Should you’ve ever sanded wooden at residence, there’s an honest probability you personal a belt sander – and also you may be questioning if the software can be utilized to sand your ground.
“These highly effective instruments use a steady loop of abrasive sandpaper to take away materials rapidly and evenly,” says Nick Ee, Product and Coaching Supervisor at Black + Decker.
“They’re designed for aggressive sanding on giant, flat surfaces, making them a favorite for getting ready wood flooring, tabletops, and different broad areas for ending.”
Right here what you have to find out about sanding flooring with this sort of sander.
As Product and Coaching Supervisor at software model, Black + Decker, Nick Ee has a complete data of DIY energy instruments reminiscent of belt sanders, and make greatest use of them in a house renovation mission.
In line with Ee, belt sanders are perfect for heavy inventory removing duties the place materials is sanded off a floor, reminiscent of stripping outdated finishes, levelling uneven boards or tackling excessive spots in a hardwood ground.
“Should you want velocity and constant outcomes throughout a big space, a belt sander will outperform orbital sanders or element sanders, that are higher fitted to ending work or edges,” he says.
The ability and effectivity of belt sanders make these instruments a preferred decide for varied ground sanding purposes. Learn on to learn to use one to sand your ground – and if you would possibly want to make use of a unique software as an alternative.
When to make use of a belt sander vs different instruments
Numerous sanding instruments are used for ground sanding – so that you may be confused over which sort to make use of in your mission.
“A belt sander comes into its personal if you’re coping with a timber ground that’s in want of a restore – with deep scratches, cussed paint, uneven patches, or heavy varnish that wants shifting,” says Clive Holland, property professional and Repair Radio presenter.
“They’re designed for eradicating quite a lot of materials rapidly, so in case your floorboards are in tough situation or you have to degree them out earlier than refinishing, it’s a really helpful piece of package.
“It’s much less about mild sprucing and extra about getting the floor again to an excellent, workable base.”
Clive Holland is the previous host of Cowboy Lure on the BBC. Now a broadcaster on Repair Radio, the UK’s solely nationwide radio station for builders and tradespeople, Holland is among the UK’s main property and DIY specialists.
Whereas belt sanders are a comparatively fast and environment friendly selection for ground sanding, they’re not all the time the most suitable choice.
“Belt sanders can’t get proper into corners or alongside edges, so that you’ll want an edge sander or element sander to complete these spots,” says Holland.
“They’re additionally not preferrred for mild touch-ups. As a result of they take away a lot materials, they will rapidly take off greater than you supposed should you’re not cautious.
“And in case your ground has skinny veneer or engineered boards, you won’t have sufficient depth of wooden to try aggressive belt-sanding with out damaging the floor.”
Different instruments to think about in your ground sanding mission embrace orbital sanders, that are much less highly effective however are good for touching up particulars or creating a really easy end in smaller areas; {and professional} ground sanders (most of that are ‘drum sanders’), that are much more highly effective and environment friendly than a belt sander.
Pre-sanding guidelines:
- Clear the room. Sanding a ground creates quite a lot of mud, so take away furnishings and different possessions to make sure nothing will get ruined. That is additionally essential for permitting entry to the ground.
- Seal the room. Shut the door(s) and put up a plastic mud door (£12.95, Amazon) on one facet of it (or them) to entice mud contained in the room.
- Safe unfastened floorboards. It’s essential to repair down unfastened floorboards earlier than sanding, as this course of impacts their top and the extent of the ground.
- Equip your self with the suitable PPE. You’ll undoubtedly want an excellent respirator like this one from Screwfix or mud masks, and well-fitting security goggles, once more from Screwfix.
- Arrange a mud extraction system. For instance, use a mud vacuum that can connect to your belt sander. Any mud you don’t extract will have to be laboriously cleaned up later.
“There must be security measures put in place earlier than utilizing any energy software, however when dealing with a belt sander you need to all the time put on eye safety, ear defenders, and a nightfall masks,” Ee stresses.
“It’s additionally advisable to safe unfastened clothes and tie hair again as a belt sander is unforgiving if one thing will get caught.”
Step-by-step information to ground sanding with a belt sander
1. Arrange your belt sander
In line with Ee, step one is to suit your belt sander with a low-grit sanding belt.
“Begin with a rough grit for heavy removing, and you’ll later transfer progressively finer because the sander will get to work,” he says.
“Make certain to unplug the software earlier than becoming the sanding belt, making certain it’s centred and tensioned accurately.”
A low grit reminiscent of 40 or 60 will probably be an acceptable start line.
Holland suggests attempting out the sander on a check patch of ground, earlier than utilizing it throughout the entire space.
