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We are redoing half our old home. Built in 1915 it has a pine subfloor with 2" solid maple strips for the floor. It has 4 layers of vinyl and luan with at least 5,000 staples. We have ripped up the vinyl and luan and are left with maple flooring with staples. the staples are impossible to pull out.

So, we are wanting to sand/grind down the staples and level the high spots to put down vinyl plank. The sanding can be semi-rough since we are not finishing the maple. So, is there a machine or method that we could use to sand down the staples and floor?

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A standard floorsander will sand through staples, nails, etc.

However, it's not without hazard. The potential of mixing sparks from sanding metal with fine wood dust can lead to dust explosions (at the worst, and not commonly as they do have dust collection built-in) or fires that flare up later in the sanding dust.

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  • I was told at the local rental that they have a belt floor sander and it would tear up the paper? Is there a type of floor sander that would work?
    – Russ
    Commented Jun 12 at 2:32
  • Drum floor sanders have been quite unaffected by nails in my experience. The nails were, on the other hand, quite affected. Cloth-backed abrasive on a metal drum.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Jun 12 at 2:39
  • it's going to wear the abrasive out faster than sanding wood only would do, but still the abrasive is going to win, you might need extra, but most hire places will refund unused consumables so, take extra just in case.
    – Jasen
    Commented Jun 12 at 9:54
  • Raised nails will rip the abrasive paper off the drum so fast - did several floors so guess how I know. The only solution was to go over the floor VERY carefully and punch the nails down below the wood surface - onerous but worth it in terms of the amount of abrasive paper saved.
    – Solar Mike
    Commented Jun 12 at 11:38

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