- 1). Pry off all the floor trim around the perimeter with your hammer and prybar.
- 2). Use your handheld belt sander to sand around the edges of the floor where your drum sander won't fit, coming out 12 to 18 inches from the wall all around. Sand first with the heavy sanding belt, getting it down to bare wood, then with the fine belt, to smooth it out.
- 3). Load the drum sander with its heaviest sanding belt (36 grit). Lift the surface of the belt off the floor according to the design of your particular machine, and run it up to full speed.
- 4). Lower the machine to the floor and immediately begin moving it forward and back in a direction diagonal to the direction of the planks. Move it gradually over the whole floor, course by course, making sure you don't stop moving the machine, as sanding too long in one spot could damage the floor. This process will take off most of the old finish.
- 5). Vacuum up the dust.
- 6). Load the sander with its second-heaviest sanding belt (60-grit). Sand as before, this time running the drum sander in the opposite diagonal direction, removing the remaining finish. Vacuum the dust.
- 7). Load the sander with the next-heaviest sanding belt (100-grit). Run the machine in the direction of the floorboards this time, smoothing the surface. Vacuum the dust.
- 8). Sand a final time with the finest sanding belt (120 grit) in the direction of the floorboards to get the surface smooth and clean. Vacuum thoroughly. The floor is now ready for refinishing.
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