How to Use a Drum Sander on Hardwood Floors

1. Inspect the Floor

   Carefully inspect the entire floor surface, looking for loose or damaged boards, and nail heads that are exposed. If you can feel nail heads with your hand, countersink them using a nail set and hammer.

   Loose boards should be carefully nailed down before beginning the sanding project. If board replacements are necessary, do this now. Sanding new boards along with adjoining old boards will help blend the repair area.

2. Remove Shoe Molding (If Needed)

   If your baseboard trim work includes shoe molding at the junction of floor and baseboard, carefully remove this molding, using a small pry bar. Removing the shoe molding will allow you to sand right up to the baseboard, leaving a sleek, professional look after you replace the molding after refinishing the floors.
   
   

3. Clean the Floor, Prepare the Room

   Thoroughly sweep, then vacuum the floor to remove all dust and debris. Follow this up by mopping with a barely damp cloth.

   Although drum sanders have dust-collection bags, a considerably amount of dust will be raised. Block off HVAC vents and doorways with plastic, and open windows to help ventilate the space. You may also want to cover electrical outlets with tape to prevent dust from infiltrating the slots.

4. Wear Safety Gear

   Wear a good respirator mask and safety glasses when using a drum sander. Even though the drum sander has a dust bag, the bag only collects the majority of dust, not all of it. And safety glasses are a must—drum sanders create sparks when they hit nails and are capable of shooting particles.
   

5. Install the Sanding Sleeve

   The first pass of the sander is typically done with 40- or 60-grit sanding sleeve. Lift the front cover of the sander and slide the sleeve onto the drum roller. Close the cover.

6. Practice Moving the Sander

   With the tool turned off, position the sander in the middle of the floor, oriented in the same direction as the flooring boards. When running the sander, you will be raising and lowering the sanding drum onto the floor as you begin and end each pass. How you do this depends on the type of sander you have rented. With some sanders, the drum is lifted from the floor by tilting it backward so it pivots up against the rear wheels. With other types of drum sanders, there is a lever on the handle that raises the entire body of the sander up off the floor and lowers it back down to engage the sanding drum to the floor.

   With the tool turned off, practice raising the sanding drum by whatever method is appropriate for your sander, moving it to different positions on the floor, then lowering the drum back onto the floor.

   Tip

   Before beginning on your actual hardwood floor, it is a good idea to practice drum sanding technique on a sheet of plywood laid on the floor.

7. Make the First Sanding Pass

   With tool turned off, wheel the sander to a position near one side wall, midway between the end walls, oriented in the same direction as the flooring boards. With the drum lifted off the floor, turn on the sander, then carefully lower the drum onto the floor while firmly holding the handle.

8. Raise the Drum Before the Wall

   As you approach the far wall, raise the sanding drum before the tool reaches the wall. Avoid hitting the walls, and don't try to get too close to the baseboards; these areas will be sanded later with an edging sander.

9. Bring the Sander Backward

   Ppull the tool backward along the same path to complete the sanding pass over the same section of floor. As you begin to walk backward, lower the moving drum onto the floor. Again, lift the drum as you reach spot where you started. Each sanding pass will consist of this same pattern: forward, then backward over the same strip of flooring.

10. Continue Sanding

    With the sanding drum raised and the motor still running, reposition the sander about 4 inches to the side, then repeat the same forward-and-backward action to make the next pass. It is critical that the sanding passes overlap to ensure a smooth surface.

    Continue in this fashion until the room is covered. You can then reverse the direction of the tool to sand any remaining floor area that was behind you during the first phase.

    Most sanding sleeves will sand 100 to 400 square feet before they need to be changed. When you notice that the sander is no longer quickly removing the old finish, then it's time to change the sleeve.

    Tip

    Keep an eye on the dust bag, and empty it whenever it reaches about one-third full. This will keep the suction high and prevent sanding dust from filling the air.

11. Change Sanding Sleeve, Sand Again

    Change the sanding sleeve to a medium-grit (100-grit), then complete the room again, following the preceding steps.

    Tip

    An edge sander is an orbital hand sander that allows you to sand next to baseboards and walls. After using the drum sander, you will need to use this tool to complete the job.

12. Perform the Final Sanding

    Conclude by changing the sanding sleeve to fine-grit (120-grit), then make a third pass of the entire room.

    With the drum sanding phase now complete, you can finish the edges and corners of the room with the edging sander.

    Make sure to clean the entire floor before moving on to applying your chosen finish.

When to Call a Professional

When using a drum sander, it is quite easy to badly damage a floor if you hurry the work. Sanding a floor requires handling heavy power tools and some amount of time on hands and knees. It is hard physical work that's not for everyone.

Professional floor sanding services are widely available, and they usually offer a full range of floor finishing services, including staining and varnishing. If the project seems too big or you are concerned about damaging your floor, consider hiring a professional. Professional floor technicians can sand and refinish a floor. Nationally, complete floor refinishing typically costs $3 to $8 per square foot.