Sanding Plywood Floor

Use 180 grit sandpaper to sand the plywood.

Sanding plywood floor. The most efficient use of sandpaper for hand backed sanding is to tear the 9 x 11 sheet of sandpaper into thirds crossways then fold each of these pieces into thirds lengthways. Further sanding can create too many grooves in the surface and cause the layers to peel up from the ends of the plywood. You may want to practice using the sander on a part of the floor that will be covered by a table couch or bookcase or even get a large piece of plywood to practice on until you feel comfortable.

A step by step video for a home owner on how to use various wood floor sanders and how to apply the finish. This is best done with a flooring sander. Start with 80 grit sandpaper on a rough surface to begin the process and move.

Start in the middle of your floor and sand from end to end overlapping each pass by just an inch or two. If you choose to use a powered orbital sander for this light sanding be very careful that you do not sand through the thin outer layer of the plywood. Start sanding in the middle of the floor.

This will open the pores in the plywood and make it better able to accept stain. First however you need to carefully prep it by removing staples and glue making sure it is. Sand the plywood until it is smooth using your sanding block or a handheld oscillating tool with a sanding accessory.

Sand the entire plywood surface with 100 grit sandpaper. Before you lay any type of flooring the subfloor should be flat and if it s plywood one way to flatten it is to sand it. Sand with the folded sandpaper until it dulls flip the folded sandpaper over to use the second third then refold to use the third third.

If you need to remove adhesive. Stroke the sandpaper over the plywood in the direction of the grain 3 to 4 times. Sanding plywood with an orbital flooring sander is an effective way to level and smooth it for paint.