Frequently Asked Questions? floor Sanding

My floor looks a mess I think it may be too bad to sand.

Most of floors we see are bad, most haven’t seen the light of day for years, and when they have they have been neglected. Sanding a floor strips away layers of wood; around 3mm is taken off to reveal a clean surface. Yes it will come up as new; we don’t stop sanding until it does.

How long does a floor take to do?

An average size room say 14 by 12ft or 4.5m by 4m will take a couple of days, depending on the condition and the amount of repairs that are needed.

What benefits do sanded floor have?

Finished Floors are hygienic, practical and very stylish , they do not harbour parasites like carpets do and they are virtually maintenance free .Very easy to clean, they do not have funky odours from the previous occupants pets or tobacco, wood is also a great heat conductor, cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Filling gaps between the boards, good idea?

Filling gaps is an effective way of eliminating draughts, 98% of houses have air bricks at ground level. There will be a continuous amount of air passing under the house, when you take up the carpet that air will create a vacuum and suck warm air from your room and pass it out the house through the air bricks. Filling gaps stops the warm air leaving the room maintaining the temperature of the room as you remember it was with carpet. Above ground level rooms; this stream of air is not present so it would be purely a decorative reason. Gap filling actually look great on most floors.

How do you fill gaps?

This is probably the most fequent question we’re hit with - we fill gaps with a mixture of two methods, strips of wood that are glued in to position. This method is with out doubt the best for look and for reliability. We use gap filler for really small gaps where stripes of wood can’t be used and also for fine line repairs in the boards.

What colour will the floor be after sanding?

Aged pine floorboards have a nice warmth to them, its hard to say as every floor is slightly different, golden brown is common, antique honey pine is also common, you cant tell until you start sanding, the colour depends on the age of the wood and its acclimatisation with oxygen. Block or strip floors are usually oak, beech, ash, maple, cedar, or dark hardwoods mixed together and laid in herringbone patterns or basket weave or in the case of strips length ways.

Do you use a quality floor varnish?

We want your varnish to give your floors year and years of protection, we do not use any of the varnishes found in D.I.Y shops or stores. We use only high quality professional varnish produced by Leading supplier Bonakemi. Its water based, has very little odour and gives a beautiful hard wearing finish. This varnish is sold exclusively to us direct from Bonakemi.

When will I be able to use the floor?

An average room with floorboards without gaps filled takes a full day. As our varnish is quick drying you can walk on the floor about 8 hours after its last coat, light traffic and ideally wearing just socks. However it takes an extra couple of days for the varnish to fully cure to its peak hardness so we advice this before placing furniture on the floor.

Average life span of my new floor.

The general rule is the more foot traffic the greater the wear. In a average household of two adults and two children maybe a medium sized dog, it will be the hallways which will receive most traffic in the house. Without a decent entrance mat and without regular cleaning/washing you could expect the floor to last 4-5 years. A bedroom which will receive little traffic will last for years longer, Your floors will last years longer with regular cleaning as the grit from outside of the street wears down the varnish, felt pads on chairs, castors on sofas also help protect your floor.

How much will it cost?

Prices start at £23 per sq m2 for a sand and three coats of varnish. To do a room with floorboards that needs minor repairs, gap filling sanding and of varnish it is currently £30 per sq m2. All our prices include labour and materials.

Who will do the work?

We will send a trained operative to come and give you an estimate completely free of charge. It will usually be the same operative who turns up on the day to do the sanding works.

Should i be decorated before or after?

Simple answer to that question is decorate first. What we would ask is that the last coat of paint to go on the skirting board is applied after we have done the floor.

How do I book you to do my floor?

Drop us a line via phone or e-mail with the dimensions of the room/s. We can give you a cost based on your measurements. If the price seems reasonable we will send a trained operative to come and give you an estimate completely free of charge. We then e-mail or post the written estimate which is both detailed and comprehensive. Our rates are always competitive and we can start the works within days of the quotation.

Will it be very dusty?

We are professionals working in your house and we will always respect that. Our machines are of the latest technology and have excellent dust extraction units. We mask up the gaps on wardrobes and cupboards, in a hallway, we put a sheet up around the stairwell to stop dust spreading.