Floor sanding machine operators finish new or existing wood floors. They use large sanding machines that sand several square feet of floor at once.

Before sanding, floor sanding machine operators fill any holes or cracks with a filler compound. They scrape and sand the floor edges and other areas that the sanding machine cannot reach, using hand scrapers and small sanders. Next, machine operators attach sandpaper to the roller of the floor sander. They guide the machine over the surface of the floor until it is smooth. They must be sure the floor is sanded evenly and that sanding marks do not show.

Sanding machine operators repeat the sanding process several times. They buff and vacuum the floor between sandings to remove the wood dust. Each time they sand, operators use a finer grain of sandpaper. Once the floor is sanded properly, a finish is applied either by sanding machine operators or floor installers.