I need to sand and re-polyurethane my parquet floor stairs. What kind of sander do I use? I don't think I'd use a belt sander because of the different lay of wood grain. Would a 'round' sander work? What do the pros use? Thanks!

-- janied (godsfarmgirl@yahoo.com), July 20, 2000

Answers

I don't have any experience with stairs, but I do refinish furniture on occasion for resale. I'd use a rectangular orbital sander starting with course, medium, then fine grits. The sandpaper will last a lot, lot longer if you put a layer of duct tape on the back in the long direction (not crosswise). When all the stairs have been sanded to your satisifaction, use a Mimwax stain, such as golden oak, then wipe off any excess. This will help even out the coloring. When ready to apply the poly, do every other step so you can still use the stairs. Remember to sand lightly between coats.

-- Ken Scharabok (scharabo@aol.com), July 20, 2000.

Use whatever you have. Just use a finer grit for the final sanding. Unlike furniture, a "floor", even steps, needn't be smoother than a baby's butt to refinish UNLESS you are going to stain, where the uneveness will be magnified. Go natural, and don't worry, be happy! GL!

-- Brad (Homefixer@SacoRiver.net), July 20, 2000.

The only sander to really consider is a random-orbital model, basically a 12" x18"(or 24") pad sander, commonly known as a "square- buff"(brand-name) sander. Picture a palm sander with a handle and another 125 lbs. added to it. You'll have a cushioning pad between the machine and the sandpaper. You should find one at your local rental store for $30-50 dollars a day, plus the advice on how to use it. One tip-offset the pad and paper an inch or so to get up close to the walls without hitting them. It's a fairly simple machine to run. Good luck.

-- paul white (whiteequipmentco@netscape.net), July 23, 2000.