Anyone sanded their engineered wood floor?
Discussion
Hi all,
We have an oak engineered floor with roughly 4mm of oak before ply and it’s very worn and scratched as it was in before we moved in so I reckon it must be 8-10 years old so I’m going to sand it with my orbital sander next week.
I was wonder if anyone has done it so before? I am wondering what grit to start with and move to?
We’ve chosen Osmo clear satin as the finish and oil we use but it’s the sanding I’m trying to figure out and google isn’t the most helpful.
We have an oak engineered floor with roughly 4mm of oak before ply and it’s very worn and scratched as it was in before we moved in so I reckon it must be 8-10 years old so I’m going to sand it with my orbital sander next week.
I was wonder if anyone has done it so before? I am wondering what grit to start with and move to?
We’ve chosen Osmo clear satin as the finish and oil we use but it’s the sanding I’m trying to figure out and google isn’t the most helpful.
I did ours when I needed to extend it, but I hired a proper drum sander (this one https://brandonhirestation.com/240v-floor-sander?g... and even with that it was a fair bit of work. I wouldn't want to try it with a hand-held sander!
Grit-wise, I think I went 80 -> 120 but my floor was in pretty good condition to start with, I was just trying to remove the coating.
Grit-wise, I think I went 80 -> 120 but my floor was in pretty good condition to start with, I was just trying to remove the coating.
Edited by kambites on Saturday 13th July 18:32
Sanding an engineered oak floor can be a bit tricky, especially given the 4mm wear layer. However it can be done:
Initial Sanding: Start with a coarse grit to remove the old finish and level out deep scratches. For engineered floors, start with a 60-grit sandpaper. This grit is aggressive enough to remove old finishes but not too harsh to eat through the wear layer quickly. Move the sander in a consistent, overlapping pattern to ensure even sanding.
Intermediate Sanding: After the initial sanding, move to a 100-grit sandpaper. This will help smooth out the scratches left by the coarse grit and further refine the surface.
Final Sanding: Finish with a 120-grit sandpaper. This final pass will smooth the floor and prepare it for the finishing oil.
Vacuum the floor thoroughly after each sanding stage to remove all dust and debris.
For edges and corners that the orbital sander cannot reach, use a hand sander or a detail sander with the same grits as above.
Once sanding is complete, vacuum the floor thoroughly and wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove any remaining dust.
Apply the Osmo oil thinly and evenly along the wood grain using a brush, roller, or applicator pad. Apply a second thin coat of oil after the first coat has dried.
Always test the sanding and oil application on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure you are happy with the results.
Initial Sanding: Start with a coarse grit to remove the old finish and level out deep scratches. For engineered floors, start with a 60-grit sandpaper. This grit is aggressive enough to remove old finishes but not too harsh to eat through the wear layer quickly. Move the sander in a consistent, overlapping pattern to ensure even sanding.
Intermediate Sanding: After the initial sanding, move to a 100-grit sandpaper. This will help smooth out the scratches left by the coarse grit and further refine the surface.
Final Sanding: Finish with a 120-grit sandpaper. This final pass will smooth the floor and prepare it for the finishing oil.
Vacuum the floor thoroughly after each sanding stage to remove all dust and debris.
For edges and corners that the orbital sander cannot reach, use a hand sander or a detail sander with the same grits as above.
Once sanding is complete, vacuum the floor thoroughly and wipe it down with a damp cloth to remove any remaining dust.
Apply the Osmo oil thinly and evenly along the wood grain using a brush, roller, or applicator pad. Apply a second thin coat of oil after the first coat has dried.
Always test the sanding and oil application on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure you are happy with the results.
I think you’ll find it’s way too much hard work to do the whole job with a hand based sander. I used mine for some edge/detail work and it was way harder than I thought it would be.
I’ve paid pros to sand and finish both engineered and solid wood floors, with great results, but the machines they use are big and expensive with pricey consumables.
For DIY the hire stations will let you have a drum sander like the one kambites linked above. These work well but they have an eccentric drum which means you get a washboard ridged finish unless you give the floor lots of passes and finish on 120grit at a slow speed. It also doesn’t get particularly close to edges but the hire places usually do a combo pack to include a rotary edge sander. You’ll still need to do internal corners with a multitool or by hand. It cost me about £100 to hire both machines and consumables to do about 30m2 of flooring which took a day.
I’ve paid pros to sand and finish both engineered and solid wood floors, with great results, but the machines they use are big and expensive with pricey consumables.
For DIY the hire stations will let you have a drum sander like the one kambites linked above. These work well but they have an eccentric drum which means you get a washboard ridged finish unless you give the floor lots of passes and finish on 120grit at a slow speed. It also doesn’t get particularly close to edges but the hire places usually do a combo pack to include a rotary edge sander. You’ll still need to do internal corners with a multitool or by hand. It cost me about £100 to hire both machines and consumables to do about 30m2 of flooring which took a day.
What is the current finish on the oak?
Personally, I've found a carbide scraper to be remarkably quick and effective on some finishes.
Sometimes you need to look at the actual damage and decide how to proceed. You might sand or scrape some, or you might touch in with oil or varnish.
Some oil can usefully be largely removed with solvent.
If you oil the oak, the wear layer is pretty much wood, of which you only have 4mm.
My oak and parquet floors are done with varnish, the wear layer is varnish, which is renewable.
In 9 years, we've acquired a very small number of dings which go through the varnish, and some scratches which I should get around to touching up, and/or maybe I should give it a quick once-over with 400 grit and a fresh coat.
Personally, I've found a carbide scraper to be remarkably quick and effective on some finishes.
