There are very few home improvement projects that I don’t do myself, which is both a blessing and a curse — just ask my wife. Over the past few years, I’ve built a bathroom, constructed a mahogany bookcase, hung drywall, laid an engineered wood floor, and installed wainscoting. However, even I, a fearless (some say foolish) DIYer, know when it’s time to call in a pro. No matter the type of wood flooring, refinishing hardwood requires experience, so I strongly recommend hiring a professional.
Reasons to Hire a Pro for Floor Sanding
The polyurethane finish on our oak floors was wearing thin, but I had no desire to wrestle with a drum sander the size of a Buick or to clean up after creating sun-blocking dust clouds. This was definitely a job for a pro, so last week, I hired a flooring contractor to refinish the floors.
I decided to hire a professional floor sanding company rather than tackle this project myself for several reasons:
Drum sanders are heavy, powerful machines that are challenging for amateur DIYers to control properly. Edge sanders used for tight spaces near baseboards are also difficult for beginners to manage. In contrast, professionals have extensive experience operating these sanding machines safely and effectively.
Floor sanding generates massive quantities of fine dust that billows into the air. I wanted to avoid having dust completely coat every surface in my home.
Professional contractors use specialized dust collection systems to reliably contain and dispose of the dust, eliminating this issue.
Floor sanding requires technical skills, techniques, and knowledge I don’t have as a DIYer. On the other hand, contractors receive in-depth training on proper operating procedures for achieving smooth, even sanding results.
Professional sanders work much faster and more methodically than I ever could as an amateur. It likely would have taken me days longer to refinish my floors with inferior results.
Hiring a pro made sure my floors would have a beautiful, smooth finish. If I had sanded the floors myself as a DIYer, the end results likely would have been uneven and subpar.
The Sanding Process
Here is the basic floor sanding process from start to finish, assuming you’ve cleared all furniture, rugs, etc., off the floor and vacuumed already.
The contractor used a drum sander to remove the old polyurethane finish and smooth the floors. Drum sanders have a large spinning cylinder covered in sandpaper that abrades the wood flooring. These are also ideal for tasks like removing tar paper or felt residue from wood floors.
After completing the drum sanding, the contractor used an edge sander on the floor’s perimeter and in corners. Edge sanders are specialty tools designed to sand in tight spaces.
For narrow areas like radiator covers that the drum and edge sanders could not reach, the pro used a detail sander with an elongated nose to access tight spots.
Each sander connects via hoses to a powerful dust collector. This system vacuums up dust particles as sanding occurs, controlling the amount of airborne mess in the home.
Hiring a Dustless Floor Sanding Company
A key reason I hired this contractor was for his dustless floor sanding system. The contractor parked a large dust collector outside and ran long hoses indoors. This towering machine, resembling an oversized shop vac, provides constant suction power.
The sanders continuously vacuum all dust through the hoses into the collector’s containment tank. This special dust extraction system meant very little dust escaped into my home. Without thick layers of dust coating every room, clean up after the job took mere minutes rather than hours.
Dustless sanding prevents the frustrating mess and hassle caused by clouds of airborne dust from DIY sanding jobs. This makes hiring a professional even more appealing to most homeowners.
Choosing a Professional Sander
If you want to hire a floor sanding contractor, here is what you should look for:
- Experience: Ask how long they’ve been in business and how many similar jobs they’ve done. Look for at least five years of experience.
- Licensing and Insurance: Verify they are properly licensed, bonded, and insured. This protects you if any damages or injuries occur.
- Equipment: They should use sanders with dust collection systems, not basic models lacking vacuum connections.
- References: Reputable contractors will provide references from recent clients. Contact two to three references to ask about their work. Alternatively, you can look at Google, Yelp, or Facebook for reviews from previous customers.
- Quotes: Get at least three quotes to compare pricing between companies. Be wary of quotes substantially lower than competitors.
Doing your due diligence allows you to hire a qualified, experienced professional sanding company like LL Flooring.
So, Is Floor Sanding a DIY or Professional Job?
I firmly believe you should hire a professional floor sanding company rather than take a DIY approach when refinishing hardwood floors. Especially if you need to refinish a large room or an entire floor in your home.
Floor sanding requires specialized equipment, skills, and training that most amateur DIYers do not have. You’re likely to damage your floors through a DIY sanding attempt. In contrast, an experienced pro will achieve far superior, consistent sanding results much faster. The time and hassle savings of hiring a pro make it worthwhile compared to a DIY refinishing endeavor.
While I’m quite handy, refinishing hardwood floors is absolutely a job best left to seasoned professionals with proper equipment.
FAQs About Floor Sanding
What type of equipment do you need for floor sanding?
Floor sanding requires heavy-duty drum, edge, detail sanders, and industrial dust collectors. Renting equipment as a DIYer is possible but challenging for amateurs.
How long does professional sanding take?
For an experienced contractor, sanding typically takes one to two days, depending on the size of the job. As an amateur DIYer, expect the process to take significantly longer to complete. It could easily take you up to a week to finish.
When do floors need sanding?
Signs your floors need sanding include deep scratches on the wood, gouges, splintering, cupping, pet stains, and worn bare patches. Floors with damaged or uneven finish require professional sanding and refinishing.
Does sanding require emptying rooms?
Yes, you must remove all furniture and belongings from the rooms or carefully mask them off to prevent dust damage. Unfortunately, sanding machines cannot maneuver around furnishings, so take preventative measures to protect your furniture before using one.
Is it possible to just sand and refinish small sections of my floor?
No, only sanding and refinishing the entire floor will deliver uniform, seamless results. Spot sanding risks uneven color patches and mismatched finishes.
