Do New Wood Floors Need to Be Sanded?
- The first factor to look at is the quality of the wood in your floor. There's really no way around it: Less-expensive wood is going to have imperfections, and you need to know beforehand how much imperfection you can live with. If you're going for the primitive look, maybe it doesn't bother you at all. Then it becomes a matter of how many splinters are aching to insert themselves into bare feet trotting across the boards. Even a light sanding will eliminate most imperfections in a high-grade wood.
- Consider the house as a whole and the look you are trying to achieve. If you're really into rustic and primitive, you might consider the danger of splinters a trade-off for a more authentic feel. Remember that installation is hardly ever perfect. You might end up with one board lifted slightly higher than another, creating a small raised lip where they meet. If this doesn't bother you, fine. If it does, it's a simple matter to knock the excess wood down to size with a sanding machine.
- Most wood is not the color you want it immediately after installation. People like to stain it to a particular shade so it blends better with cabinets, tables or other furniture. Or they might use a clear sealer to protect the wood from wear and tear. It used to be that serious sanding was involved before you could apply a stain or finisher to your new wood floor.
Even when using a machine, it is back-aching work---and even more so if you decide to get down on your knees and do it by hand. There are new sand-free liquid systems available to help keep your wooden floor in good shape after the initial sanding and finishing, but very few people would choose never to sand their floor at least once when it's new. - As described by AskTheBuilder.com, it is possible to refinish your older wood floor without sanding, but you should plan on sanding your new wood floor at least once unless you have a very specific and important reason not to. To avoid sanding, you can instead choose to install a laminate, which is a type of wood flooring that has been prefinished prior to installation.
Wood Quality
Decor
Finishing
Final Tips
Source...