Parquet floor sanding differs for different types of floor, solid wood strips or planks. The reason is that when you grind anything, you should always do it in the direction of the grain. It is not possible to go in the direction of the grain when sanding a parquet floor because the blocks are laid in different directions.
How to sand parquet floors.
You grind it at an angle of 45 degrees to the grain. Some floor sanders say that parquet floors should be sanded in a different way. They say that you should sand the floor in the grain direction of each block in one pass and then, in the next pass, sand it in the opposite direction. This is not a good way to sand a wooden floor as it will also sand the blocks you were sanding towards the grain.
Firstly, before you start sanding any wooden parquet flooring, make sure that all the wooden blocks are firmly glued and remove all staples, nails and metal objects from the floor.
Once the floor is solid, with no loose blocks and all metal objects have been removed, it’s time to start sanding. Typically, we would start with a 40 grit floor sanding belt to smooth the floor and remove deep scratches. Sometimes you may have to sand the floor a few times with a 40 grit belt to make sure it is even, free of dirt and scratches. When grinding the floor, make sure that it always runs perpendicular to the previous transition. Now, a grinding machine with a grit 40 grit sanding disc should be used for grinding and smoothing the edges.
Now it’s time to make one more pass on the floor with the 60 grit belt, sanding the floor at 45 degrees to the parquet blocks but perpendicular to the last sanding direction. Sand the edges again, flush with the edge and the 60 grit sanding disc.
Now it’s time to fill the gaps between the blocks with the epoxy filler and the dust you’ve got from the 60 grit sanding process. Mix the epoxy filler and fine dust to make a wood paste. You need to spread the putty all over the floor, making sure that all the gaps between the parquet blocks are filled. Some of the larger gaps may need to be filled twice as the filler shrinks slightly during drying. This will make the floor dirty again as some of the putty will be left on the floor. Allow the wood filler to dry completely and then proceed to the next step.
Now it’s the final step with the belt floor sander with 100 grit sanding belt. Again, remember to sand the floor at 45 degrees to the blocks, but perpendicular to the previous sanding. Now sand the edges one last time with the 100 grit sanding disc. Make sure you have removed all the wood filler with this last step, as the bumper will not remove the filler.
Now it’s time to sand all the corners that the edge floor sander couldn’t reach. To smooth these corners, you will need a Bosch 2-inch belt corner sander. Sand these corners evenly with a triangular sander.
Once the parquet floor has been sanded with a 100 grit sanding belt and all edges and corners have been sanded and smoothed, it’s time to start sanding/finishing the wood floor. Start sanding the floor with the 120 grit sanding level disc. When sanding, take your time and do it carefully, as it is a finish for the whole floor. Floor sanding will remove all imperfections and scratches from previous floor sanding steps. Make sure you have removed any scratches left on the belt of the sander.
Once the floor is smooth and all scratches have been removed, it’s time to give the floor a good, clean finish. Make sure that all dust is removed when cleaning the floor, as you don’t want dust or dirt grains in the varnish. Then, with a slightly damp microfibre mop, go across the floor to remove any remaining dust.
Finally it’s time to start sealing the floor and do all the hard work after sanding. To apply the primer and varnish, you need to use a short pile roller and apply the primer to the floor. You should use 1 coat of primer on an unfinished floor, followed by 2 coats of polyurethane wood floor varnish. Before applying each successive layer, make sure that each layer is very well dried and make sure that the floor is sanded with a 150 grit sanding disc and that each intermediate layer is well applied.
For heavy traffic areas, you can apply additional coatings or use a harder commercial wood floor varnish.
