How To Sand and Finish Wood Floors

A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders, and how to apply the finish.

[@nhockenly6779]

*Works really **MyBest.Tools** well, and fits hand perfectly.*

[@stephenhulme53]

This video was very helpful for me. I led a group of 10 high school students on a mission trip and we refinished a 50 year old gym floor. Here are a few more tips I would add for drum sander users: 1) When using the drum sander and lowering the drum as you are moving to start a pass, be sure to think of lowering in a controlled smooth motion rather than dropping or releasing the drum down. If the drum plops down, it will leave the same marks as if you started from a still position. 2) Try to rent the EZ-8 style drum sander with the round sleeves instead of the clamping style drum sander with flat sheets. We had one of each initially, but quickly returned the clamping one and went out to find another EZ-8 type. The style with the screw down clamp and flat sheets is much more difficult to set up correctly. One of the students didn't properly tighten one of the screws and it came loose and put a huge gouge in the floor. The EZ-8 sleeves are much more error-proof in terms of setting them up.

[@mrsmjporter]

How long did the sanding take for the gym floor?

[@stephenhulme53]

@@mrsmjporter it depends on how many working sanders you have. If we had started out with 3 EZ-8 sanders and all the right sandpaper, we could have done it in about 15-20 hours. We started with only one good machine and 60 grit paper. We needed to have started with 24-grit because the floor was in such bad condition. It had probably been laid 50 years ago, never maintained, and used as a cafeteria sometimes with tables and chairs being moved around.

[@zachantafrazier852]

My husband and I are sanding & restaining our floors. This man got me doing the grunt work (sanding the corners)🙄🙄🙄🙄 working with him is worse than holding the flashlight for my dad😂😂 anyway great video

[@charlenemccullough2293]

I purchased a used one as the piece is a bit pricey, but the machine kzbin.infoUgkxG6fbm3cHBd7CNTjk5D-dwYe9c9tCB9ZN has surpassed my expectations. We sand small parts by hand often, sized around 1"x1/2," and specifically look for a piece that's designed to be vertical. The motor has plenty of torque and great speed settings. The only inconvenience I had is that the disk measures 5" where we trim 6" stick-and-sand disks down easily by mounting it then cutting with a box cutter.

[@mgill404pfft]

I'm one day into using the EZ-8 on my floor sanding project. Rented it from Home Depot. The handle had 500 hours on it. This thing is difficult to use. I think this thing would be a lot better if it had proper maintenance. My machine had a loose handle, and left chatter marks on the first cut. I'm hoping these will be less obvious after running an orbital over the floors. I'm refinishing a 60 year old floor and the fresh wood under this old lacquer looks really nice. Can't wait to refinish it. Running the EZ-8 is hard labor. It wants to run away from you and puts constant pressure on your hands and forearms to maintain a straight cut. Be prepared to regret your decision to do this project. The end result will be worth it. I'll be finishing up my cuts this week with the EZ-8. Good luck to my fellow homeowners out there.

[@carolmartin6231]

WOW! This is the best instructional video I have ever seen on KZbin!!!! thank you so much I have learned a ton. The presenter did an excellent job of explaining everything.

[@JamieSloane]

Great video. Answered every question I had before starting my project. Thank you for taking the time out for those who want to learn. Cheers! :)

[@darrylcalloway3493]

This video was super helpful! Very professionally done and clear step-by-step instructions.

[@alverage70]

Amazing video presentation! Highly appreciate the time and effort placed by you guys to make such highly detailed and step by step video! Many regards Mike

[@FLYINGTHOR]

Awesome video, I was completely lost when looking through the offerings of my local hire center, thanks so much for the description of each machine and what it's good for, brilliant!

[@tgc1427]

This really helps. I appreciate the professionalism of the presenter. I like his tone, his manner, his thoroughness. Thank you!

[@johnwaller2160]

Greetings from Sydney, Australia. Sander/finisher for 30 years. Appreciate what you’re trying to do in the video. Sage advice!

[@denisematterson9092]

Thanks for the information. This was of great help and I cannot wait to begin my project.

[@bobbyblazes1]

This guy needs a school to teach at. Very thorough and simplistic

[@da20082003]

Be interesting to see how he goes with 24 ratbags instead of a gopro on a tripod👍

[@friskymsw]

GREAT video!! VERY thorough and informative! 😊

[@darnellking6678]

What a great tutorial video.. My 8 year can probably sand a floor now with the way this was taught. Thanks for the great breakdown, extremely helpful.

