Refinishing oak floor. Dust extraction options?

[flanajb]

I need to refinish the oak floor in our house as I stupidly sealed it with danish oil 10 years ago (dumb idea!) the issue I have is that I really need to minimise the amount of dust that it created. The floor sander that I want to hire only has a stupid paper bag filter on it.

I have a my own Axminster fine dust extractor that I use for power tools, one of the units that you hang from the ceiling and a huge 24" extractor that I use for spraying.

Just wondering whether I would be better to forget trying to extract the dust at source and instead open the back patio doors and stick my big fan there and try and duct the air straight outside.

Keen to hear from others who have also had to finish a floor in a house that is being lived in.

 

[Mark A]

Apart from pulling down lath and plaster ceilings, sanding floors with those antiquated machines is the second dustiest job I've done. Connecting a good extractor up may help, but don't bank on it.

I recall a member here (RogerS?) once hired a more expensive sander fitted with a HEPA filter. Apparently the dust extraction was very good. Try searching the forums for the post - I can't on my stupid phone!

Cheers,
Mark

 

[MattRoberts]

Out of interest, what was wrong with the Danish oil finish?

 

[flanajb]

Apart from pulling down lath and plaster ceilings, sanding floors with those antiquated machines is the second dustiest job I've done. Connecting a good extractor up may help, but don't bank on it.

I recall a member here (RogerS?) once hired a more expensive sander fitted with a HEPA filter. Apparently the dust extraction was very good. Try searching the forums for the post - I can't on my stupid phone!

Cheers,
Mark

it is quite staggering that in an age where dust extraction is high on the agenda the hire companies still hire out antiquated floor sanders with inadequate dust extraction. There are better models, but no one seems to higher them down here in Dorset.

 

[flanajb]

Out of interest, what was wrong with the Danish oil finish?

Not hard wearing and I am too lazy to give it the required TLC. The floor is covered in water marks ....

Going for a 2 part ultra hard lacquer this time around.

 

[dexter]

Could you borrow a Festool Midi/Maxi from somewhere? I've done all my floors with a Dewalt ROS and Festool Midi. Great for keeping the dust down. Can't help with the lending though, the middle of France is probably a bit too far to nip over to!

Dex

 

[Homers double]

What size is the room?. This is a job I have done for a few clients, most rooms I've encountered aren't too big, 20 to 25 square meters and I do them with a 100mm belt sander and random orbit sander both connected to a dust extractor.
I recently re-did a oak dining room floor (18m2) with 2 huge water marks, it had originally been finished with danish oil. I'd removed the old oil and 99% of the water marks and refinished it with the first coat of osmo by lunch time, I did close and tape up the door into the house and opened the patio door, when I'd finished the sanding there was a very minimal amount of dust around, obviously i Hoovered the whole floor to remove the dust there and the skirting boards had to be hoovered over but that was about all.
I have hired in the bigger sanders in the past but I find them very aggressive and you've got to have your wits about you as it's very easy to create nice concave dips

 

[flanajb]

I have one of these.

and I also have a bosch 6" orbital and a 4" belt sander.

The room is ~ 33m2 so not huge, but doing it with those 2 machines might take a while.