Preparing floorboards

[Anna]

Hiya,

I'd really appreciate advice on how to prepare a 12.5 sqm wooden floor in an 1850s house. The boards are old enough (pre- fitted carpet at least!) to have been stained black either side of the chimney breast. I'm afraid I have no idea what the wood is. I want to prepare it to use Ronseal Contractor Quick Cure.

The bare floorboards have:
- scratches & the odd gouge
- some chips at a few ends
- lightly bowed and boards are at slightly different heights
- 1.5 sqm stained or painted dark (I read the horrors of bitumous paint but as this seems flush with the wood I hope it's just stain)
- 1 crack 26" long
- gaps up to 5mm between boards
- remains of carpet backing/underlay glued around the edges (I imagine not too difficult to remove)
- well trodden-in pink plaster dust (from removing bad plaster) & splashes of recent limewash
I can live with all the above except the last 2 as the boards look great to me, and I want to prepare the floor for Ronseal Contractor Quick Cure.

So should we:
a) just clean the floor (how?!)
b) sand the floor with our 170W random orbital sander - would probably take forever & give an uneven finish?
c) rent a belt floor sander & edger (but where in Suffolk or nearby? I've looked but I can't find anyone renting out belt floor sanders here)
d) all other economical (very small budget) & doable-in-a-couple-of-days ideas very welcome

best
Anna

 

[mark_j_k]

Something like this:

http://www.brandontoolhire.co.uk/directory/prodView.asp?idproduct=435

Depends on what part of Suffolk you are in but Brandon have a few branches.

You can also search for 'Tool Hire' on http://www.yell.co.uk - just enter your postode in the location

 

[Gervase]

The boards are probably deal - a lovely wood.
Go for option (c) - the belt sander and edger. Far more efficient and far faster than using any domestic power tools. Be prepared to get through a lot of grit paper, however. And be prepared for a lot of noise and a lot of dust. Remove the underlay first with a scraper, as this will seriusly clog the sander. The plaster and limewash isn't a problem.

 

[Anna]

brandontoolhire.co.uk/directory/prodView.asp?idproduct=435

Thanks for the link, but that's a drum sander which I keep reading are vicious beasts. ....Or are the reports exagerated?

From what I've read, a belt floor sander is the one to get, but I can't find one anywhere around here (mid-Suffolk). I'm willing to travel to get one, but as I can only rent for a day I don't want to spend 5 hours of that in the car - won't have any time to do the sanding!

Thanks both of you for the vote for hiring a sander - I'm a newbie at all this & very unsure!
anna

 

[mark_j_k]

I've never used a drum sander so I am unable to comment.

http://www.floorsandingservice.co.uk/delivery.htm

I'm not sure if these would deliver as far as Suffolk - you can always contact them.

If you need advice on sanding floors I've found the following site:

http://www.floorsanding2u.co.uk/index.php?code=floor_sanding&main=pages

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Given that you need to remove the paint / stain around the periphery you are right to pursue the sanding route. Removal of a layer of material all over will get you back to a uniform surface for finishing.

Avoid hired floor sanders if they are of the drum type, as these are much too aggresive and it's easy to create gouges - plus the noise and dust is horrendous. Given that you have a relatively small area to do I would try using a 4" belt sander, either hired or purchased for the job. I have recently laid some reclaimed oak boards which were resurfaced with a Makita 4" belt sander using 60G belts, and the job was fairly quick and painless. Attach a vacuum cleaner to control the dust. Your random orbit sander may be useful for edges or corners where the belt sander can't reach. Using the belt sander will also allow you to tackle each plank individualy, so retaining some of the level variations between planks if desired. This will add to the character of the finished floor.

Do try a sample of your intended finish, as we started using a Ronseal "Professional" wax-oil finish on the oak, and were very dissapointed with the "plasticy" effect. We have much better results using OSMO hard-wax oil.

Any hire shop should be able to sort you out with a belt sander.

 

[Andrew Bodenham]

Given that you need to remove the paint / stain around the periphery you are right to pursue the sanding route. Removal of a layer of material all over will get you back to a uniform surface for finishing.

Avoid hired floor sanders if they are of the drum type, as these are much too aggresive and it's easy to create gouges - plus the noise and dust is horrendous. Given that you have a relatively small area to do I would try using a 4" belt sander, either hired or purchased for the job. I have recently laid some reclaimed oak boards which were resurfaced with a Makita 4" belt sander using 60G belts, and the job was fairly quick and painless. Attach a vacuum cleaner to control the dust. Your random orbit sander may be useful for edges or corners where the belt sander can't reach. Using the belt sander will also allow you to tackle each plank individualy, so retaining some of the level variations between planks if desired. This will add to the character of the finished floor.

Do try a sample of your intended finish, as we started using a Ronseal "Professional" wax-oil finish on the oak, and were very dissapointed with the "plasticy" effect. We have much better results using OSMO hard-wax oil.

Any hire shop should be able to sort you out with a belt sander.

 

[Nigel Watts]

Agressive floor sanding is to be avoided at all costs as it ruins the floor. Read Toby Newell's article on this site. He has done two floors for me and I can confirm that he knows his stuff.

 

[Anna]

Thanks - I really appreciate all the replies here.

Well I decided to get a belt floor sander but that's easier said than done round Suffolk. If anyone's interested I can let them know who rents what & for how much 'cos I've got the details for about 11 companies!

There do seem to be good companies actually doing sanding here, but unfortunately our budget doesn't run to that. I have found someone in Cambridgeshire who'll rent me a sander but our car isn't fit to collect it right now

Generally speaking, the belt sanding cos. in London don't want to deliver to Suffolk, and the Suffolk hire companies don't rent out belt floor sanders. If anyone knows different then I'm keen to hear.

As I said, if anyone finds themselves on the same quest, I'm happy to share my findings.

best, Anna