The Recommended Grit of Sandpaper for Sanding Wood Floors

Refinishing hardwood floors requires using two to three different types of sandpaper. The sandpaper is used to prepare the floor for refinishing before staining or adding a clear coat to the floor.

Grits

Initial sanding of the hardwood floor is done with 20 grit sandpaper to smooth the floor. If the floor is already smooth, the 20 grit paper can be omitted, and 60 grit sandpaper can be used for the first floor sanding. After sanding the entire floor with the 60 grit paper, 120 grit sandpaper is used as the finishing sandpaper.

Tools

The tools used with the 60 and 120 grit sandpaper are the drum sander and belt sander, which are applied to the entire floor. The edge or detail sander is used to do corners or place that are hard to reach with the drum or belt sander.

Tip

Sandpaper is labeled by numbers with 60 grit being coarse, 120 grit being fine and 20 grit the coarsest.

References

• Lowe's: How to Refinish a Hardwood Floor