Starcke stocks four distinct abrasive types, silicon carbide, zirconia, aluminium oxide and ceramic, across discs sized for Festool (150mm), Bona Edge-compatible edgers (178mm), and Lagler Trio (200mm), plus zirconia belts in 200mm and 250mm widths for drum sanders. Grit runs from 16 for the most aggressive stock removal right through to 1200 for ultra-fine finishing work, far beyond what a typical floor sanding job needs. Call 020 8830 9785 if the sheer number of options has you unsure where to start.
Four abrasive types, not just two
Most floor sanding conversations focus on silicon carbide and zirconia, and for good reason, they cover the bulk of everyday sanding work. Silicon carbide discs dominate the 178mm edging range, chosen for cut quality on edging work. Zirconia covers the belts, built to withstand the sustained pressure a drum sander applies. Beyond those two, Starcke's range also includes aluminium oxide and ceramic options, generally positioned for specific finishing or heavy-duty applications rather than everyday use, worth asking about specifically if a standard job isn't giving you the result you need.
| Abrasive type |
Typical role |
| Silicon carbide |
Edging discs, general cut quality |
| Zirconia |
Belts, sustained pressure on drum sanders |
| Aluminium oxide |
Specific finishing applications |
| Ceramic |
Heavy-duty, longer-lasting cut |
Same disc size, different hole patterns
Within the 150mm Festool-compatible range alone, you'll find discs with 8+1 holes, a single hole, and no holes at all, and the same variation shows up at 178mm. This isn't inconsistency, different machines and different working preferences call for different extraction setups, so it's worth checking your specific sander's hole requirement rather than assuming any 150mm or 178mm disc will work interchangeably. A disc with the wrong hole pattern will still physically fit in many cases but won't extract dust properly.
Reading the grit range
| Grit |
Stage |
| 16–24 |
Aggressive stock removal, old finish |
| 36–60 |
Medium, removing coarse scratches |
| 80–120 |
Fine, pre-finish sanding |
| 150–800 |
Extra fine, specialist and buffing work |
| 1200 |
Ultra-fine, rarely needed outside specialist finishing |
Most floor jobs won't go past 120 grit before moving to a finish coat. The higher grits in Starcke's range, 150 through 1200, tend to serve more specialist finishing or between-coat buffing work rather than standard floor preparation.
FAQ
Do I need ceramic or aluminium oxide abrasives for a normal floor sanding job? Not usually. Silicon carbide and zirconia cover the vast majority of standard floor sanding work. Ceramic and aluminium oxide tend to come into play for specific finishing needs or particularly demanding commercial applications, call us if you think your job might need one of these.
Why are there different hole patterns for the same disc size? Different sanders extract dust differently, so a 150mm or 178mm disc might come with 8+1 holes, a single centre hole, or none at all depending on which machine and dust extraction setup it's built for. Matching the hole pattern to your specific sander matters more than just matching the diameter.
What's the highest grit actually useful for a wood floor? For most jobs, 120 grit is the finish point before sealing. Grits beyond that, up to Starcke's 1200 offering, serve niche finishing or buffing applications rather than typical floor preparation.
How is Starcke different from the Blanko abrasives you also stock? Both supply zirconia and silicon carbide abrasives for the same major machines, so the ranges genuinely overlap. Starcke is the broader range here, covering four abrasive types and a wider grit spread including specialist high grits, while Blanko is a smaller but capable alternative, useful if a specific Starcke size or grit happens to be out of stock.
