Floor Sanding Tips

How to:

Exclude draughts : -

In case of any drafts coming up under the house gap filling could be a solution. Successful gap filling is one of the skilled parts of floor renovation that bring a uniform finish to the floor. Filling gaps on a floor is an option and could be done in traditional, ordinary way using Filling with Resin Method (gaps under 4mm). However, wood is a natural material and it can expand and contract. In a matter of months filler can crack, work loose and fall out. We recommend using a mixture of polyvinyl resin and sawdust. Despite adding time to the overall job it is the most successful way and well worth it. Solid Wood Strips Method is recommended where possible and is suitable for gaps larger than 4-5mm - slivers of wood glued on both sides are carefully hammered in and sanded smoothly after. Old pine slivers blend in well.

Add some Colour :-

If you would like to completely re-style your Floor standing so that it fits with your interiors, here is when staining is recommended. We use a water-based wooden floor stain that applies quickly and easily with a roller, sponge or paint brush. We also use a number of stains produced by leading brands in the industry and carry out a stain-tonal test to help you decide on the best colour. Staining pine floorboard with an oak stain will make the pine floorboards look like real oak boards. . Lighter colours can be achieved by diluting the floor stain with water.

Match different coloured woods :-

To obtain a closer colour match, using a product from the same range on each type of wood is recommended. It is best to use a coloured coating on the lightest wood and a clear coating on the darkest wood. If the match is not close enough after the first attempt, you can also apply a second coloured coat. Oil based product is a good option if you prefer the darker tone because it penetrates well into the wood, colours it and protects it at the same time.

Maintain sanded floors :-

All sanded wooden floors require correct maintenance which is the key of durability. Cleaning and protection of your sanded floor are vital in order to maintain the beauty of your wooden floors. By using mats at the front and back door you can stop dirt and mud spreading around and prevent scratches. We advise you to sweep, dust or vacuum your Floor standing daily, damp-cleaning if necessary. Use cleaning products suitable for wood floors. You should never use chemicals to clean your floor. To avoid risk of nasty scratches, do not let your pets to sharpen their claws on the floor and also never drag heavy furniture or appliances across hardwood flooring. Adding an extra layer of finish on top of your existing floor without re-sanding is recommended, when the finish on your floor starts to wear down. However, once an existing finish is worn through, the floor has to be re-sanded.

When properly looked after, wood floors can last a lifetime.

Floor sanding services

A floor sanding service is a process of many stages, starting from arranging an on-site visit, quotation and getting the time booked.

Preparation:

Preparation of floors for sanding firstly involves lifting carpets or moving furniture if required and is time consuming.

Wood repair: 

Before a floor can be sanded, it should be checked for damaged and loose boards and, followed by nailing down, replacing broken boards or fixing loose ones. All damaged boards should be replaced with real reclaimed floor boards in order to keep the natural patina consistent.

Sanding:

The first stage is sanding with rough grit Floor sanding belt which removes dirt and all scratches. Sanding continues with different grit paper, gradually getting finer until the floor is totally even and smooth.

Pine floorboards:

Where pre existing floorboards in older houses exist, it is the Victorian boards that are the most usual type of wooden flooring and they can be found hidden under carpets in many British homes. If you renovate the floor for the first time, heavy  Floor sanding is needed because of many years staining and unevenness. However, you should not normally need to replace the boards, just repair, unless there is any particular water or rot damage.

Hardwood flooring:

Where hardwood flooring is found, oak in the most common type, but during years of experience we have also restored different species as teak, maple and walnut.

Parquet flooring:

This always required an extra effort in order to get a stunning result but the techniques and equipments remain the same.

Gap filling:

This process uses clean, fine sawdust from the floor, mixed with resin to fill in the separations (gaps) between the boards. If gaps are wider than 7mm reclaimed slivers of wood can be used and then sand down again:

Staining and varnishing is the last stage of the process. There are many finishes from our sample boards. If lacquer is required, three coats will usually be applied or two if an oiled finish is chosen.

Dustless Floor Sanding

When we sand wooden floors we always have a key objective in mind, to ensure our work is dust free. Any fresh paintwork will not be affected as the floor sanding nowadays is a modern process and technology that dramatically reduce the dust created during sanding. However, it is extremely difficult to paint ceilings or walls without getting paint on the floor, prevent spillage or scratches. That is way we strongly recommend floors to be done last.

As professionals in wood Floor sanding we use The Bona dust free sanding machines which collect 90% of all dust produced. Any power tools we use are fitted to powerful vacuum cleaner. That means your curtains, electrics and bookshelves don’t need covering before sanding or cleaning up afterwards.

Bona Super 10 Belt Sander means faster sanding, offering 25% more sanding drum surface than standard 8” machines. The Super 10 is engineered to provide maximum performance, efficiency and manoeuvrability. In addition to the increased drum size, the Super 10 has an enlarged dust tube and increased fan speed for superior dust pickup.

Dust collection system protects not only you but also our workers from microscopic particles of dust generated by Floor sanding. No mess, no allergy reactions or irritation. This makes us happy while we carry out the work and keeps you, our clients, happy after the work is finished and we have left.

Be aware of company still using old drum sanders which create a lot of dust and can damage your floors if not used properly.