If you have wooden floors, they can easily become scratched or damaged, so it’s important to keep them well-sanded and finished to maintain their condition. Floor sanding is especially important when it comes to gym floors. A gym will experience lots of wear and tear due to people wearing shoes on the floor, dropping weights, and moving heavy gym equipment.
It’s important to sand the floors regularly to keep them even and to ensure that the gym is safe to use. This is why it’s essential to understand how to sand a gym floor correctly to maintain its smooth appearance.
Preparing Your Gym Floor for Floor Sanding
The floor sanding process always begins with a thorough cleaning. You should sweep and mop your floor before you begin any type of sanding. This ensures an even finish and means that your varnish doesn’t collect grime or dust underneath, creating a rough surface. If you have a particularly dusty room, make sure you use a vacuum cleaner for the corners to clear away the cobwebs.
Choose the Correct Sandpaper Grit for Floor Sanding a Gym
Once your floor is clean, the next step to professional floor sanding is selecting the right sandpaper grit type. Usually, to sand a gym floor, you would start with a higher grit sandpaper to cut down all the scratches and impurities before switching to a lighter grit later.
It’s a good idea to check out the type of wood beforehand to make sure this will work as you planned. If you have a maple floor, 16-grit sandpaper may be needed to start, as it can be more aggressive and remove the damage from a maple floor which can easily be marked.
If the floor is made of a harder wood with fewer damages, then a finer grit might be needed, as something aggressive may remove more than you intend. If you’re unsure, start with a 36-grit sandpaper on a test area and make changes if required.
How Long Does it Take to Sand a Gym Floor?
This entirely depends on the size of the space. It can take 2-3 days of continuous sanding to get the bare wood finish for a large gym space. To make the floor smooth and safe, you will then need to apply 2 coats of seal, each of which require 24 hours to dry.
It’s best to leave around 5 days to complete the full job in total. You may then need to wait for it to set for 72 hours before allowing people to walk on it.
How Often Should You Sand a Floor?
We recommend that should sand your gym floor every 8-10 years. It restores the surface and makes the gym look better, but it also makes your flooring safer and less slippery for the users.
Hire Tools for Floor Sanding Today
To understand more about how to sand a gym floor or for floor sander hire in London, contact Floor Sanders London today! We offer professional advice and support and provide the highest quality equipment for hire to achieve the smoothest results for any wooden floor.