[@deerice6131]

Fabulous teaching video. One of the best I've seen in a long time. 👍👍

[@markr6754]

Talk about a timely video. I’m just starting a project to refinish the floors in my bedroom area. Mahogany that’s been covered by carpet for 40 years. Very clear that every room was visited in the past by an undisciplined pet, so a number of black stains, similar to your “water spot” in the video. I’m not in any hurry, so I can take my time to get this right! I appreciate the thoroughness of your project, including the use of multiple tools to get the job done just right.

[@moorelandhouse]

Thank you! We just put up a video of us exposing our hardwood floor and now we will document how we will finish it thanks to your video.

[@AmericanSanders]

Looks like the 'uncovering' of the wood floors went pretty well. Those floors have potential! Good luck with your project!

[@cosmojetz2000]

Love the presentation - very professional, to the point, easy to listen to. Would have loved to see some of the equipment in action a bit longer, e.g. the rotary sander with its high torque. The presenter does a great job at explaining the differences and cautionary measures - more visuals of that in action is also greatly helpful.

[@gabrielappesatto684]

I like the drum sander

[@johnsandoval8884]

great job 👏. watched the entire video I feel very confident that I can try this. I really appreciate this video

[@sdcofer52]

Top notch job on explaining and demonstrating the process. A+!!!

[@mattblondell2031]

Op

[@juangallardo172]

Very helpful this video thanks!!

[@MAW1024]

Extremely helpful video. Took a ton of notes to help with my upcoming project of my house. Very informative thank you for the info.

[@lydiahubbell6278]

Always read comments, too.

[@kirkwilliams5740]

Thanks for taking the time to do this excellent video , precise,

[@garrettdykes]

Very informative. Also the music makes me feel like I’m watching a police drama and a cop just said something that points out a clue to the murder they’re investigating and they realize their victim was actually lying for the insurance money. Great work on the floors and solving the case.

[@matthewreynolds2384]

Great guide, glad I was able to find it amongst the KZbin junk videos. All info, no story. 👍

[@jaynesimmons2403]

That was super helpful. Thank you. So patient you are!!

[@isabellar687]

Very thorough and clear presentation. Thank you so much ❤

[@crazycanuck2578]

This was a very informative video, thanks for showing us how to do a floor properly, I'm going to be doing a complete 4 bedroom house and I'm so glad that I ran across your video, Again I have to say thank you very much for your time in producing this video.

[@SSmith-fm9kg]

I tore up old carpet in my house about 15 years go, that had covered the original oak plank flooring, which had reverse cupped due to the carpet not allowing the oak to breathe for many years. The easiest access to a machine was Home Depot rentals (I didn't feel like running all over town to rental stores, only to find something held together with duct tape), and at first, I rented the rectangular orbital sander. But due to the cupping, it would have taken a year of sanding to get the planks flat, so I rented the drum sander. It is a nightmare to operate if you are inexperienced (which I was), but eventually I managed to do the job. This video (which is great) makes it look simple...IT AIN'T! It requires a substantial learning curve to operate the machines properly. On top of it all, I used a roller for the finish, and messed it all up, leaving a terrible finish. I got down on my hands and knees, using my own handheld belt sander and removed the polyurethane, then painted on the new finish with a foam brush, which was controllable and went well. In the end, it all looks good...but refinishing a wood floor is far from simple.

[@shovelheadseven]

Using the drum sander can be fairly easy as long as you never start or stop with the drum down. You must be moving and ease the drum down so it doesn't just plop down and cause a dip.

[@vonbach1530]

I just found this….I am going to attempt the same project. I have no idea what I am doing either. Thanks you so much for this info.

[@Tanksnurse]

@@vonbach1530 good luck, please post update when you're finished, i'm working on mine now, I have little to no experience but the floor is a wreck so anything I do will be an improvement😔

[@bobmilleit1976]

@@Tanksnurse any updates? I’m starting Friday

[@TheStoneWhisperer]

I feel much more confident in doing my bedroom now, as I followed this gentleman's instructions to the T for the living room two years ago and it came out absolutely gorgeous! I had ripped up some shabby carpet in my 100+ year old home and underneath was the most gorgeous solid Oak flooring that was begging to be refinished. But yes, even if you are VERY careful, you are going to make mistakes and create some dips in the wood. Just correct them as he demonstrated and you'll be fine. He is 100% right, once you apply your finish at the end, you WILL see all the little errors you made in the sanding process..hehehe. That is why it is SO important that you sand correctly, methodically and NOT be in a hurry! Take your time, do it properly and you will be so pleased with your hard work! I LOVE my living room floor how it turned out.

[@gladiator22666]

Great video , I've walked many miles with a " Haywood Heavy Duty Sander " ......people don't realise how difficult it is to sand an old floor . A real back breaking job especially the edges. Well worth it though when you see the new polish bring the colour out of the wood 👍

[@deantonto1615]

Nice machine..I use the galaxy

[@bcodd9987]

Outstanding video. Great tips. Thank you.

[@lukakamoni5084]

Loving the detailed information. Thanks alot

[@marvinmorgenson9185]

done floors before but this video was very helpful thank you guys

[@wadepatton2433]

Who knew there were so many sanders?! I've run the drum before. Love that edger.

[@markr8904]

This seems well done and informative.Increasing the playback speed to 1.25 gets you through it faster and doesn't affect the presentation.

[@mercedessalvatierra4389]

Awesome video! Sooo, very detail with the instructions. Thank you so much!!

[@insaneasock3156]

Amazing. I just fired a guy for screwing up my floors. He used the drum sander and went against the grain but never went with. I questioned him and he told me dont worry the floors are going to look great. They look like crap. This video has given me the confidence to do the work myself. I plan on using the orbital sander and will be applying a golden mahogany stain and a gloss polyurethane to finish it off. Great video.

[@dgkgeneral]

Insane A Sock that sucks, but good luck on the job. I’m gonna be tackling my hard wood floor sometime this week.

[@kylemurray3526]

Weird that this video comes my way and I see this comment. Same shit happened to me. Big talker but absolute clown show of work. Trying to the same thing and finish the job myself.

[@ajwalker7337]

How did they turn out? After you worked on it? I may do my own sanding job as well.

[@drgoyal]

Thank you, it was very detailed and helpful.

[@tsetendorjee9040]

This is a very good Youtue of the How To Sand and Finish Wood Floors and thank you very much!❤👍👍👍

[@jdubwo4220]

need a table of contents with timestamps in vid description guys! great video

[@MysticalMe131]

Just Totally Beautiful, And Awesome. Just The Video I Was Looking For. Thank You So Much.

[@glennrichards9448]

great video love the penny loafers

[@venitalewallen1111]

Perfect instructions and great to watch, especially for a complete novice.

[@rolandharris2706]

Seriously. I did my house just following these instructions. Saved over a thousand dollars

[@andreajade3287]

Great vid, nicely explained!

[@ewilliams19]

Awesome video literally a job saver!!!!!

[@cristhofercavero3453]

Very detailed, easy to follow. Thanks now I can prepare my sons room. ✌🏽

[@WhatsaMOUN]

Harder then it looks coming from a floor sander

[@Gburnss]

Henry Drummond not lying

[@KingsColas]

@@WhatsaMOUN i was just going to say, I bet that ended up being a shit show haha! Took me quite some time b4 I got to this level. People think they are going to be able do it themselves is always a knee slapper ha!

[@nesschapman212]

An absolutely excellent and helpful video!

[@RCbashingtheKRATON]

thanks for your input... very helpful

[@earlelzy9975]

Very good video, with lots of great information. Excellent presentation and demonstration.

[@archiebob11]

Thank you for such a comprehensive guide, fabulous video. I hope I can hire the same type of sanders in the U.K. 😁👍🇬🇧

[@elibroadscrappyhomes2532]

Best refinish video!

[@HardwoodFloorRefinishing101]

Good video for general information. Thanks for posting.

[@jefferyphillips5522]

great instructional video. Love the tricks of the trade, it's a great help.

[@marcosrico6222]

Excellent instruction, build confidence, thanks

[@PBS-nm1uu]

great presentation please keep them coming.

[@MrJujitsu62]

That was awesome . My daughter just bought an older home with old oak ( I believe ) floors . The floors are needing a good sanding & refinishing . I'm hoping Home Depot Canada rents your equipment . I rented a orbital sander at one of my houses ; years ago & was not impressed . Water / animal stains did not come out . A drum sander was what I really needed

[@annabananna44]

Thank you for the great video! Greatly appreciate it!

[@Simon-fg8ec]

Omg this video is life saving!

[@rogerfarley9896]

Simon a tu un numéro de téléphone

[@peacefulamerican4994]

The 'edger'. Exactly the information I needed. Thanks!

[@marcokawar5459]

best video for the subject, much appreciated

[@peterbonnell4775]

Excellent video - Good Job!

[@_papad8434]

Thank you very much for this very helpful informational video!!!!

[@magdihassan3978]

Really the greatest tutorial video I have ever seen thank u very much

[@MrBrix3]

Excellent video! Thanks

[@2icelollys1goat]

Super little video. Thanks.... from England

[@valencia108]

This is a very detailed and excellent video. It taught me everything I need to know in regards to completing the project on my floors. Especially, that I will be hiring a professional. Good luck to those that do it on their own.