Sometimes you need to look at the actual damage and decide how to proceed. You might sand or scrape some, or you might touch in with oil or varnish.
Some oil can usefully be largely removed with solvent.
If you oil the oak, the wear layer is pretty much wood, of which you only have 4mm.
My oak and parquet floors are done with varnish, the wear layer is varnish, which is renewable.
In 9 years, we've acquired a very small number of dings which go through the varnish, and some scratches which I should get around to touching up, and/or maybe I should give it a quick once-over with 400 grit and a fresh coat.
Thanks for all the advice so far. I appreciate it might take ages however the worry of going through with a big machine is quite high as I don’t know how thick it is everywhere and I can’t afford to put new flooring down. I’ve also got all the time in the world at the minute so if it takes me a day to do half a room that’s fine.
As for the finish it looks like a clear satin as it has a shine. Here’s for good examples I took it where it’s worn and why it needs sanding back.
Thanks also for the grit recommendation as I was going to go for a 120/180 to start so it’s good to know I can go rougher.
As for the finish it looks like a clear satin as it has a shine. Here’s for good examples I took it where it’s worn and why it needs sanding back.
Thanks also for the grit recommendation as I was going to go for a 120/180 to start so it’s good to know I can go rougher.
richatnort said:
Thanks also for the grit recommendation as I was going to go for a 120/180 to start so it’s good to know I can go rougher.
If you're worried about sanding through it, then you may as well start with the finer grade and see how it goes. If nothing happens you can always go coarser.I haven't used a floor sander but in my experience of handheld orbital sanders, you always need a coarser grit than you do if using by hand. I think it's the speed. But watch for scratches from coarse paper as they can be hard to get out.
richatnort said:
I’ve also got all the time in the world at the minute so if it takes me a day to do half a room that’s fine.
Don't underestimate how long it will take by hand. I'd recommend a mask and ear protection, knee pads may also be a good idea.If you want to try, it may be worth doing a trial underneath the sofa? You can abandon the idea if it doesn't give the results you're looking for or takes too long to get a good finish.
Mr_J said:
Don't underestimate how long it will take by hand. I'd recommend a mask and ear protection, knee pads may also be a good idea.
If you want to try, it may be worth doing a trial underneath the sofa? You can abandon the idea if it doesn't give the results you're looking for or takes too long to get a good finish.
Thanks I’ll be putting my ear pod pro’s in all day listening to podcasts to music, I’ve got a great pair of snickers with knee pads in them I was going to use too plus a garden pad it it gets really bad. If you want to try, it may be worth doing a trial underneath the sofa? You can abandon the idea if it doesn't give the results you're looking for or takes too long to get a good finish.
I managed to get a piece out in a cupboard as oddly they didn’t glue it down just compressed against the walls and sanded it and tested various oils on it to see what finish we wanted.
I’ve just done a parquet floor in my place , I used a 100mm belt sander as the floors were previously sanded very badly with a drum sander and I needed to blend out the low points carefully . Started with 40 grit to strip the varnish and finished with 120 .
It’s not perfect but it was never going to be .
At least with a belt sander your on your knees and can see what your stripping off a bit better .
It’s not perfect but it was never going to be .
At least with a belt sander your on your knees and can see what your stripping off a bit better .
I had a solid oak board floor in the last house. I hired a sander and did it once. Did a great job on resurfacing. No over removal of wood as the sander was kept moving and not concentrated on small areas. Coarse ( not mega coarse!) and fine mediums used before refinishing with hard wax.
Dust wasn't a major problem. Biggest PiA was emptying the room of furniture and preventing dust spreading out. Boiler suit, mask, goggles! Sander had a dust collector but it still needed extra.
Dust wasn't a major problem. Biggest PiA was emptying the room of furniture and preventing dust spreading out. Boiler suit, mask, goggles! Sander had a dust collector but it still needed extra.
Mr_J said:
richatnort said:
I’ve also got all the time in the world at the minute so if it takes me a day to do half a room that’s fine.
Don't underestimate how long it will take by hand.
I think you're an order of magnitude off with regard to how long that will take with a generic orbital sander. I'd be impressed if you can do that area in a week. I'd also be impressed if a general purpose DIY grade orbital sander survives the ordeal! Edited by kambites on Sunday 14th July 10:45
If you do it with your own sander, moderate the amount of time you do it for, to avoid getting vibration white finger.
In terms of grit, the hire shops were recommending:
80 to smooth out an uneven floor
100 take off top layer of varnish/finish
120 for final finishing
I wouldn’t worry about starting with a coarse grit, nothing will happen quickly enough for it to be a problem. I got some 40grit just to make an impression with my hand sander on the varnish.
The biggest issue you’ll find with a hand sander is pressure; the hire machines (including the edge detailer) are proper heavy.
In terms of grit, the hire shops were recommending:
80 to smooth out an uneven floor
100 take off top layer of varnish/finish
120 for final finishing
I wouldn’t worry about starting with a coarse grit, nothing will happen quickly enough for it to be a problem. I got some 40grit just to make an impression with my hand sander on the varnish.
The biggest issue you’ll find with a hand sander is pressure; the hire machines (including the edge detailer) are proper heavy.
essayer said:
Dust as well. Don’t underestimate the dust. Get something with extraction built in, and seal up all doorways and cupboards.
You're going to be generating a lot of sawdust doing that job and you probably don't want it spread liberally throughout your house or, for that matter, your lungs. Also remember that fine sawdust floating in the air is highly flammable. Gassing Station | Homes, Gardens and DIY | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff