laying floor parquet

[2497nigel]

Hi I wanted to check with the experts before proceeding any further.

I bought 26m square of old Victorian floor parquet floor about 6 months ago and have spent for ever (6 months) cleaning it (thicknesser etc). I am now at a point of laying but want to make sure I am proceeding correctly. I am about to remove the skirting in order to hide the 10-12mm cork expansion gap around the edge. Then lay the central part of the herringbone blocks on a 16mm chipboard floor using Sika T54 (or something similar) in order that I can use a circular saw on the edges in order to create a clean line for the edge blocks. After leaving the glue to go off using a belt sander with grit 120 - 60 to clean the blocks and level them. Then using Bona Polyurethane Lacquer to seal them.

Anything I have forgotten? What is the usual level of difference between blocks sanding can or will remove. Many thanks in advance for any help you can give me, and more importantly thanks for a great web site and keep up the good work.

 

[WoodYouLike]

DO NOT fill your expansion gap with cork or anything else! (If I would get £1 for every time I write that I'll be rich!)

You're better of starting with grit 40 to remove most of the height differences, the leveller it is before starting with another grit (80, then 120, then 150 if you plan to lacquer) the better your result will be.

Use a proper sanding machine, stay away from the normal drum sanders the hire centers have - too much risk of shatter marks with the iron bar keeping the sanding paper in place

 

[2497nigel]

Hi many thanks for the reply, do you have any particular sander you'd recomend? I was thinking of hiring a profesional one from HSS Tool Hire.

Many thanks

 

[WoodYouLike]

Belt sander (weighing at least 65 kg)