[@captain757747]

Pampu you made a wise decision to hire a professional. This guy is a salesman for clarke equipment and is here to promote equipment. Never use a roller to apply finish unless one enjoys tiny bubbles in on the floor. The proper thing to use is a lamb's wool pad made for applying floor finishes. another thing I saw was he sanded to the shoe molding. This creates a valley and is a great dirt trap. ALWAYS remove the shoe and sand to the base board so that the floor is flat then replace the shoe after the floor finish has dried. I have been in the business of refinishing and restoring floors for over 50 years and I know what I am talking about. If you will contact the National wood floor association they can direct to too certified and trained professionals in your area. The job will be done right the first time.

[@valencia108]

@@captain757747 Thank you!

[@Diy-doitkikaeua]

Amazing video. Thank You!!

[@j.b.3139]

Love it..Greetings from Ireland ☘️🇷🇺

[@SAWimp1]

oxalic acid can mitigate the black water/piss staining pretty well. wont look like new but a quick wash and itll be a couple shades lighter

[@vanessavu1661]

Thank you so much for your advices.

[@timdaugherty4462]

Very nice, thank you. I feel much more informed even after I have completed projects myself in the past... I wasted a lot of time : )

[@juanrivero3082]

Excellent video simple and very easy to understand thanks bro.

[@bucklystewart3058]

Fantastic video!

[@SparksFlyOut]

This was great! I feel so confident going into my project. I do wish you had covered stains, like the one shown in the floor. Im worried about my own pet stains and think they won't come out..

[@techguy3424]

I remember my first rodeo with a floor buffer, those things are unwieldy for first timers. I started in a narrow hallway and ping-ponged off the walls the whole way down the hall.

[@shaun7057]

Hahaha me too!!! The first time I attempted buffing a floor I ended up wrapped up in the cord unable to free myself and the handle was stuck into the drywall of a multi million dollar home😂😂😂

[@techguy3424]

@@shaun7057 mine was an office in an aircraft hanger while in the Air Force.

[@howmanybudlightsdidthattak4120]

Been sanding floors my whole life if you lower the handle it won't be so hard to control i can run one with one hand and open doors or move cord no reason to be on your hip I've also trained allot of guys in that time

[@dreamingrightnow1174]

@@howmanybudlightsdidthattak4120 Where's your video, lol? I'm a visual learner and have no idea what you mean..

[@daniels1293]

@@dreamingrightnow1174 on the buffer there's a a lever that you pull and the handle swings back you want it around hip level, and push down or pull up depending on what direction you want it to go, if you lose control of it just let it go and try again.

[@stuartgrant971]

Excellent presenter. Very well done

[@englewood1957]

Great video! I would add one thing as a furniture restorer, Most stains can be removed or greatly lessened with oxalic acid. Follow directions and rinse well before finishing with fine grit.

[@RollingOwls]

Perfect video , thanks a lot for great products & amazing presentation🏁

[@alexagapov5054]

Awesome video!

[@roadrunner123]

Great video!

[@nabaashami2140]

Great video! Thank you!!!

[@timcutler4708]

Great music track. Kudos to the guy who chose great guitarists

[@jesuszelaya5913]

Totally amazing!! 👍👍

[@mikegobig]

Great video. Thank you.

[@BOODRO]

Good job ...excellent instructor. And A/V

[@shauncarway363]

great work Brian SuperStar

[@thomaspollmann7345]

Maybe one of the best "Floor sanding"-Videos i have seen here on KZbin! The filling of gaps is not explained but no Problem with that Point. To clean the corners, I used a delta sander. It´s easyer and faster. One more Pro-Tip: why sanding your good Sealer or Finish?! Just clean your Floor with water slightly damp after your finish sanding (100 or 120 Sanding Paper). Wait till its dry and than work the last round with the same Sanding Paper (100 or 120). If you clean the Floor with an microfiber Cloth, like in this Video, I bet you have no Problems any more with 3 Coat of Finish

[@ltdan8671]

water based sealer, probably raised the grain and needed to be sanded prior to top coat

[@kevindorka6328]

so what would be the proper solution for gaps and dings? planning on refinishing my floor soon and this video was awesome besides the filling part, we got oak floaring and waterbased laquer. i hope you can help

[@coreylawing9501]

This pro tip is not pro at all. You sand the finish to get as many specs of trash out and the grain raise. Always sand your finish if not inbetween every coat at least do it between the 2nd and final coat

[@drleo2641]

