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Factors to consider and what to expect during sanding Australasian timber flooring association and coating E [email protected] Information Sheet #84 July 2018 W www.atfa.com.au Introduction This information sheet outlines what owners should expect and factors to consider throughout the sanding and coating process for an onsite sanded and finished timber floor. This can include solid T&G flooring, parquetry and other flooring types that have been sanded and finished onsite or recoated. When should the finishing of the floor happen? There are a range of different scenarios for when a timber floor will require the sanding and finishing process, with all projects having varying time pressures and site conditions to contend with, but it is generally accepted within the industry that the finishing of the timber floor should be completed as late in the build or project as possible. The main purpose of this is to minimise any potential damage that could happen to the completed floor. Rectification of scratches, dents, contaminants and water or paint stains can become very costly and can compromise the appearance of the finished floor. Thought should extend to external factors such as driveways being completed prior, to minimise dirt, dust and stones being brought inside and simple things such as lights and power availability can easily be overlooked when scheduling for the floor to be finished. Providing Power A finished 180mm wide spotted gum floor The sander will use a variety of equipment to finish the floor, with the majority of the tools requiring electricity. The big machine (belt or drum sander) needs a lot of power to start and run, and sanders will often work in teams, so it would not be unusual for 3 to 4 machines such as orbital sanders, edgers and vacuum cleaners plus the big machine to all be running at once. This can put a heavy strain on the electrical circuits, so it is important to make sure there is sufficient allowance on your circuit board to cope with the heavy loads. If power is not available, then generators can be hired to provide the electricity, but this should be discussed with the sander prior to the commencement of the job. Many sanding jobs have been delayed because the power requirements of their equipment have been underestimated. Making sanders run long leads off builder’s power on construction sites is not ideal, as this can cause power drops in the machines, resulting in irregular revolutions of the belts, which can cause unpredictable sanding marks in the floor and damage the machines. Having access to sufficient lighting is also important for a sander so that they can see what they are doing and can spot potential issues and rectify them as they work. Adequate natural and artificial lighting plus a reliable power source will give the sander the best opportunity of achieving a smooth and even finish. © Australasian Timber Flooring Association Ltd. 2018 1 Preparing the site It would be reasonable for a sander to expect to turn up to a relatively clean site with good access. There is heavy equipment to bring in and potentially large areas of flooring to prepare. Requesting that painters tape the floor in front of skirting boards (and remove their tape once painting is complete) and giving the space a general sweep and tidy up before the sander arrives will go a long way to creating a positive environment for the sander to do their best work. Protecting stair treads and risers also helps, as these can be very time- consuming areas to prepare. The sander should inspect the floor prior to commencing the work to ensure that there are no moisture issues or potential contaminants and to work out the appropriate paper grits and method of floor sanding that will best suit the timber species, floor type and current condition of the floor. When sanding works are being carried out in an exist- ing home, it is recommended that unsealed foods are removed from the timber flooring areas, as some coating products (specifically solvent based coatings) can leech into foods, making them unfit for consump- tion. Similarly, with fish in aquariums, these should be Sanding should not begin without this board being replaced, moved from the dwelling to avoid the water absorbing as it is sitting too low and can’t be sanded flat. coating vapours. For owners who are unfamiliar with the sanding process, it would be expected that the sander explains the steps involved, discusses the finishing options and addresses any concerns that the owner might have prior to commencement on site. Common questions asked by owners Will there be much dust? Most of the powered equipment used will be attached to a dust bag or connected to a vacuum, which collects the majority of the dust. This reduces the amount of dust in the air and on the floor, allows the sanding equipment to work more effectively and reduces any health risk to the sander. Vacuuming before coats further removes dust from the floor, which helps minimise dust contamination in the coating. Having said this, the process is by no means dust free and a thin layer of dust can be expected to fall on benches, sills, curtains, nearby carpet and anything else exposed to the general timber flooring area. In a new home, this excess dust is easily cleaned up once the floor is ready to walk on, but in an existing home it is good practise to remove or cover curtains, remove items from benches, tape along kitchen cupboard openings and hang plastic to protect cupboard contents and other rooms not being sanded. Although every effort will be made by the sander to reduce dust, they cannot be expected to clean up all the dust that settles around the home. Should the internal doors be taken off? Most experienced sanders are used to working around internal doors and they would generally remain in place during the sanding works with it expected that the sander would undertake as much of the work as possible with the doors closed. Having to refit the doors on a finished floor introduces the potential risk of scratching or damaging the final coat. If the sander notices a potential issue with a door they may ask that it is removed, beyond this, internal doors can usually be left on for the duration of the job. 2 © Australasian Timber Flooring Association Ltd. 2018 Can I have my floor sanded and coated in stages? For best results, all timber flooring in the same project should be prepared, sanded and coated as one job. Coatings and timber are always reacting to the surrounding environment including UV light from the sun, which can change the colour of the floor over time. By finishing different parts of a floor with time gaps of weeks or months, the potential exists for each finished area to look different to other parts of the floor that were completed earlier. When staging of the project is inevitable, a clear break in the floor is beneficial like a step down or staircase or a visual break such as a wall or separated room to help conceal any colour differences over time. When this is not possible try to finish along a board join as often this will minimise any difference. How long will the job take? There will be many factors that affect this such as the size of the job, the type of finish being applied (E.g. staining or clear coating), the type of flooring (E.g. old or new, clean or full of feature), how many people are in the sanding team, the layout of the floor and so on. The temperature and relative humidity can also affect how long it takes for coats to dry and can sometimes dictate what parts of the day the coats can be applied. Once the flooring contractor has seen the floor and checked the forecasted weather conditions, it would be reasonable to expect a fairly accurate estimated date of completion prior to the commencement of the work. It is good practise for a sander to delay applying the final coat in windy conditions or on days of extreme temperatures. As a rough guide, an experienced 2 person sanding team under normal conditions should be able to finish a 100m2 of new flooring with 3 coats of clear finish in approximately 3 – 5 days. Can I stay at the house whilst the work is being done? Generally, once the sanding work commences, the floor and any adjoining areas of the building will become completely inaccessible until the final coat has dried and is ready to walk on. Whilst some are low in VOCs (resulting in odour until cured) and give off very little smell e.g. water-based coatings, it is not recommended that people sleep in a dwelling that has a wet coat drying. People entering the space can also introduce contaminants or might step in the coating, which can create more work for the flooring contractor and can compromise the quality and durability of the finished floor. Therefore, alternative accommodation for the duration of the job plus drying time after the final coat is recommended. Will there be any damage to the skirting boards, kitchen or walls? It is common practise for sanders to be working right up to finished kitchens and painted skirting boards so it would be reasonable to expect that some minor damage can occur to these areas. Occasionally the edging machine might mark a skirt or a wall may get scuffed, and this would be considered a normal part of the job, but anything that requires more than a simple paint touch up would be unacceptable and should be brought to the attention of the flooring contractor.

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