Before finishing new hardwood floors or refinishing existing ones, you need to sand them smooth first. Here are the tools needed to tackle a floor sanding job:

• Drum Sander: This heavy-duty, wall behind machine makes fast work of sanding hardwood floors. Sheets of sandpaper in various grits are secured around the drum on the bottom of the machine, and replace when they become clogged or dull.
• Edge Sander: This smaller, handheld sander uses a replaceable disk to sand hardwood floors next to walls and doorways where a drum sander can’t reach.

Both of these tools can be rented at your local home center but should to be used with caution, since they’re very aggressive and can gouge and damage a floor if you’re not careful. Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Power Tools for Flooring Projects (video)
• How to Refinish Wood Floors (video/article)
• Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring (video)
• How to Choose and Install Wood Floors in Your Home (video)

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