Remove Old Varnish and Scratches From Parquet Floor

[glenlitch]

Hi Everyone, I have an old parquet floor with a large central rug covering most of it and it looks like the floor underneath the rug has been untouched since it was laid 35 years ago.

My problem is that the exposed parquet between the edge of the rug and skirting was varnished some years ago and has become very scratched and marked where people walk and where furniture has been dragged across it.

I intend keeping the rug where it is and just want to sand down and seal the exposed areas to get rid of the scratches and marks.

Can anyone suggest the best way of doing this bearing in mind I am a complete novice. All I've been told is that I should use a belt sander and a detail sander for those edges and corners. Any advice on type of grit and final finishes to avoid future ugly marks?

Hope someone can help and thanks very much in advance.

 

[HERTS P&D]

The best thing you can do is go to your local hire shop and explain what you want to do.
They can hire you everything you need.

You normally start with a belt sander which is like a lawn mower, i'm sure you've seen the wickes advert.
You start on a high grit belt, which could be 60 grit then work down. They then go to 80,120, & 240 which is very fine. But all of this will be explained in the hire shop. A detailed sander is normally a palm sander or called an orbital sander.

Don't forget there will be lots of dust, so you must use a face musk & goggles.

Good luck and happy sanding.

Andy

 

[glenlitch]

Thanks very much for the info....I'll check out my local hire place and do as you say.

Any advice on the different oils you can use for the finish?

Thanks again.

 

[WoodYouLike]

Local hire shops normally only have drum sanders, not belt sanders. Drum sanders could be too light and can easily give shatter marks, so be aware of this.

If you plan to finish the floor with oil or HardWaxOil - don't use a higher grit than 120!
Tips: Most Important issues and sanding

 

[glenlitch]

Local hire shops normally only have drum sanders, not belt sanders. Drum sanders could be too light and can easily give shatter marks, so be aware of this.

If you plan to finish the floor with oil or HardWaxOil - don't use a higher grit than 120!
Tips: Most Important issues and sanding

Thanks very much for the information...it's much appreciated. Any suggestions as to how I can get hold of a belt sander in my locality?. Looking forward to hearing from you again. Many thanks.