“Doing a fast cross in an not noticeable spot earlier than you deal with the entire room will assist you to to get a really feel for the software’s weight and velocity,” he says.
2. Begin sanding
Place the sander shut to at least one nook of the world being sanded, in order that it’s pointing in the identical course because the grain of the wooden.
Maintain the sander shifting throughout the ground in a gentle movement, as this reduces the chance of excessively sanding sure spots and creating dips within the ground. (Should you’re sanding down any excessive factors, chances are you’ll have to do further passes over these sections.)
Work up and down the ground with barely overlapping passes to make sure the whole space is sanded.
“Apply regular, mild strain and let the machine’s weight do the work,” says Ee.
3. Cease the sander accurately
“Cease if you’ve eliminated the specified materials or reached the subsequent grit stage,” Ee advises.
Your approach when stopping the sander can have an effect on the ground’s end. Raise it away from the ground earlier than deactivating it, because the abrupt motions of turning the sander off might trigger gouges or scratches within the floor.
4. Repeat with finer grits (or utilizing a gentler sander)
After finishing a primary cross over the specified space of ground, refit your belt sander with a finer sanding belt (e.g. 80 grit) and repeat the sanding course of.
“Match the brand new belt securely and ensure it’s monitoring straight earlier than sanding,” says Holland.
Repeat the method a number of occasions, utilizing a finer grit at every cross, till you’re pleased with the smoothness of the end. You would possibly profit from utilizing extra delicate sanding instruments reminiscent of a element sander (for the room edges) and an orbital sander for the ultimate cross.
You may additionally want to make use of a element sander to sand across the edges of the flooring (which must be a brief distance away from the partitions, to permit an growth hole for the wooden).
“As you go, empty the mud bag or container recurrently to maintain efficiency up,” Holland advises.
5. Clear the room of mud
“Once you’re carried out, vacuum the ground completely to take away any remaining mud earlier than sealing or staining,” says Holland.
You’ll have to wipe down the partitions and different surfaces too. Talking from private expertise, the mud from sanding a ground will get all over the place.
Ideas for getting the very best outcomes
“My recommendation for attaining a easy end is to keep away from dashing the grit sequence,” says Ee.
“Skipping too removed from one cross to the subsequent could cause scratches that solely present up after staining. It’s greatest to work methodically from coarse to high quality, ensuring to hoover and wipe the floor clear between grits.”
In line with Holland, the secret is to let the sander do the laborious be just right for you, and to not pressure it.
“Maintain it shifting in easy, even strokes alongside the grain to keep away from gouging the timber,” he says.
“Speeding can go away you with uneven patches which are tough to repair later.”
FAQs
How ought to I select the very best belt sander for ground sanding?
Should you’ve determined to make use of a belt sander to sand your ground, search for a mannequin with:
A reasonably extensive belt. This makes sanding extra environment friendly.
Corded energy. Ground sanding is energy-intensive, and also you gained’t wish to maintain switching batteries through the mission.
Accessible design. DIY software model belt sanders are normally extra acceptable for residence customers than skilled sanders, which regularly require higher focus and ability.
Black+Decker’s Nick Ee recommends the KA88-GB 720W 75mm x 533mm Belt Sander from Black and Decker’ web site from the model’s vary. Unusually, this incorporates a smaller entrance curler that allows you to sand proper as much as the perimeters of the ground.
“Search for a sander that’s sturdy, snug to deal with, and has variable velocity management – that method you possibly can modify your strategy relying on the wooden’s situation,” says Holland.
“Manufacturers like Makita, Bosch, and DeWalt have good reputations for reliability and efficiency. Should you’re hiring somewhat than shopping for, examine that the software has been well-maintained and that the belts are in good situation earlier than you begin.”
Are there methods to cut back the mud from sanding a ground?
Whether or not you’re eradicating a layer of paint or sanding a ground down additional to degree its floor, quite a lot of mud will probably be created by every cross of the belt sander. Fortunately, you do have some choices to restrict the mess.
In line with Holland, selecting a belt sander with a mud assortment system is a should.
“These instruments can churn out a formidable quantity of sawdust, so something that retains the mess down will make your life simpler,” he says.
Client-grade belt sanders usually have their very own mud assortment bag fitted on the rear of the software, which should be emptied every so often throughout sanding. A extra thorough choice is to connect an industrial vacuum cleaner to a suitable port (the place current) on the belt sander. This tends to supply far superior mud assortment.
Sanding your wooden ground is certainly one of a number of choices to revitalise this foundational part of your inside. For additional inspiration, see our guides to laying a parquet ground, wooden ground reviving and floorboard portray strategies.
