ForConstructionPros.com

More than ever before, homeowners are tackling projects themselves rather than calling a professional. The reasons range from a need to save money to a desire to achieve the satisfaction that comes from doing the work and seeing the results.

Floor care is a good example of an area that homeowners are trying their hands at. Whether it's old, wooden floors to new vinyl tiles, your customers are willing to get the job done themselves, but they need help, and that's where you come in.

Wood floors

The process of refinishing wood floors takes patience, as there are many steps and they must be done with care. By properly explaining the process to customers and directing them toward the right piece of equipment, however, the results can be stunning.

The very first question that rental personnel should ask is what type of wood floor the customer has. Tongue-and-groove solid-wood flooring is typically 3/4" thick and can be sanded several times in its life. Factory-finished, engineered wood flooring, however, has a thin layer of solid wood at the surface which can't be sanded more than once. Laminate wood flooring - which is artificial - cannot be sanded at all.

Once the type of floor has been determined, the next step is to choose the right machine for the job. Drum sanders are highly effective at making the rough cut - which removes the old finish and levels the floor - but are large and don't fit into very tight spaces.