How to Sand Flooring

Step 1
Take up any old floor coverings and remove pictures, curtains and as much of the furniture as possible. Cover anything left in the room with dust sheets. Open windows and exterior doors. Only work during the day time as the noise may disturb your neighbours.

Step 2
You may find damaged or rotten boards that need replacing. Most floor boarding is simply butted together and can be prised up with a wide-bladed cold chisel.

Step 3
If you find loose boards that have been lifted to install central heating or electrics, nail battens along the edges of the adjacent joists so that the board will sit flush with the rest of the floor. Drill small clearance holes in each corner of the board to stop the wood splitting and screw into place. Make sure the screws are at least 2mm below the surface.

Step 4
Large gaps can cause draughts and spoil the look of the floor. If possible, prise up the surround boards on the side nearest the wall and shift all the boards together before nailing back. A simpler method of dealing with just one or two gaps is to cut a sliver of timber to fill the gap. Smear both sides with glue and hammer into place. Dead knot holes and minor damages can be repaired with wood filler.

Step 5
Use a nail punch and work methodically across the floor, feeling for raised nails. To stop dust going all over the rest of the house, make sure you have everything you need in the room and seal around the internal doors with masking tape. Open any windows and exterior doors.

Step 6
Work diagonally across the boards with the floor sander. If the boards aren't stained and in good condition, start with a medium grade sanding sheet. Otherwise, start with the coarse grade sheets. Work slowly across the room, overlapping each strip and keeping the machine moving all the time to stop ruts forming. Crisscross the room in the opposite direction to remove deep stains. Once you have sanded away the worst of the staining swap to the medium grade sheets and sand in the direction of the boards. Finish off with the fine abrasive, again working up down the boards.

Step 7
To finish off the edges of the room, use the round edging sander. Start with the coarse discs and work through the grades of abrasive the same way. Work as close to the skirting boards as possible. Use an old chisel for scraping dirt out of the corners.

Step 8
Vacuum the floor. To remove the diner dust, wipe over the new surface with a cloth dampened with white spirit. This will also remove any grease and dirt left on the surface. Make sure you wear soft-soled shoes at this stage to protect the unsealed floor. It's essential the boards are sealed with either a clear wood finish or paint. Make sure the varnish you choose is flooring grade. Brush or roller on at least two coats (three for hard-wearing areas such as hallways). Leave to dry overnight.

Tips & Advice
- Sanding sheets are offered at hire shops on a sale or return basis - for a medium-sized room, pick up around 10 of the coarse sheets and at least five each of the other grades.
- You can change the wood colour of the sanded boards with a timber stain. Apply this over the whole floor, working quickly up and down each board before sealing with varnish.