DIY vs professional wood floor sanding

When you know that repair work needs to be done to your floor, it may be tempting to try and do this yourself. And whilst there are plenty of online videos and tutorials to help with wood floor sanding, sometimes the job is best left to an expert. There are certainly instances where you may be able to do the job yourself and see fantastic results. If you require wood floor sanding Manchester and are wondering whether to take the DIY or professional approach, then take a look at our guide.

What to consider

The total area

The size of the job will usually be a good guide to whether a contractor is needed. For very small areas of floor such as in small bathrooms or hallways, or areas where there isn’t much floor visible, you may be able to do this yourself. Part of the difficulty of wood floor sanding is creating an even surface. It can be all too easy to apply various degrees of pressure to parts of the floor and end up with an uneven surface, and the larger the floor, the greater the chances of this happening. For larger areas of flooring, a contractor is recommended.

Knowledge of tools

When it comes to sanding, the standard tools used might not be the best tools for the job. Take parquet floors for example. Because the boards point in all different directions, a drum sander shouldn’t be used as this could end up doing more damage to the floor than good. An expert will not only have the knowledge of which tools should be used, but also has access to them much quicker than you might be able to get them yourself.

If you decide you do want to have a go at DIY floor sanding, you should hire tools rather than purchase sanding equipment commonly sold in DIY or home improvement shops. It’s unlikely tools sold here will have enough power to remove any varnishes which were already on the floor, and you could end up putting hours of work in, without getting results.

Finishing the floor

The process of finishing a floor involves adding a layer of protective coating to the top surface of the floor, after you’ve finished sanding. The key to doing this is to make sure the amount of oil or lacquer applied is even across the floor, otherwise you will end up with a patchy appearance. If you have an oil floor, it’s entirely possible to add a coat oil maintenance yourself. You can do this with a mop and it’s just like cleaning your floor. After sanding, it may be more difficult to apply finish yourself to a larger area of floor.

Not leaving the floor enough time to dry after finishing it, is one of the most common mistakes of people who attempt sanding and staining the floor themselves. With some finishes it can take as long as five days for it to be usable again, and although that seems like a long time, you will get the best results if you do this. Touching the floor to test whether it is dry can be extremely misleading, so if you do attempt to sand and stain the floor yourself, make sure you research how long the finish takes to fully dry before you use it.

Why choose the DIY route?

There’s no doubt that choosing to sand the floor yourself will be cheaper. Even if you hire the correct tools to do the job, and purchase the products, you’ll save time on labour costs. You can also work to your own time scale and won’t have to wait for a contractor to have availability. If you have experience using sanding equipment, it’s a no brainer that you might want to take this route.

Why choose professional wood floor sanding?

Deciding to hire a professional will most likely be quicker than doing it yourself. Professionals will be able to achieve quality results in a much shorter time frame, as they have years of experience and the best tools to do the job. If you are thinking about sanding a floor in a commercial space, there will be periods of time the floor will be entirely out of use. It’s likely you’ll want to limit this time, and as professionals will work at a quicker pace, the time your business will be closed or the space out of use for will be kept to a minimum.

Wood floor sanding Manchester

If you’d like to speak to a professional floor sanding contractor to understand more about how they can help with your flooring needs, give us a call on 0161 945 8475 or email info@naturalflooringsolutions.co.uk