Our stage by stage guide on renovating your floor ...

To ensure that a superb finish is achieved, preparation is incredibly important. Your role in this is very important also, as we request that all large objects, such as furniture and other items that would cause an obstruction, are removed before we commence work. When confirming with us the work is to be carried out, you should make sure that the room(s) being sanded will not be needed for the duration of our visit, and the time it takes for the sealant to dry.

Depending on the state of your floor, our aim is to remove the things that shouldn’t be there such as gripper rods, staples and to ‘make good’ protruding nails and loose wires. At this stage all ‘minor’ and ‘major’ repairs will be carried out in accordance with the estimate provided at the time of our survey. Any unforeseen repairs that were not included in the estimate should be agreed at this time, and where necessary, additional costs may be incurred.

We are now ready to start sanding. Depending on the condition of your floor, we will utilise different ‘grades’ of sanding disks to sand back the worn, dirty part of your floor to reveal the clean wood lying beneath the existing surface. For the main part we will use the Lagler Hummel sanding machine which will glide effortlessly across your floor. The Hummel also has an efficient, self-contained vacuum that draws the fine dust up from the floor into the bag, keeping your home and our working environment, 99% free from dust. We will use a selection of smaller machines to sand up the edges of the skirting boards, around door frames, and other hard to reach areas, such as under radiators and stairs. Now that the floor has been sanded, a small amount of residual dust and grit will be removed by thoroughly vacuuming the whole area prior to the final stage.

Now that your floor has been sanded, you will be amazed at how good it looks. The floor is now in an untreated state, and will absorb all manner of dirt deep into the grain if it is not quickly treated. This is why it is imperative to apply the sealant. The first layer of sealant creates a barrier that effectively locks in the newly sanded floor and provides a key for the subsequent layer to be applied to. The first layer is partially absorbed into the porous grain of the wood and will be ready for the second layer to be applied within thirty minutes. In some cases, the first layer will bring up the so called ‘nap’ of the wood, and may need to be lightly sanded prior to the second coat being applied to ensure you are left with a smooth finish. The final layer will be applied in the same manner as the first, and will provide a hard wearing finish. The floor will be ready to walk on in about 2-3 hours, however, we would advise that heavy furniture should be replaced after at least 6 hours.

Maintaining the floor is simple. We advise that you use a damp cloth with warm water, and refrain from using a mop, which might expose the floor to too much water that could damage it. You can use bleach and other products, as long as they are diluted with water. Wipe dry for best results, and for safety reasons, do not use polish, as this will create a slippery and potentially dangerous finish.