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Sanding solid wood parquet

Solid wood parquet is particularly durable as it can be sanded down several times. In contrast, laminate cannot be processed at all and multi-layer parquet can only be processed up to the thin wear layer. With a thickness of around 15 mm solid wood parquet can be renovated and refurbished more often without any problems.

How do you proceed?

When sanding parquet, up to around one millimeter of material is often removed in order to remove scratches, quirks in the wood and old layers of varnish or sealant. Parquet sanding is usually carried out in several sanding steps, starting with a coarse grain and then getting progressively finer. Several sanding passes are necessary to achieve an even and clean result, especially on heavily used floors or deeper damage. Caution is advised, especially with multi-layer parquet, as the wear layer is limited.

Disc or drum sanders are suitable for large, open surfaces, as they work efficiently and evenly. Edges, corners and areas under radiators are worked on with an edge sander or side sander. The necessary sanders can be rented from many DIY stores.

Sanding produces fine wood dust, which is why wearing a face mask is strongly recommended. Modern sanders usually have an integrated dust extraction system, which significantly reduces dust exposure.

Smooth and even guidance of the sanding machine is crucial for optimum results. The machine should never be left standing in one place during operation, as this can lead to indentations. The correct sanding direction is just as important: for classic strip parquet, sanding is usually done in the direction of the grain. For patterned parquet such as herringbone, cube parquet or Roman bond, it is advisable to first sand crosswise to even out any unevenness, followed by finer sanding passes in a uniform direction for a smooth, homogeneous parquet surface.

What to do about cracks?

Especially with older parquet flooring, small cracks can appear or existing gaps can become visible during sanding. However, these can be easily repaired. The sanding dust created when sanding parquet should therefore not be disposed of, but kept. If you mix it with wax or varnish, a color-matching wood paste is created, with which dents, cracks, and gaps can be filled. This method is particularly popular because it is colorfast, and after drying and fine sanding, the repaired areas are barely distinguishable from the rest of the parquet.

To reliably remove old layers of lacquer or sealant, it is advisable to first carry out two sanding passes with a coarse grit. This is followed by fine sanding, ideally with a 100 or 120 grit, to prepare a smooth and even parquet surface for further treatment.