Based in Lewiston, Maine, Dr. Elliot Gruen holds a general psychiatrist position and treats private practice patients for a wide range of conditions. A home improvement enthusiast, Dr. Elliot Gruen has rebuilt an early 20th century residence in a process that involved replacing roofing shingles, installing new windows, and sanding and refinishing the floors.
A multi-stage process, sanding a wood floor begins with determining the optimal grit sequence to be used with the drum sander. With four passes of consecutively finer grit sandpaper required to bring the wood to a flat, smooth state, the initial grit depends on the condition of the wood.
Twelve grit is most appropriate in cases where floors have multiple coats of paint or heavy adhesive remains. Sixteen grit works well when there is a single layer of paint or heavy shellac or varnish on the wood. Alternatively, it may be required for aged bare hardwood maple floors. For floors that haven’t been sanded for at least three decades and have some finish intact, 24 grit is ideal.
Thirty-six grit is reserved as a starting point for newly installed floors and those with almost no finish. By the end of the 36-grit sanding process there should be no finish left on the wood, and 60- and 80-grit sandpaper are then used to take out successively smaller scratches. One-hundred-grit sandpaper is the endpoint for maple and birch floors before varnishing, as well as for any floor that is set to undergo a staining process.
A multi-stage process, sanding a wood floor begins with determining the optimal grit sequence to be used with the drum sander. With four passes of consecutively finer grit sandpaper required to bring the wood to a flat, smooth state, the initial grit depends on the condition of the wood.
Twelve grit is most appropriate in cases where floors have multiple coats of paint or heavy adhesive remains. Sixteen grit works well when there is a single layer of paint or heavy shellac or varnish on the wood. Alternatively, it may be required for aged bare hardwood maple floors. For floors that haven’t been sanded for at least three decades and have some finish intact, 24 grit is ideal.
Thirty-six grit is reserved as a starting point for newly installed floors and those with almost no finish. By the end of the 36-grit sanding process there should be no finish left on the wood, and 60- and 80-grit sandpaper are then used to take out successively smaller scratches. One-hundred-grit sandpaper is the endpoint for maple and birch floors before varnishing, as well as for any floor that is set to undergo a staining process.
