Anytime you need to sand your hardwood floor down to the base, you will be creating a lot of noise and dust. The amount of dust that makes it into the air and on all of your furniture will largely depend on the machine you are using.
All sanding projects naturally generate dust. Using friction to remove material produces particles of removed material, which accumulate to create problems.
Dustless sanding is a popular option for homeowners looking to improve the appearance of their hardwood floors. Dustless sanding and regular sanding are very similar but dustless sanding preserves the indoor air quality! It is also much more efficient than regular floor sanding processes.
As with refinishing, there may also be some sanding required when new hardwood is installed before you can apply stain and finish. Sanding will also cause dust to settle on unprotected surfaces but that can easily be swept up before the stain and finish is applied.
How To Clean Up Dust After Sanding. Use a dry mop or vacuum attachment to carefully remove any remaining dust and particles from the surface of your newly refinished floors. Make sure to go in both horizontal and vertical directions to ensure that all particles are picked up.
Do not live in the home during refinishing. The sanding will cause harmful lung damaging particulate matter to stay in the air for days. Children, pregnant women and the elderly will be most impacted by floor finishing.
A dustless floor sander works just like other floor sanders except it is designed to suction dust created by the wood floor before it gets into the air to settle on surfaces and be breathed in.
A buildup of dust in your home is often the result of poor airflow. A combination of poor airflow and infrequent cleaning can lead dust and dust mites to settle comfortably into several areas in your home. “Dust mites live in mattresses, pillows, and upholstery,” Dr.
Wood dust becomes a potential health problem when wood particles from processes such as sanding and cutting become airborne. Breathing these particles may cause allergic respiratory symptoms, mucosal and non-allergic respiratory symptoms, and cancer.
Use a Tack Cloth
Tack cloth is a type of cheesecloth coated with beeswax that you can use to pick up fine dust particles left behind from sanding. It has a sticky quality that attracts dust that other methods may have missed. Just apply pressure and swipe to pick up any of the fine dust left behind.
Particles of 15µm–100µm in diameter (inhalable) can settle within 1 minute; in larger rooms, air volume will extend the time needed for settling. Particles less than 10µm in diameter (thoracic) will take about 3 minutes to settle. Particles at 5µm in diameter (respirable) will settle in about 8 minutes.
It would be best if you also thought about temperature - it's best to have the indoor temperature consistent with outdoor temperature. We suggest having open windows once the work is done. For pros like us, sanding can take between 1 to 3 days, although this may vary from project size and floor needs.
This is recommended when the surface imperfections penetrate the finish and affect the bare wood underneath. Once you sand the surface of the floor too many times, you will reach out to the point when the floor is beyond sanding and it is already too thin. Continuing to sand the floor at this point is not recommended.
Never use water to clean your newly-sanded hardwood floor. In fact, once they've been sanded, don't use any cleaning products for about 10 to 14 days. Once that time has passed, just use a soft brush to sweep them daily to keep on top of the dirt and dust that naturally occurs.
Microfiber mops/dusters.
Microfiber mops are made with synthetic materials specifically designed to attract and trap dust particles, making them an effective go-to product in the battle for keeping hardwood floors dust-free.
Why Do Bedrooms Get So Dusty? If you find yourself dusting your bedrooms more than other areas of your house, you're not alone. That's because bedrooms tend to generate dust from skin cells, dust mites, and upholstery fibers from cozy fabrics in your bed, carpet, rugs, and furniture.
White dust is usually caused by mineral content in the water that goes into a humidifier. When the mist lands on furniture or other surfaces and dries, it can sometimes leave behind dried mineral deposits, or “white dust.”
Dustless hardwood floor sanding is a popular request from homeowners. It's more efficient than regular sanding and it's healthier because it helps you maintain the indoor air quality. It also requires less cleanup.
Orbital sander uses and advantages
If you need to prep a floor for a new top coat of clear finish, an orbital sander is the right machine. They're also excellent for removing light surface stains, but they won't remove finishes (random orbital sanders, unlike traditional orbital sanders, can strip paint).
If you're using both the electric sander and the edger in 140 square-foot floor space, it will take you roughly 5 hours to do three sanding passes. Another thing you must take into account is how old your house is. If yours is 50 years old or more, you'll need extra time to complete it.
It's best to stay out of the house until the polyurethane is dry and the fumes have dissipated. Once it has dried, it is considered to be relatively safe and non-toxic. However, while it is still wet, it can release fumes that can be harmful to breathe.
You can leave the baseboards in place unless you're planning to replace them. You need a pristinely clean floor before sanding, so sweep it and then dust mop it to get up all debris and dust. Make any necessary repairs to gouges and cracks in the floor before sanding.