Last Updated on October 26, 2026 by Royal Stone Care
There are many clear benefits to having a wooden floor, from the naturally stunning appearance of real wood to the fact that it will harbour fewer germs and dust mites than a carpet. It will also be a lot easier to clean.
Real hardwood floors need little regular care. Clearly, what you do and when is a matter of personal choice. However, if you’re refinishing, especially if you’re using oil, sanding lets the oil seep deeper into the wood. And, after an original sanding, which may only need to be done 15 years after you lay the floor, sanding your floor every decade or so is recommended.
Unless you want a naturally mature look for your floor, you’ll need to consider how you’re going to sand it to bring out the timber’s natural beauty. New hardwood floors are typically sanded to make them level. Meanwhile, sanding of a new wood floor will remove a grimy finish and worn-out areas.
What will I need?
If you decide to do this job yourself, you’ll need sandpaper plus a synthetic brush, varnish and an electric floor sander, which you may need to rent. Think about the grit of your sandpaper. Most products for wooden flooring range from 16 to 150 grit, with 150 being the finest version. Clearly, the more you want to sand away, the coarser the grit you’ll choose.
How to do it
- Remove furniture and rugs, wear a dust mast and safety googles and hammer in any protruding nails. Close the door but open the windows.
- If there are any gaps in the boards, fill these in first, either using a thin strip of glue-covered wood or papier maché for smaller holes.
- Sand with coarse paper. If you’re using a machine, this needs to fit very tightly around the drum. Sand with the grain, moving the sander slowly from side to side. Remember to unplug the machine when changing the paper.
- After the dust has settled following sanding, vacuum thoroughly, and then wipe the floor with white spirit and let it dry out completely. You can then varnish the floor to seal the wood. Use a floor pad to do this, moving in the direction of the grain. Apply a couple of coats, or three, and allow a good two hours between coats for drying time.
- Clean varnish brushes thoroughly afterwards with warm water and washing-up liquid.
What steps do I need to follow?
First, make sure no nails are sticking out of the wood. These could interfere with the sander. If there are any, screw them back in.
Then attach your paper of choice to the sander and start work! Begin in the centre of the room and make your way towards the edges of the space. Operate the machine at a consistent speed and don’t leave it in the same spot for too long. Travel with rather the against the wood’s grain. The sander may not be able to access the corners of the floor. So you may need to do these areas manually.
Next, sweep up all the dust which remains. If you keep some of it to mix with a clear wood filter gel, you’ll have a substance which fills any future holes or cracks and is the exact colour you need.
You’ll then need to sand again with a finer sandpaper grit, probably somewhere in the 100s, before again sweeping up excess dust.
Now that you have completed these two rounds of sanding, you’re ready to apply your finish. You’ll find that the modern market offers a variety of lacquers, sealing treatments and staining products. Use these to give your surface a tinge of colour or varied textures. Your choice will depend in your home plus your personal taste.
Apply sealants or lacquers with a short-haired microfibre roller. Use a brush for stains. But check the product’s instructions before you do anything else. Leave your floor to dry for two or three hours. Then use a light grit of up to 150 to smooth out the flooring boards.
You’re almost there!
Finally, sweep up any remaining dust before adding a final, thin varnish layer. Brushes can leave marks, so do this with a roller instead. After 12 hours or so, you’re all ready to put the furniture back in place and enjoy your floor.
Should I use professional floor sanding services?
One of the problems is that the machines you hire tend to be very powerful. Mastering them takes practice, and you can end up damaging your floor if you’re not careful. (It’s also quite strenuous work.)
Use professional wooden floor sanding services and you will, quite simply, have someone who knows what they’re doing. They’ll understand how to finish a floor properly and appreciate, for example, that you can’t finish off an exotic timber like rosewood with a water-based varnish.
At Royal Stone Care, we offer professional wooden floor sanding services London customers love. Our work is cost-effective, especially when compared with the price of hiring a sander, and thorough, so that your floor is left looking like new. Talk to us today.
