Why You Should Sand Your Wood Floors Diagonally

Transforming an old, neglected property into a livable home is such a satisfying process, especially if you do the work yourself. However, this doesn't mean you won't meet countless challenges. One problem you'll likely face is that vintage floors are inherently uneven. To fix this issue, we suggest trying something that will probably feel weird at first: sand the floor diagonally. Instead of sanding in the direction the planks run (as most people do), start your machine in one corner of a room and sand across the floor on a diagonal. This will leave you with floorboards that are smoother and more even than you would have achieved using traditional methods. Plus, it's quicker, and who doesn't love cutting back on the time it should take to refinish hardwood floors?

Wonky floors are common in older homes. You might notice a slight gradient lean or minor bumps and dips. Most often, unevenness is caused by age. Navigating an inconsistent surface with a big electric floor sander makes the chore tricky, even for professionals. Moving a machine diagonally across a room means you glide right over the ridges formed where the floorboards meet instead of the sander bouncing over them like speed bumps. The former method levels out the ridges until they sit even with the dips; the latter exacerbates the valleys. However, note that while you can sand out minor problems, get very uneven floors looked at by a professional, as they could indicate foundation issues or other larger problems.