Wood Flooring, as a task, requires experience. Only if you do have a substantial amount of experience, then it’s a good idea to hire a professional for the job not unless you wish to ruin your floor.
If you’re only working on a small area or if the task entails a small repair, it is OK to do it yourself but it is advisable to use all three types of professional wood flooring equipment for a complete job. While it is expensive to buy them, you can rent them instead for the job.
You’ll also need to rent a respirator, hearing protection, goggles, and work gloves for the job as well as masking tape and plastic sheeting to protect areas from sanding dust.
So, here are the three types of wood flooring sanding tools:
#1: Drum Sanders
Generally used in the first stage of a floor sanding job, one needs to stand in order to operate this upright machine. It is used on both unsanded wooden flooring as well as tasks related to refinishing and finer sanding. Renting a drum sander will cost you $50 to $75 a day.
#2: Random-Orbital Sanders
This type of sander is used to remove scratch patterns that might have been caused by drum or rotary sanders and prepares the floor for the final finish. Also, it is used for small areas and tight spaces where drum sanders cannot get to. While floor models can be rented for $30 to $50 a day, palm-sized models can be bought for $50 to $100.
#3: Edge Sanders
It is the smallest sander of the lot that you would usually use while on your knees. These ‘edgers’, or as they are also known, are designed to work on base mouldings, walls and tight spots where the bigger drum sanders cannot work on. You can purchase one for $200 or rent one for $30 a day.