to know all the necessary details about the topic.

Why Do Hardwood Floors Need Sanding?

Hardwood floors can be uneven in different areas depending on the amount and type of traffic they receive.

This can result in a major difference in the wear and tear as well as the grit received by each area on the hardwood floors.

Therefore, sanding must be required to ensure that the floors remain at the same level and do not get uneven in any place.

Sanding will slightly grind the surface of the wood and make it much more finer.

After a successful sanding session, your hardwood floors will be level again and the unevenness will be gone.

How To Sand Uneven Hardwood Floors | A Complete Guide

A proper sanding session for uneven hardwood floors will include a general coarse sanding of the entire floor, followed by sanding of the edges and corners, filling the unnecessary gaps, and also finally sanding it once again lightly to ensure a smooth surface overall and giving the floors the right treatment that they deserve.

If all of this seems too much to grasp, you can read and follow the detailed guide mentioned below which will guide you upon every step of the process so you can carry it out properly.

You May Also Like: How To Sand Hardwood Floors With A Square Sander?

Coarse Sanding

The first step in sanding the uneven hardwood floors is to coarsely sand the entire floors using your desired machine.

Usually, drum sanders are used as they can give you the right amount of coverage for the floors which not only makes the process much faster but also a lot more efficient.

You can start by attaching the coarse abrasive pads to your machine.

There are many varieties in sanding machines so if you have variable pressure in your sanding machine, make sure to keep the setting on high.

Another important point to note here is that the drum of the sander should always be above the level of the floors before starting the machine.

Once the motor starts and the drum starts to rotate, you can slowly release it so it starts sanding the hardwood floors.

However, Make sure that the machine is always moving and never static on point while it is turned on.

This can save you from damaging your hardwood floors as excessive sanding in only one place can ruin the area on your hardwood floors.

Keep treading softly and cover the entire room.

Furthermore, it is always necessary to move in the direction of the wood and not against it to ensure smooth sanding.

The ideal motion is to move from one wall to another; once you reach a dead end, turn around and change your lane, then lower the drum and repeat the process until the entire floor has been sanded.

You can create lanes ranging from 5-10 cm each on your hardwood floors depending upon the size of your sander.

Besides, it is always necessary to empty the dust bag before moving to another lane as this would make sure that the dust collection is done on time and does not interfere with the sanding process.

It can be difficult to target the edges of the floors if you have a large sized machine.

While many homeowners revert to smaller versions due to this reason, you can sand the edges with your chosen machine if you know the right way to do so.

• Firstly, you would need a grit 40 abrasive which needs to be attached to an edger.
• Once you have this right, start sanding the corners but make sure to go lightly.
• It is noteworthy to never place any body weight on the machine.
• Once started, sand in circles in small areas and move along the wood’s grain.
• If you are opting to remove the old varnish, keep sanding until the coat is gone.
• If you are sanding the floors for a refinishing process, you’ll need a very light session to simply refresh the wood grain.
• After the process is done, empty the dust bag and move to the next corner where you will repeat the same process.

Gap Filling

Once you are done with the basic sanding of the floors, it is now time to fill the gaps in the hardwood planks (if any).

Gaps can form in hardwood floors when there is movement in the joists or the subflooring structure.

Another common reason for the gaps is the expansion and contraction of wood boards along the seasons which can cause them to shift from their places.

While it is not always necessary to fill the gaps as the distance is usually around 0.1 to 2mm, you can still do so if you want a more professional look on the floors.

You can either use epoxy fillers or any commercial joint fillers to fill these gaps and make your floors appear fuller.

Take the product you have chosen for filling the gaps. All types of fillers come as separate components which need to be mixed so they can be applied into the cavities where they would solidify.

Therefore, you should mix up the components and add a small amount of wood dust into the mixture.

You can use the dust collected in the dustbags and use it with the filler to create a 1:3 ratio of wood dust and the filler.

Once mixed, pour this into the gaps and make it fine with either a putty knife or a spatula.

Lastly, allow it to dry for at least an hour after which you can either stain it or apply wood tape on top if you want to cover it.

However, leaving it as it is will also not stain the appearance of your hardwood floors.

Keep in mind that fillers are always useful for only small gaps and cracks.

If there are major gaps in your hardwood floors, there is a high chance that they are caused by some structural damage and you should not try to fix it with fillers.

Also Read: How To Sand Hardwood Floors With Orbital Sander?

Final Sanding

If you have not used filler, you can skip this step as your sanding process is completed.

However, if you did use them to fill the gaps between your hardwood floors, you need to sand them once again to ensure that the dried filler is level with the surface.

After waiting for the right time for the filler to dry, use an abrasive with almost 100 grit to sand the entire room once again as this will prevent any filler residues and will also give you a fine and clean surface.

However, if you do not intend to use fillers from the start, it is best to use a higher grit from the start to make the procedure much more efficient and fast.

Don’t Miss: How To Sand Hardwood Floors By Hand?

Conclusion

Hardwood floors need sanding once in a while to reveal the fresh grain of the wood and make them level again.

If your hardwood floors also require similar treatment, and you do not know what to do, this article will surely help you.

Use this guide mentioned above and sand your uneven floors to give them a unanimous look right away!