belt sander to level subfloor

I’m going to try a belt sander and maybe an orbital. In order to properly install hardwood floors, the plywood subflooring must be even, or level. Work slowly, and check the floor with a level as you 3) 30lb felt is 1/16" thick. You could damage the planer blades if they hit a nail. It is only to be used when leveling an entire room, and remember level doesn't matter for a laminate floor anyway; only flatness; a sloped but flat floor is fine. Floor I missed a high spot in a small area and to try and level it with a belt sander was a joke. A belt sander is rather large and if not used I've used a belt sander with coarse grit sandpaper to help in floor preparations, but never a planer. The Using a truly straight (This in itself could be a monumental problem. Actually, if you go overboard and gouge out some of the subfloor, it’s not the end of the world. Forgot the orbital unless you want The KIESEL Servoplan S444 needed a diamond grinding stone and an angle grinder to remove the high spot. I plan on trying to find a belt sander to take care of the high spots (my orbital sander didn't cut it) but my question is about how to take care of the low spots. My belt sander sits motionless in it's case waiting for an opportunity to be used as an efficient interrogation device.....or to level out a few minor nuisance high spots in a sub floor (before my flooring sub shows up with his edger Because you don’t need to worry about scratches, you can use a coarse sand paper to get the job done quickly. From here, you should be able Sheet vinyl flooring provides a durable surface for high-traffic areas in your home. Belt Sander – Generally, it’s a 220 volt Hummel-brand sander and runs an 8″ x 29 1/4″ sanding belt with a very long cord as it does not plug into a regular wall outlet. Might be renting a drum sander. Is there a sander made to level the uneven OSB? This will help prevent future complications such as bucking, cracking, squeaking, creaking, and other problems associated with unevenness in the flooring. – Matthew Jul 31 '12 at 22:00 Re. Preparing a Concrete Subfloor for Luxury Vinyl Flooring Concrete is a common subfloor material, and in general, it’s easy to prepare for a luxury vinyl flooring installation project. For prepping subfloor especially that which has a bunch of old 1/4" staples in it I have found that the best tool is a Hilti DCG500 and Dustless cup shroud attachment. Prepare the subfloor. Whether you're going on to install hardwood, ceramic tile, or laminate, one of the most important steps of any flooring project is making sure the subfloor foundation is level. Because you don’t need to worry about scratches, you can use a coarse sand paper to get the job done quickly. Screw down any loose areas of the subfloor. You can then give it a light sanding with 60 just to knock down what is undesirable. Don’t know yet. The floor slopes slightly in front on the doors now, but it is completely unrecognizable without a level. The edger would be much quicker and do a better job than my belt sander does. I don't know what grits they come. Check the subfloor flatness using a 6’ or 10’ straight edge, a laser level, or a string line. A new hardwood or laminate floor needs a level subfloor to prevent problems such as cracking and splitting from … Sand away high spots using a belt sander or flooring edger. How to Use a Belt Sander. Edge Sander – It runs a 7″ sanding disk. If they are small pieces of plywood, rent or buy a hand held belt sander. Uneven subfloors cause buckling that can warp edges or kick up an end. If you have mat finish, you will get away with close to perfect, but if you have a gloss finish and you look at the top standing about 15 yards away at the right angle, with proper lighting, you will always see an uneven surface. A flat, level subfloor saves money upfront by reducing the labor and time it takes to install the hardwood floor. Re: Belt Sander Work For Sanding Plywood Floors? Vacuum the subfloor and make sure that all debris, no matter how small has been removed from the surface of the subfloor. Hardwood floors add style and a distinct look to a room. It's important to level a plywood or wood subfloor before you install any kind of floor covering over it, or bumps and unevenness can create problems. I used a belt sander with 50 grit sandpaper to decrease the thickness of the 3/8in plywood in front of the doors. It will also save money down the road with lower maintenance and repair problems. It can also be used to smooth or round edges. Level floors are critical for I find myself using my belt sander less and less. Re: how best to level subfloor hump Post by Shannon » Wed May 25, 2016 2:03 pm Most flooring manufactures recommend no more than 3/16" difference in 4' so if yours is worse than that you could sand or plane that hump down a little but you will have to either remove or set all of the nails deeper so you do not hit them. I marked this as the answer because it reflect the reality after my testing with various grits in the belt-sander, orbital sander and grinder. In addition, I had The size of the platform doesn't matter, just that it is big enough to hold the laser level stable. the "layers of overlapping very coarse sandpaper" angle grinder disks: I have used them on wood, and they work well for shaping (not so much for planing). It is great in one layer, but multiple layers may make a diaper sound Nail down floors like hardwood seem to work well with felt and shingles, and many pros use them in that scenario. The best material for filling gaps and depressions is patching compound. Once I went through that task, I never missed a high spot again. Each of these tools can be rented at most home improvement stores, and can help to make your wood subfloor level. A belt sander is the quickest and easiest method, but you will NEVER get perfect results. Answer Save 3 Answers Relevance Kraze 1 decade ago Favorite Answer osb isn't the best subfloor, I hope that its at least 3/4", and tounge and grooved? You can use a bubble level for this part, a torpedo or a 12" level would work nicely. The ridges on the OSB seams should be ground down with a belt sander to minimize the variation between boards. If there are large depressions or other low spots, you can fill them with leveling compound. You can measure the deviations in the subfloor by using a taper gauge, feeler gauge, depth finder, or calipers. I don't own an edger yet I been using a 40 grit on my 3x21 belt sander. I really only use it when I need to remove a lot of material, whether that is a finish or if it is rough. It depends on the standard of finish you require. Now understand that we are herein talking level as in a flat plane rather than level as it is related … Fixall is the former brand name of one such product now known as Fix-It-All. A belt sander is a woodworking tool designed to sand down or smooth wood to prepare it for finishing. Belt Sander In today’s article, we’re going to discuss what makes a belt sander different from an orbital sander, what sort of projects each one would excel in, and finally which of the two, if any, you will need for your line When installing a hardwood floor, the homeowner may need to level the existing subfloor. How to Level a Wood Floor Sub-Floor. I paid a LOT of attention to the subfloor, sanding it smooth. Sanding diagonally Sanding your floorboards diagonally is needed when your boards are not level. Before installing your new vinyl floor, you’ll need to prepare the subfloor. How to Level a Floor. If you have a drum sander on hand, this can level out any bumps in the subfloor, but you need to have a steady hand to control this. Sanding the subfloor can remove minor swells or high spots in the wood, but any low spots in the floor must be filled in order to level … Below is belt sander working diagonally, other top rated belt sanders and top rated sanders are too available in the market. Or buy a tripod. The cement board must have a … Those blades are a lot more expensive than sandpaper belts I think. I assume the coarser the better. If there are high spots, you can sand them down with a belt sander. How to Prepare a Subfloor for Vinyl Flooring. After much online research I've come up with these options: 1. 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