Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - Using a palm sander

We bought a home and it has nice red oak floors that were under carpet and a good deal of adhesive and a waffle pad. The bedrooms weren't that tough but the living room and hall had adhesive laid across the grain of the wood with a trowel - the length of the living room and hall. I scraped the pad of and used a square buff, but it really wouldn't do much. I didn't want to use the drum sander because I was scared I would damage the floor so the guys at home depot showed me this rotary with three disks and it worked to get the tough stuff off. I then used the edger and the square buff again all at 36 grit.

I've been using a palm sander now with 40 grit and it is getting all the left over varnish. I plan to finish with the square buff using 60 and 80 grit. Do you think I'll be ok.
Greg H. thought I might be messing up the floor using the palm sander, but it is helping me get out the dark spots left by the adhesive.

Bob:confused:

Greg is right by using the palm sander in only certain areas of the floor you are creating dips and waves. The whole purpose behind the saniding is to level the floor for the application of a new finish. You may not be able see these waves using the palm sander. But i garantee you that they are there. You will be able to see them when you use the square buffer because the dust will settle in these waves when you run across the floor. Unfortunately the only way to remove them is to resand the floor.
good luck with the work..

Philly

I've actually palm sanded the entire floor - 1000 square feet. Once I started to cut in the edges where the edger left the swirls I realized that the palm sander did a nice job removing left over varnish. I've nearly completed the entire floor and then I'll use the box buff to finish. I was actually thinking of using the drum sander with 80 grit to finish the thing off before I apply the polyurethane.

I would recomend that you drum with 60, then 80, then square buff to remove chatter marks with 80 and finish up with 100 on the square. Hand sand all the corners etc. vac and tac and coat

philly