This video was very helpful for me. I led a group of 10 high school students on a mission trip and we refinished a 50 year old gym floor. Here are a few more tips I would add for drum sander users: 1) When using the drum sander and lowering the drum as you are moving to start a pass, be sure to think of lowering in a controlled smooth motion rather than dropping or releasing the drum down. If the drum plops down, it will leave the same marks as if you started from a still position. 2) Try to rent the EZ-8 style drum sander with the round sleeves instead of the clamping style drum sander with flat sheets. We had one of each initially, but quickly returned the clamping one and went out to find another EZ-8 type. The style with the screw down clamp and flat sheets is much more difficult to set up correctly. One of the students didn't properly tighten one of the screws and it came loose and put a huge gouge in the floor. The EZ-8 sleeves are much more error-proof in terms of setting them up.
@@mrsmjporter it depends on how many working sanders you have. If we had started out with 3 EZ-8 sanders and all the right sandpaper, we could have done it in about 15-20 hours. We started with only one good machine and 60 grit paper. We needed to have started with 24-grit because the floor was in such bad condition. It had probably been laid 50 years ago, never maintained, and used as a cafeteria sometimes with tables and chairs being moved around.
My husband and I are sanding & restaining our floors. This man got me doing the grunt work (sanding the corners)🙄🙄🙄🙄 working with him is worse than holding the flashlight for my dad😂😂 anyway great video
WOW! This is the best instructional video I have ever seen on RU-vid!!!! thank you so much I have learned a ton. The presenter did an excellent job of explaining everything.
I'm one day into using the EZ-8 on my floor sanding project. Rented it from Home Depot. The handle had 500 hours on it. This thing is difficult to use. I think this thing would be a lot better if it had proper maintenance. My machine had a loose handle, and left chatter marks on the first cut. I'm hoping these will be less obvious after running an orbital over the floors. I'm refinishing a 60 year old floor and the fresh wood under this old lacquer looks really nice. Can't wait to refinish it. Running the EZ-8 is hard labor. It wants to run away from you and puts constant pressure on your hands and forearms to maintain a straight cut. Be prepared to regret your decision to do this project. The end result will be worth it. I'll be finishing up my cuts this week with the EZ-8. Good luck to my fellow homeowners out there.
Awesome video, I was completely lost when looking through the offerings of my local hire center, thanks so much for the description of each machine and what it's good for, brilliant!
Amazing video presentation! Highly appreciate the time and effort placed by you guys to make such highly detailed and step by step video! Many regards Mike
Talk about a timely video. I’m just starting a project to refinish the floors in my bedroom area. Mahogany that’s been covered by carpet for 40 years. Very clear that every room was visited in the past by an undisciplined pet, so a number of black stains, similar to your “water spot” in the video. I’m not in any hurry, so I can take my time to get this right! I appreciate the thoroughness of your project, including the use of multiple tools to get the job done just right.
This was a very informative video, thanks for showing us how to do a floor properly, I'm going to be doing a complete 4 bedroom house and I'm so glad that I ran across your video, Again I have to say thank you very much for your time in producing this video.
Love the presentation - very professional, to the point, easy to listen to. Would have loved to see some of the equipment in action a bit longer, e.g. the rotary sander with its high torque. The presenter does a great job at explaining the differences and cautionary measures - more visuals of that in action is also greatly helpful.
Very informative. Also the music makes me feel like I’m watching a police drama and a cop just said something that points out a clue to the murder they’re investigating and they realize their victim was actually lying for the insurance money. Great work on the floors and solving the case.
I purchased a used one as the piece is a bit pricey, but the machine ru-vid.comUgkxG6fbm3cHBd7CNTjk5D-dwYe9c9tCB9ZN has surpassed my expectations. We sand small parts by hand often, sized around 1"x1/2," and specifically look for a piece that's designed to be vertical. The motor has plenty of torque and great speed settings. The only inconvenience I had is that the disk measures 5" where we trim 6" stick-and-sand disks down easily by mounting it then cutting with a box cutter.
