One of our more frequently asked questions we get is how much dust we should expect from the floor sanding process.  

This is not an easy question to answer as there are many variables that govern the contamination of work sites. Modern floor sanding machinery has either built-in dust extraction or an external vacuum unit. Belt sanding machines are designed to remove bulk surface contaminates from the timber flooring which is then collected usually in a dust bag attached to the belt sanding machine or through a large hose that runs into a separator then to the vacuum extraction unit. The edger a machine used to sand the perimeter of the floor is also run the same way either with a dust bag attached or through the attached vacuum system.  

Machines that are run using a bag will collect most of the dust but not as much as an external vacuum setup. What the machines will not be able to collect is the heavy fibers usually softer less dence timber and old coatings that are too thick and heavy for the extraction systems to lift. The small dust particles are still collected but these heavy fibers are sometimes left behind the machine which later collects them on the next pass.  

Buffing machinery like belt sanders and edgers are the same with either built-in or external extraction, also making them very efficient at the extraction of waste products.  

The main dust contamination that we experience is household or construction dust if the site is a new build. The cleaner the site is before we arrive the cleaner the site is after we leave. This is due to all our machinery using large high powered electric motors. These motors are all fitted with cooling fans that push and pull the air around them.  This results in dust sitting on nearby surfaces being made airborne and moved throughout the worksite. Therefor no floor sander can claim to be dust-free. As to be dust-free or dustless floor sanding we would have to remove all the existing dust in your worksite before we start, which would be impossible on all types of work sites.  

Other factors besides the type of timber floor being sanded that influence dust contamination are the openness of a site and its location to prevailing wind conditions. We do need to open windows and doors for good ventilation. However, if the worksite has meters of bi-folding doors they will allow a large volume of air to circulate which will cause dust contamination. We generally open doors and windows on the lee side of site to minimize large air flows throughout the home.  

Most floor sanding sites are left cleaner than when we receive them, we do our best to eliminate air contamination as much as possible. As we don’t like working in a dusty environment any more than your desire to clean up dust after trades. One of our most regular comments is how clean our work and sites are compared to previous experiences and commonly with builders their comments are along the line of it took us a week to remove the dust after the last crew, it’s great to see a company that cares about their work environment and treats our site as if their own.