DIY floor: Sanding and polishing like a pro

If you have wooden floors in your home or carpeted floors that have timber underneath, then you might be thinking about making them look shiny and new by doing a spot of DIY floor sanding.

A single machine can strip, scrub, burnish and polish the timber by simply switching out the sandpaper pads on the equipment for an effective way to achieve a professional finish at home.

The 240v electric floor polisher from Kennards hire can help you get the gleaming, polished look you're after.

Preparation

Start by clearing the area of all furniture and coverings - you don't want to have to do this as you go.

If you have carpet, carefully lift it away at the edges or use a floor stripper if it is glued down.

You will need to secure any loose boards with a nail gun before beginning the sanding job. Make sure the nails are all well below the surface of the wood and apply wood filler to any nail holes or defects. Give the wood filler time to cure before starting work with the floor polisher.

It might take a little more time, but you will thank yourself later if you make the effort to cover and tape up all doorways and openings to other rooms or areas, as the dust has a way of infiltrating any area you let it into, leaving a bigger clean-up job than the one you'll already have to deal with.

Get sanding

For older floors, start with a coarse sanding paper and switch to medium or fine papers as you go for the most professional, polished look. If your floor is relatively new, you can start with a medium paper before working your way down to fine.

Begin by running the sander in both diagonal directions before moving along the grain of the wood.

Use a rotary orbital floor sander after you've finished for a super-fine, professional-looking finish.

Don't forget to keep the vacuum cleaner busy as you go. This will save you a massive clean up job at the end of the project and keep the sanding papers free of too much clogging dust.

With the right equipment and knowledge, there's no reason why you can't turn those wooden planks into good-as-new, polished and professional timber flooring.