Hardwood is one of the best materials you can use for flooring. Naturally, hardwoods have unmatched beauty when compared to ordinary concrete or tiles. The timber is rich in grain and fibres that stand out when used for flooring. You will not need additional floor mats and carpets, unless you want to match them with something else in the room. Sadly, hardwood floors require lots of care to keep them looking good at all times. Chemical stains, exposure to UV radiation and dirt are some of the things that degrade hardwood floors. In some cases, you need to sand them in order to restore their natural beauty. Here are the various types of floor sanders you can use for this process:
Smoothing Sanders
Smoothing sanders, also referred to as vibrating sanders, are medium-duty sanders used to finesse a hardwood floor. They are lighter and easier to handle compared to other types of sanders. Their purpose is to smooth the surface of a sanded hardwood floor. They are a follow-through measure meant to perfect the work done by a heavy-duty sanding machine. Smoothing sanders just slide over your wooden floor with minimal interference to the surface -- except in areas where the other machines didn't do a good job.
Heavy-duty Sanders
Just as the name suggests, heavy-duty sanders handle the toughest smoothing jobs. They can literally take on anything that your hardwood floor will throw at them. They are only suitable for floors with severe deformities and damage. This type of sander strips the wood significantly to expose a brand new surface that you can polish, wax or finish in any way that you prefer. Note that heavy-duty sanders are quite expensive, and only perform one task (stripping). You must assess the scale of your flooring project and the number of times you will use the machine in the future -- sometimes, you are better off renting rather than buying.
Edge Sanders
Floors are quite challenging when it comes to sanding or carrying out repairs. There are hard-to-reach areas, depending on the design or shape of the area you want to sand. Floor edges are a good example. Some types of sanders, such as the heavy-duty sanders, often have a hard time accessing the edges; you will need edge sanders for such sections. They are significantly smaller than the other types of sanders, although they produce lots of sanding power. Your workers can guide them by hand to ensure maximum reach to the edges of the floor.