You always start with the sander on the right hand side working your way to the left. The drum is slightly calibrated to sand more on the right side than the left. It's subtle but you will notice it in the finished product wondering why is there lines in the floor. Also these rental 110 machines are very light. If the floor is badly cupped or needs lots of sanding. Start by sanding 45° to all of the board lines. It'll take the material down faster. Then begin with the straight sanding. It'll save you hours of walking back and forth to get to the same point. He demonstrated this when he was taking out the drum stop mark. Do the whole room like that for heavy sanding. Don't rent a machine that requires screwing the papers into place. You definitely want the belt machine. Putting those papers on takes a lot of time, they have to be put on tightly. And they end up popping off or flapping. Add lots of annoying frustrating time to the job. Avoid the drum machine requiring sheet papers. You definitely want the machine with belts! Anyhow. After renting all of this equipment and hating the job and probably creating a job that your wife or the customer will not be satisfied with You would have already paid half of what a floor man would have charged. just saying if you want to save 50% of the money do it yourself. If you want a good job, don't want to break your back, and can afford it. Don't get involved. Take it from a floor man for 30 years. And no I'm not just trying to boost work. Do it yourself if you like

[@AmericanSanders]

Dr Leo, drum and belt floor sanders, including the American Sanders version that a homeowner or contractor can rent, are designed such that you will get the best results by moving left to right as you work across the room. The reason is because the wheels are all offset to the left to allow for the right side of the sanding drum to get close to the wall. The drum is set to cut flat, and moving left to right all 3 wheels are riding on a level sanded surface, creating a nice flat cut. If you move right to left, the left side wheels ride on the unsanded surface which is higher than the sanded surface, thereby slightly tilting the sander. The result can be what is known as a 'wave'.

[@drleo2641]

My Hummel belt 220v sanding machine is calibrated the opposite way. Good to know. And good to point out to your rental customers. Thank you for the reply. I sometimes rent 110 machines for apartments without 220 electric. So this would be helpful advice for me as well to pay attention how it is calibrated

[@kalepaul7600]

Dr Leo. Amen. Right to left on my American 8. 17 years doing it that way. Also, it kills me when a DIYer does a job they would fire me over and swear it "looks great!"

[@willie2235]

@@kalepaul7600 Its all about different standards. I am sure that you or your loved ones cook food at home all the time that a professional chef would never serve in their restaurant but it is still completely edible.

[@halfblackmaniac]

Thank you for this video. End of line

[@mirnasremodelingservices259]

OMG no hablo mucho inglés pero viendo he aprendido detalles fáciles que yo no sabía muchas gracias

[@unclecuzzotoot4602]

thanx this was really helpful

[@lorenzocaracixtos547]

Interesting video. Thank you to share the video.

[@jacklucas7265]

A notice to the DIYers, the edger is a very heavy and powerful beast of a tool. It is difficult to control and can very quickly place DEEP gouges in your floor. Proceed with great caution when using the edger and if possible secure other means to sand the edges. I speak from experience.

[@getupandgetgoing]

I concur

[@cm01]

Also, ensure that the drum of the drum sander is actually parallel to the floor. Now THOSE are grooves lol that one almost wasn't fixable.

[@klauslgeiger]

Very helpful, thank you

[@shaileshpatel3607]

You have explained very well all steps. I have been searching to re-do our hardwood floor. I would add when to change sand paper and how do we know when to change. Thank you very much for explaining all steps

[@seacoconut]

Change when the accumulation in the bag gets slow, if the dust bag is filling it’s cutting.

[@mylovesongs2429]

Great video that told me exactly how to use a floor sander. What do i use for a floor sealant? I wanna keep the floor looking pretty spiffy!

[@AmericanSanders]

When you say that you want to keep your floor looking spiffy, there are two aspects of what keeps a floor looking good. One is to protect the floor from wear. The other is the appearance of the floor, ie color and sheen. Where I'm going with this is to clarify that a "sealer" is used to penetrate the wood and seal the pores which helps protect from tannin bleed and helps with good adhesion of the "finish coat". The finish coat is what really provides the wear protection, and the level of gloss. So to answer your question, use a good quality finish that provides a level of protection that matches how your floor is used. For example, if you have children and dogs running around the house you want to put down a finish rated for "high traffic". You will also need to decide if you're going to stain the wood or leave it natural. Then decide if you want the sheen to be matte (no gloss), satin, semi-gloss, or high gloss. It's important to make these decisions and purchase stain, sealer, and a finish that are compatible.

[@kaycox5555]

Thank you - this has been helpful~

[@propertyprotocol9699]

Great video thanks.

[@georgiomoretto312]

I never did see some thing like this her in Brasil! concretulations great job man.