Hello all,

Apologies if this has been addressed before, I searched the forum and couldn't find anything specifically addressing this.

Cutting to the chase, is it possible to get decent results (i.e., nice and flat) sanding brand new 2-1/4' unfinished hard maple using a square buffer sander?

Backstory... I hired a local "wood finisher" to install, sand, and finish, 850 sqft of Lumber Liquidators "unfinished select maple." Because his quote was literally 50% less than 2 other companies, I decided to take my chances. He said he has done many hardwood floors and I asked him if he had all of the sanding equipment needed. When he said yes, I foolishly assumed he meant he had drum sanders, edgers, etc. Now I find out he plans on only using a square buffer sander (sorry, I don't know which brand). He said he would start with 60 grit, then progress up to 120 grit. I have yet to ask how he plans on doing the edges and corners, but I'm guessing he'll just use a palm sander and a multitool.

The subfloor was in decent shape, no significant low or high spots. The floor is half done being laid at the moment and looks good so far, nice random pattern, fairly flat and level, not too much overwood, as much as could be expected with unfinished flooring anyway. But question again is:

Can a brand new unfinished maple floor be successfully sanded flat using only a square buffer sander?

If the answer is no, I need to find a different contractor to sand the floors asap.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Dan

It takes a lot of work to sand floors flat. How long it takes depends on how much overwood and what kind of mechanical scraping is used. The square buff machine will smooth the surface. It takes longer than a drum or belt sander. Corners should be scraped flat after the field is complete.