• Be cautious when sanding near edges to avoid damaging tile or walls.Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
  
  Refinishing wood floors is a time-consuming task. You must verify that the wood is thick enough to accept sanding before tackling the project. Sanding removes approximately 1/8 inch of material. Floors that are at least 1/2-inch thick can be sanded. Tips for proper sanding include preparation of the floors, using a floor sander and edging techniques.
  
  

Preparation

• Preparation of the floor entails filling damaged points and removing obstacles. Make sure all furniture is removed from the room and all plugs are covered with tape. Seal doorways by hanging plastic over the doorway to prevent sawdust from entering other rooms. Make sure the room has adequate ventilation, such as a fan placed inside of a window. Remove floor moulding and toe moulding prior to sanding. A chisel or pry bar used carefully allows you to reuse the existing moulding. Fill any cracks, gouges or gaps with a wood filler that can be stained, available from any hardware store. Clean out the cracks and gouges first to allow the filler material to adhere properly. Remove any nails or screws from the floor that could catch on the sander.
  
  

Floor Sanders

• Floor sanders are available for rent from most hardware stores. The sanders come with multiple discs or drums with various grits. The grit determines how fast the surface material is removed. Begin with the smallest grit, usually 40, working up to the highest grit, usually 80 or 100. One-hundred-and-ten-volt drum sanders are slow but safe. Start the sander with the drum elevated and slowly lower it to the ground. Do not allow the drum to sit in one place for a second, otherwise, you could gouge the floor. Start from the center of the room working towards the walls following the grain of the wood. Tilt the sander up when you are within a few inches of the wall to avoid impacting the wall or gouging the floor.
  
  

Edging

• Edging takes care of the corners and sections nearest the wall. A random-orbit sander or an edge sander allows the process to go quickly. Use the same grit sandpaper with the edge sanders as you did with the drum. Follow the grain of the wood when sanding the edges, working from where the drum sander stopped to within 1 inch of the wall. The floor moulding will cover the edges, but you want to get as close as possible to the wall without damaging it. Use a rotary tool with sanding attachment to get into the corners. Rotary tool sanding attachments typically are square or triangular, allowing you to access even the sharpest corners.