Comparing Commercial Hardwood Floor Sanders

Do you have a store or take care of a business space that has hardwood flooring? You’ll need to use hardwood floor sanders, staining, and coating supplies at some point! You’ll find a lot of hardwood sanding equipment available, but selecting the one that works best for your commercial space is essential.

What Is a Hardwood Floor Sander?

If you’re familiar with sanding equipment, floor sanders essentially perform the same task, only they are specially designed for use on hardwood flooring. It’s not a common tool that most businesses or homeowners buy, and even large commercial spaces hire professionals to get the job done. Renting a floor sander is a cost-effective solution, and there are several types of floor sanding equipment to choose from, depending on the quality and type of flooring.

The Importance of Choosing the Right Sander

What is the best sander for hardwood floors, and how do you know if you’re choosing the right sander? You’ll find many great do-it-yourself options, whether sanding a small floor in an office setting or a larger retail or industrial space. If you’re a beginner, you’ll find some sanding equipment, such as a drum sander, are easier to handle, whereas an orbital sander requires more experience. 

Orbital Sanders

An orbital vibrating sander is what you’ll need to use to smooth the wood after using a drum sander. Like a drum sander, orbital sanders operate while standing up, though they vibrate in small, sharp circles instead of rotating.

Characteristics

Orbital vibrating sanders consist of a vibrating sander and a dust bag, which are used in a stand-up position, producing a smooth finish.

Advantages and Disadvantages

What are the benefits of using an orbital sander?

• It’s ideal for all types of solid hardwood flooring, including cork and wood composition flooring, parquet, and similar styles, which result in a smooth finish.
• If you’re experienced in using a drum sander, you’ll find the orbital sander is easier to operate and offers clean refinishing results.
• There is less chance that you’ll cut or scrape wood surfaces.
• It’s easy to carry and compact.

Are there any disadvantages to using an orbital sanding machine?

• There aren’t any significant drawbacks, though you might find it takes a while to get comfortable using this sander if you’re just getting started.
• If your floor is damaged, with deep grooves, an orbital sander won’t get rid of them.

Drum Sanders

If you’re new to using a sander on hardwood flooring, you’ll want to select a device that’s easy to use, such as a drum sander.

Characteristics

A drum sanding machine is basically a large, heavy belt sander. The sander is a major part of the device’s operation, which is part of the body, and it’s used to sand down wooden flooring while standing up. The drum sander includes a large dust bag, the drum, and the sander, which is where large belts of sanding paper are attached.

Advantages and Disadvantages

You’ll find the drum sander offers some excellent benefits:

• Drum sanders remove many unwanted spots, stains, and embedded stains from the surface.
• A drum sander might do the trick if you have paint residue that’s difficult to remove.
• It’s relatively easy for people to use, especially if you’re new to floor sanding.

Are there any drawbacks to using a drum sander?

• You’ll need to operate this sanding equipment carefully, as it can carve grooves in some wood, which results in unpleasant carvings or deep scratches.

Belt Sanders

Belt sanders are available in various formats, whether you need a portable machine designed for flooring, or a benchtop model, where you can smooth wooden floor tiles.

Characteristics

This sanding machine contains two drums, shaped like cylinders, where a loop of rough sanding paper passes through. It runs with two drums; one that is spring loaded to keep a steady tension against the belt, and the other with an electric motor. Many belt sanders contain a built-in dust collector, which helps keep the surface dust-free.

Advantages and Disadvantages

What are the best reasons to use a belt sander?

• They have a variable speed, allowing you to perform finer refinishing.
• You can use them for various projects, including flooring, as they are portable.

There are a few drawbacks that might be important to consider:

• Belt sanders are best for flat surfaces and may not work as well on uneven flooring.

Edging Sanders

Edge floor sanders are among the most compact, hand-held devices and provide more powerful sanding. They come in handy for corners and smaller areas that standard sanders cannot reach or effectively refinish wood surfaces.

Characteristics

These small, handy sanders are easy to use in hard-to-reach spots and are less expensive to rent or buy. Edging sanders are often used in conjunction with larger sanders that handle the bulk of the flooring, while these finish up the corners, edges, and smaller spaces.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Are there any benefits to using the edge sander?

• These compact sanding machines are ideal for finishing off areas that a larger sander cannot smooth over.
• They are inexpensive and easy to use.

What are the drawbacks of using this device?

• It’s equipped for small areas only and not for large-scale flooring spaces.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Sander

What’s the best sander for your wood flooring? Do you have an old floor that needs major restoration or a modern floor surface that could use smooth refinishing? You’ll want to consider essential factors before selecting the type of sanding equipment that works best for your floor.

Type of Hardwood Flooring

When you refinish wooden floors, the type of hardwood, its thickness, and its durability are crucial factors that determine which type of sander you’ll need. 

Floor Condition

If your flooring endures a lot of heavy traffic and furniture and is fairly worn, you’ll want a heavy-duty sander. On the other hand, a smoother surface with just a few touch-ups could use a smooth touch from an orbital sander.

Sanding Requirements

If your flooring has undergone numerous sanding treatments, the thickness will not be able to withstand the same heavy-duty sanding. You may notice some flooring is worn in some areas more than others, which should be considered when you choose one or more sanding machines.

User Experience

How handy are you with a flooring sander? If you’re experienced with sanding, you’ll have an idea of which type of equipment works best for your floorboards. On the other hand, beginner sanders should consult with an expert on which tools are easiest to operate based on the type of hardwood floor installation. 

Budget

When you consider all the options available to you, based on the type of flooring, its condition, and your experience with a sander, your budget should also be a factor. Renting a sanding machine is often the best option for most commercial hardwood floors, as it’s convenient and cost-efficient, and you won’t need to find a storage place!

Benefits of Renting a Sander

When renting a sander, you’ll find many benefits to working with Sunbelt Rentals.

Access to High-Quality Equipment

You’ll have access to top-of-the-line equipment for all your sanding needs. If you have more than one wooden surface that requires refinishing, Sunbelt Rentals offers a wide variety of equipment and machinery to produce the best results. 

Flexibility to Choose the Right Sander

You’ll never be stuck with the wrong equipment or a sanding machine that doesn’t achieve results. If you need to rent more machinery or switch sanders, the expert team at Sunbelt Rentals can find the best solution for your flooring type and condition.

Expert Assistance and Support

Before you get started, Sunbelt Rentals offers an expert customer service team of support to find the ideal equipment solutions for all your sanding and floor refinishing needs.

Reduced Maintenance Costs

Renting sanding equipment for your commercial flooring will save you and your high business costs while providing you with more options and support. 

Final Thoughts

Sunbelt Rentals offers exceptional service and budget-friendly solutions for hardwood flooring, whether you’re looking for routine refinishing or a more rigorous sanding machine. Contact our experts and find out which commercial floor sanders are ideal for your retail store, office, or industrial space, to find the best equipment for your flooring needs.