@@WhatsaMOUN i was just going to say, I bet that ended up being a shit show haha! Took me quite some time b4 I got to this level. People think they are going to be able do it themselves is always a knee slapper ha!
Great video , I've walked many miles with a " Haywood Heavy Duty Sander " ......people don't realise how difficult it is to sand an old floor . A real back breaking job especially the edges. Well worth it though when you see the new polish bring the colour out of the wood 👍
I tore up old carpet in my house about 15 years go, that had covered the original oak plank flooring, which had reverse cupped due to the carpet not allowing the oak to breathe for many years. The easiest access to a machine was Home Depot rentals (I didn't feel like running all over town to rental stores, only to find something held together with duct tape), and at first, I rented the rectangular orbital sander. But due to the cupping, it would have taken a year of sanding to get the planks flat, so I rented the drum sander. It is a nightmare to operate if you are inexperienced (which I was), but eventually I managed to do the job. This video (which is great) makes it look simple...IT AIN'T! It requires a substantial learning curve to operate the machines properly. On top of it all, I used a roller for the finish, and messed it all up, leaving a terrible finish. I got down on my hands and knees, using my own handheld belt sander and removed the polyurethane, then painted on the new finish with a foam brush, which was controllable and went well. In the end, it all looks good...but refinishing a wood floor is far from simple.
Using the drum sander can be fairly easy as long as you never start or stop with the drum down. You must be moving and ease the drum down so it doesn't just plop down and cause a dip.
@@vonbach1530 good luck, please post update when you're finished, i'm working on mine now, I have little to no experience but the floor is a wreck so anything I do will be an improvement😔
I feel much more confident in doing my bedroom now, as I followed this gentleman's instructions to the T for the living room two years ago and it came out absolutely gorgeous! I had ripped up some shabby carpet in my 100+ year old home and underneath was the most gorgeous solid Oak flooring that was begging to be refinished. But yes, even if you are VERY careful, you are going to make mistakes and create some dips in the wood. Just correct them as he demonstrated and you'll be fine. He is 100% right, once you apply your finish at the end, you WILL see all the little errors you made in the sanding process..hehehe. That is why it is SO important that you sand correctly, methodically and NOT be in a hurry! Take your time, do it properly and you will be so pleased with your hard work! I LOVE my living room floor how it turned out.
Amazing. I just fired a guy for screwing up my floors. He used the drum sander and went against the grain but never went with. I questioned him and he told me dont worry the floors are going to look great. They look like crap. This video has given me the confidence to do the work myself. I plan on using the orbital sander and will be applying a golden mahogany stain and a gloss polyurethane to finish it off. Great video.
Weird that this video comes my way and I see this comment. Same shit happened to me. Big talker but absolute clown show of work. Trying to the same thing and finish the job myself.
That was awesome . My daughter just bought an older home with old oak ( I believe ) floors . The floors are needing a good sanding & refinishing . I'm hoping Home Depot Canada rents your equipment . I rented a orbital sander at one of my houses ; years ago & was not impressed . Water / animal stains did not come out . A drum sander was what I really needed
This is a very detailed and excellent video. It taught me everything I need to know in regards to completing the project on my floors. Especially, that I will be hiring a professional. Good luck to those that do it on their own.
Pampu you made a wise decision to hire a professional. This guy is a salesman for clarke equipment and is here to promote equipment. Never use a roller to apply finish unless one enjoys tiny bubbles in on the floor. The proper thing to use is a lamb's wool pad made for applying floor finishes. another thing I saw was he sanded to the shoe molding. This creates a valley and is a great dirt trap. ALWAYS remove the shoe and sand to the base board so that the floor is flat then replace the shoe after the floor finish has dried. I have been in the business of refinishing and restoring floors for over 50 years and I know what I am talking about. If you will contact the National wood floor association they can direct to too certified and trained professionals in your area. The job will be done right the first time.
