Hire a Sander!

Published on 14 May 2010

After several days of concerted ‘encouragement’ from the better half, I decided that this May Bank Holiday was going to be the perfect weekend to get down to sanding my softwood dining room floor. We had been invited to dinner at friends at the previous weekend and my partner had, rather embarrassingly, spent more time drooling over their highly polished sanded wooden floor than she did over the sumptuous meal we were being served! So I knew what to expect – I would have to become a professional floor sander!
The first thing I soon discovered that there must be many like minded souls in my area, so with divine help of Google – searching under ‘floor sander hire in North London’ – I started to ring around some local floor sanding hire firms, using the well practised opening line of, “do you rent DIY floor sanding machines?” I briefly explained my plans and a very helpful hire person listened to me carefully and advised me that a Hiretech 8” drum sander with a Hiretech edge sander would be ideally suited to complete my floor sanding task. I quickly reserved the floor sanding equipment at this not too far away sander hire firm. (Note to self ….. book in well in advance next time!).
My dinner party chum told me that prior to sanding the floor; preparation was the key ingredient to a professional sanded floor. So after I had reserved my floor sanding machines and removed all the furniture from the room, I again turned to my old pal, Google and searched “floor sanding filler and varnish” and I soon discovered that the trade used a floor filler compound called Lecol Filler. Lecol Filler is a clear liquid that you mix with saw dust to make up the filler. My researches also uncovered that I will need to seal and varnish my floor afterwards with both a primer and top coat. The trade names that came up regularly were Bona Prime for the floor primer and Bona Mega for the top floor varnish. I noted that the Bona Mega should be applied up to three times using a short haired roller. A quick call back to the floor sander hire firm left me reassured that they had Lecol Filler and both Bona Prime and Bona Mega in stock and they would put the right amount aside my reserved Hiretech floor sanding machines.
I arrived at the floor sander rental shop and again explained my plans. The nice hire person presented me with the Hiretech 8” drum sander and a the Hiretech edge sander, whilst confirming to me that these floor sanding machines were the right tools for the type of floor I was getting ready to sand. I also picked up a bundle of floor sanding sheets and edge sanding discs – 100 grit, 60 grit and 40 grit sanding sheets and discs, kindly offered on a ‘sale or return’ basis. I was given a leaflet detailing floor sander safety, floor sanding machine operating instructions and a very useful guide on how to sand softwood floors. I noted that the Hiretech sanding machines each had a dust collection bag and I was handed a spanner and key for changing the edge sanding discs and floor sanding sheets. The sanding hire shop person ran through the use of the floor sanding machines and when he was satisfied that I wasn’t going to be a danger to myself and the public at large he allowed me to leave the hire shop. Oh, yes, I had to show some identity (my passport sufficed) and pay a deposit using my ‘flexible friend’.
So to the task in hand …………………………. How did I get on? Look out for my next installment on this page and I will reveal the ugly truth. Was the return dinner party laid out on a finely sanded varnished floor or was the local carpet fitter once again back in gainful employment? …. Bet you can’t wait!

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