Floor Sanding Services
Our professional floor sanding service can be summarised in three ways:
- Pine floorboards. The most common type of wooden flooring. Found in 95% of British homes. Can be Victorian or older. Usually need heavy sanding the first time due to unevenness and years of staining.
- Hardwood flooring. Oak is the most popular species but we are experts in restoring a wide variety of temperate and tropical species including walnut, teak, maple and merbau. Some tropical species require special treatment due to high oil content.
- Parquet flooring. Parquet floor restoration requires different techniques and equipment. The extra effort is always worthwhile as a well finished parquet floor will look stunning.
When we sand a wooden floor we always have three key objectives in mind. The first is to remove the minimum amount of wood possible, therefore prolonging the life of the floor. The second is to achieve the finest finish possible, as this will result in the strongest bond between the seal and the wood. This also prolongs the life of the floor. The third is to ensure our work is dust free. This makes us happy while we're working and keeps our clients happy after we've left.
How do you seal a wooden floor?
Sanded wooden floors are usually sealed with either lacquer (also commonly known as varnish) or oil. Both products have different advantages and disadvantages. We use both on a regular basis and can advise you on which would suits your needs best. We use Bona Kemi lacquers and Osmo oils and have been trained by both manufacturers in the correct application of their products.
What are the pros and cons of using a lacquer?
Pros
- Lacquer is very hard-wearing when applied correctly
- Long periods between re-sanding (5-10 years in domestic applications)
- Suitable for high traffic areas
- Short drying times on initial application
- Easy maintenance
Cons
- Impossible to do invisible local repairs so whole floor needs to be re-varnished
- Difficult to achieve a truly matt finish
What are the pros and cons of using oil?
Pros
- Oil finishes give a much warmer, natural finish to wood floors
- Spot repairs can be undertaken without re-sanding the whole floor
- Easier to achieve certain specialist colours and finishes
Cons
- Requires more regular maintenance
- Longer initial drying times
How dusty is a professional floor sanding operation?
Not dusty at all. Anyone who has rented a floor sanding machine, or knows someone who has, will probably have horror stories of the huge amounts of dust these machines produce. We use professional floor sanding machines that collect all the dust produced. Any power tools we use will be fitted to powerful industrial vacuum cleaners.
How do I maintain my wooden floor?
Once all the work is finished we provide you with simple instructions on how to care for and maintain your wooden floor. The maintenance will vary slightly depending on how your floor has been sealed.
How noisy is a professional floor sanding operation?
Very. Professional floor sanding machines have very powerful electric motors which create much more noise than ordinary power tools. We wear ear defenders whilst operating them.
I'm redecorating. Should I have my floors sanded before or afterwards?
We would strongly recommend that you have your floors done last. As our floor sanding is dust free, any fresh paintwork will not be affected. It is extremely difficult, however, to paint walls and ceilings without getting paint on the floor. Cotton dust sheets will not protect a floor properly. If you absolutely have to decorate after the floor has been sanded and sealed, we can recommend specialist floor protection that will provide both spillage and impact protection.
Dust Free Sanding - one of our professional floor sanding machines working on a solid oak floor that we fitted. All the dust is captured in the bag on the machine.