This was great! I feel so confident going into my project. I do wish you had covered stains, like the one shown in the floor. Im worried about my own pet stains and think they won't come out..
Great video! I would add one thing as a furniture restorer, Most stains can be removed or greatly lessened with oxalic acid. Follow directions and rinse well before finishing with fine grit.
How many floor men watched this just to see if he did it the way pro's do? 1 right here. (me) and i say yes, he is doing it correctly. This is a good video. Could explain in more detail about the handle on the drum sander. you want to ease it down and back up softly.
He did a decent job! But I prefer Lagler machinery and I have my own little methods, techniques and details that my father has been perfecting for 40 years. I guarantee our quality is unrivaled.
@@amagic6962 : Right on. Have you ever used the taurus 8'' belt? i liked it a lot for the small jobs. nice cutter. I never had a chance to use Lagler. are they belt or drum? i prefer drum
Maybe one of the best "Floor sanding"-Videos i have seen here on RU-vid! The filling of gaps is not explained but no Problem with that Point. To clean the corners, I used a delta sander. It´s easyer and faster. One more Pro-Tip: why sanding your good Sealer or Finish?! Just clean your Floor with water slightly damp after your finish sanding (100 or 120 Sanding Paper). Wait till its dry and than work the last round with the same Sanding Paper (100 or 120). If you clean the Floor with an microfiber Cloth, like in this Video, I bet you have no Problems any more with 3 Coat of Finish
so what would be the proper solution for gaps and dings? planning on refinishing my floor soon and this video was awesome besides the filling part, we got oak floaring and waterbased laquer. i hope you can help
This pro tip is not pro at all. You sand the finish to get as many specs of trash out and the grain raise. Always sand your finish if not inbetween every coat at least do it between the 2nd and final coat
You always start with the sander on the right hand side working your way to the left. The drum is slightly calibrated to sand more on the right side than the left. It's subtle but you will notice it in the finished product wondering why is there lines in the floor. Also these rental 110 machines are very light. If the floor is badly cupped or needs lots of sanding. Start by sanding 45° to all of the board lines. It'll take the material down faster. Then begin with the straight sanding. It'll save you hours of walking back and forth to get to the same point. He demonstrated this when he was taking out the drum stop mark. Do the whole room like that for heavy sanding. Don't rent a machine that requires screwing the papers into place. You definitely want the belt machine. Putting those papers on takes a lot of time, they have to be put on tightly. And they end up popping off or flapping. Add lots of annoying frustrating time to the job. Avoid the drum machine requiring sheet papers. You definitely want the machine with belts! Anyhow. After renting all of this equipment and hating the job and probably creating a job that your wife or the customer will not be satisfied with You would have already paid half of what a floor man would have charged. just saying if you want to save 50% of the money do it yourself. If you want a good job, don't want to break your back, and can afford it. Don't get involved. Take it from a floor man for 30 years. And no I'm not just trying to boost work. Do it yourself if you like
Dr Leo, drum and belt floor sanders, including the American Sanders version that a homeowner or contractor can rent, are designed such that you will get the best results by moving left to right as you work across the room. The reason is because the wheels are all offset to the left to allow for the right side of the sanding drum to get close to the wall. The drum is set to cut flat, and moving left to right all 3 wheels are riding on a level sanded surface, creating a nice flat cut. If you move right to left, the left side wheels ride on the unsanded surface which is higher than the sanded surface, thereby slightly tilting the sander. The result can be what is known as a 'wave'.
My Hummel belt 220v sanding machine is calibrated the opposite way. Good to know. And good to point out to your rental customers. Thank you for the reply. I sometimes rent 110 machines for apartments without 220 electric. So this would be helpful advice for me as well to pay attention how it is calibrated
Dr Leo. Amen. Right to left on my American 8. 17 years doing it that way. Also, it kills me when a DIYer does a job they would fire me over and swear it "looks great!"
@@kalepaul7600 Its all about different standards. I am sure that you or your loved ones cook food at home all the time that a professional chef would never serve in their restaurant but it is still completely edible.
