Floor sanding hire suits a confident DIYer with a sound pine or hardwood floor and a weekend to spare. Hire shops and equipment suppliers rent drum sanders, orbital sanders and edge sanders by the day, usually with a deposit and extra for belts, discs and dust bags. The machine is heavy and unforgiving, so a first-timer must learn to keep moving. Send one request and independent hire suppliers in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation, and hire is quoted per day.
Drum, orbital or edge sander?
- Drum sander: the heavy machine for taking old varnish off a whole floor fast. It cuts quickly and can gouge the timber if you stop or tilt it.
- Orbital or square-plate sander: gentler and easier to control, so a better pick for a first-timer or a thin hardwood. It is slower on thick old finish.
- Edge sander: a disc machine for the strip along the skirting that the big machine cannot reach.
A small hand-held sander and a scraper finish corners and stair risers.
What you need besides the machine
Ask what is included in the daily hire. Belts and discs are usually sold by the sheet in coarse, medium and fine grades, and you pay for what you use. You also need a dust mask, ear protection, eye protection, a vacuum and a broom, and the room must be clear of furniture and curtains. Before you start, punch every nail head below the surface, or the belt will tear. Check the hire shop will show you how to load the belt and set the machine down safely.
DIY or hire a sanding contractor?
Sanding yourself saves labour, but mistakes such as chatter marks, deep gouges or a thin veneer sanded through are costly to put right. A professional sanding job also includes sealing and often dust control. Compare the cost of hire, abrasives, finish and your time against the quote for floor sanding or dustless floor sanding before you decide. Engineered boards with a thin wear layer are risky for DIY sanding.
Comparing hire quotes
Ask about the daily rate, the deposit, delivery and collection, the cost of each grade of abrasive and whether unopened sheets can be returned. Check the hire period: collecting on Friday and returning on Monday may count as one day or three. Hire shops that supply a dust bag and show you the machine are worth the extra. Check the machine is serviced and the cable is in good condition.
What to include in your request
- The rooms and their size in square metres
- Timber type and thickness, if known
- How many days you need the machine
- Delivery and collection, or you collect
- Whether you want abrasives and a dust bag
Floor Sander Hire for different clients
- Homeowners: a hired drum and edge sander over a weekend to strip old varnish from pine boards
- Flats and townhouses: an orbital sander for a small unit, used within the body corporate's noise hours
- Builders, developers and renovators: hired machines for builders sanding timber floors and stairs in smaller extensions
- Landlords and letting agents: a quick DIY sand of worn boards between tenants to save on contractor costs
- Offices, practices and showrooms: machines hired by facilities teams for small in-house refinishing jobs
- Guesthouses, lodges and restaurants: short-term machine hire for lodge owners refreshing a floor between busy seasons
- Shops, salons and cafés: an orbital sander for a small shop floor, hired for a single quiet day
- Schools, halls, gyms and studios: sanders hired for club, hall and church floors where volunteers do the work
Frequently asked questions
Can I sand a wooden floor myself with a hired sander?
Which sanding machine is best for a beginner?
What does sander hire cost?
Do you hire out sanding machines?
Floor Sander Hire by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg