Sanding floorboards DIY tips

I'll be interested in the answers. I hired a big industrial sander to do our front room, kitchen and hall floorboards, but I was just thinking today that they're all looking a bit scruffy and could do with being re-sanded. I'm not going to hire a sander again as I remember it being a nerve-wracking job, with the belt flying off accompanied by loud bangs and sparks flying every time it hit a nail.

I've a feeling that the only solution for me will be to get someone in to do it. That won't solve your noise problem though.

‘Morning Jane!
DH is something of an expert on this type of thing (retired builder).
I’ll ask him when he’s had his requisite two dozen cups of tea!

In my experience the belt sanders are not a lot quieter and the job takes a lot longer because they are much smaller. If it was me I'd go with the hired sander and get the job done. In the long run the neighbours will have less disruption.

DH says go with the belt sander.
We’ve got one in the shed.
Unfortunately we’re about 120 miles away from each other

Fanny

Thank you everyone. Why are DIY jobs so noisy

I crawled around (with knee protectors) and gave the floor a really good scrub - to remove dirt and lift the grain - before sanding with my little circular sander.

I did the sanding and finishing in sections, five or six boards at a time. Time consuming, lots of vacuuming, but a lovely result.

Dear Fannyc, could I just borrow your husband please? ? plenty of jobs to keep him occupied should you ever need some peace and quiet. ?

My daughter says….don’t do it! Much harder to get right than it looks. Her dining room is testament to this.

don't do it at all?

Why sand them if they're in good condition? Why not just give them a good scrub, give them a finish and call it 'patina'?

I got a man in for the main room (good, quick but quite expensive) but he refused to do another room because it was too problematical!
It had had ancient lino tiles glued down with awful gunge which blocks the sandpaper so we hired a sander and bought at least a million sheets of sandpaper. We also hired an edger to go under the radiators and I will now admit we used the slavelabour of 2 wonderful French boys who were HelpXing with us so all we had to do was cook meals and make cups of tea. And buy them earmuffs and masks .
The room looks really good now.
We used the osmo special oil which is kind to wood, rather than varnish.
www.helpx.net/
osmouk.com/wood-finishes/

Gramaretto do you mind me asking how much you paid?

I was going to oil them with either linseed or danish oil

JaneJudge do you mean for the professional sanding or the DIY?
I think we paid about £600, 2 years ago.
It was cheaper doing our own and I see the sander says it costs £36 per day but it worked out a lot more expensive.