Wood Floor Sanding FAQ’s

Sanding floors professionally is an investment in your property.

Restoring your floors is comparable to the costs of a good quality carpet or new wood floor before installation and finishing.

Each job is priced individually as there are many factors at play: the floor area, the condition, amount of preparation/restoration and the chosen finish. Also the more m² we do in one go the more cost effective it becomes when priced £ per m².

We offer free quotations and aim to provide you with a detailed written quote within 48hours. We can also provide estimates online with a few details of the areas and some images.

We always chat this through and make recommendations based on the floors use, the desired finish and any maintenance issues. In principle there are two routes, the ‘sealed’ floor ie. Water based polyurethane, or the ‘living’ floor using oil. Both have there pros and cons, both can look beautiful and both can do the job. We work with you to make sure you get the right one. We will ONLY use professional commercial grade products. There are some fantastic new finishes that are designed to look almost invisible and dead flat that can look stunning in the right setting that are also commercial grade.

We also have access to products that have no VOC’s for situations where a clients has to avoid them on health or personal grounds. All our products meet the strictest safety standards and European Green environmental approval but they can still contain small amounts on VOC’s

We have samples and an extensive library of images that may help you decide.

Yes, pretty much. We use the latest professional dust extraction systems for our sanding equipment that provide a virtually dust free environment, up to 99.6% dust free. The vacuums we use also utilise ‘H’ rated HEPA filters that are the same standard as used in hospitals to provide a healthier working environment.

Where possible we now use the Bona Dust Containment System that is the leading industry method of dust collection and management.

It depends on the size of the job and the amount of preparation and restoration work required before the sanding, but as a rule of thumb an average size room with basic preparation (15m²) would require one day for the sanding and 2 days for the finishing. However 2 rooms at 15m² each would be 2 days for the sanding and still two days for the finishing, so there can be economies to be made the more m² you have done in one job. You would then normally need to leave the room for 24 – 72 hours from completion before re-introducing the furniture.

We can’t offer cast iron guarantees as to the longevity of your floors. It all depends on usage and care. If you have five kids, two big dogs and your life is too full to worry about cleaning the floor too often its not going to last as well as a solo household with no pets who never wear shoes in the house. We will give you an honest estimate as to the life expectancy of your new floor and guidance as to the most effective method of maintaining your floors.

There are many factors that effect the life of the floor: do you wear shoes in the house, do you have dogs, do the kids ride bikes in the kitchen, do you rent out the property as a holiday let?

It can be anything from 10-15 years before the floor needs redoing. If you look after it well and don’t allow the finish to wear to the floor you could simply have the floor cleaned back and lightly sanded and a new top coat, avoiding the extra expense of stripping all the way back again.

Having said all the above there are floors that we have done that are still looking good 17 years after being done and that’s in a commercial environment!

Yes, is the straightforward answer. We try to be as inconspicuous as possible, but these are powerful sanding machines with effective vacuuming and that’s noisy although if you are a room away with closed doors its not too bad and many of our clients are at home whilst we work.

Different floors require different products and regimes, but we will talk you through everything, even before we estimate to ensure that it will fit in with your lifestyle, not the other way round. We always leave you with written instructions and free cleaning product.

Here are some general tips that always apply:

• Grit, sand etc is the natural enemy of any wood floor acting like abrasive sanding paper when trodden in – always vacuum or sweep as required.
• Never use washing up liquid or other household cleaners on your floors – they just leave sticky residues and then leave the floor needing to be cleaned more often. We always guide you as to the right cleaner for your floor.
• Always mop up spills as soon as possible.
• Use good quality furniture pads on everything that goes back on the floor and periodically check them for wear, especially chairs.
• Invest in quality door matts as big and as many as possible. The right matts can literally add years to the life of your floor by trapping dust and dirt before it enters your home. We like the matts from www.hugathome.co.uk which are all made in the UK and are fully washable.

We will always advise and guide as to what is achievable and what is not. There are some fantastic wood floor stain options that can be at our disposal however it’s worth remembering that different colours and looks that seem in vogue often look tired and dated after only a few years and its often worth looking at a variety of options to bring out the natural beauty of the wood.

We often recommend the very dark stains on floors that have a mixture of timbers of different era’s. The dark can work well at masking and create a more uniform look.

Gaps are very personal and on many floors, especially older Victorian/Edwardian floors, they contribute to the overall visual aesthetic and look best remaining. However there are instances where gaps do need filling and we can employ the following methods:

Using a special cellulose filler mixed with sawdust to fill small/thin gaps.

Using thin fillets of timber wedged in and glued, ideally sourced from within the property to ensure a good match.

Lifting the floor and shuffling along. This option can therefore be very time consuming and rather expensive.

It is worth saying that all filler over time can pull away. Timber is living and breathing, and as such expands and contracts throughout the year according to climatic conditions etc.

We always recommend all heavy building work to take place before the floors, such as plastering, removing walls and especially electric and plumbing that might require the boards to be lifted. We always advise caution when other trades are lifting boards, they can tend to be a little slapdash, so we can offer advice on the best methods or sometimes we are able to carryout the work for you.

Decorating can take place before or after, but we would point out that getting a ‘tight’ finish up to the edge can often ‘scuff the skirting boards and we would therefore recommend finishing those after.

It’s very rare for floors to be beyond restoration. The key question is are they structurally sound? If the answer is yes then we can normally work our magic, if not then we will always be honest and say if we think the floors are not worth doing or we feel there is a far better alternative option.

As an example take a look at these example on our gallery page

Only one of our team, Andrew, Jamie or Ben. We never subcontract out our work.

All of us are acutely aware of the potential inconvenience that comes with having us in your property carrying out substantive works so we go that extra mile in respecting both our clients and the space.

Yes we do.

We often relay floors or use reclaimed timber to match in with existing rooms and are happy to remove boards from one room and relay in another.

We can lay new solid wood floors when required and can quote for both supply and fitting.

We don’t lay laminate floors, sorry.

Absolutely, we love restoring block floors. We can disguise old doorways and create new fire surrounds. It just takes patience and skill and we can normally solve any problem. When restoring parquet floors, there are often sections that have ‘popped’ away from the subfloor, shifted due to movement or been water damaged, but this can nearly always be rectified.

Cornwall, Brighton & Hove and Sussex are our main areas. However we have carried out substantial works for clients across the UK and are happy to quote for works further a field, just bear in mind that we have to allow for possible additional costs including accommodation, travel etc when working out of our usual regions.

We work only with finishes from companies with strict environmental credentials and leaders in the field of environmentally friendly products, such as Bona of Sweden and Loba of Germany. As a small company, located in one the most beautiful parts of the world, we endeavour to reduce our impact on the environment and recycle as much waste as possible. We are now corporate members of 1% for the planet and give 1% of our annual turnover to sustainable projects through the scheme.

Strippers Flooring always endeavours to provide the best service.  However, on rare occasions there may be times where a client may not be completely satisfied.

To ensure the business can put things right for you, as soon as possible after the completion of the works, please inspect the work to ensure everything has been carried out based on the contract terms and to the high standards the we aim to achieve.

Please contact the us straight away with any concerns either by phone, email or write to us. If writing, get proof of posting.

Business Complaint Procedure

On receipt of your complaint we aim to respond within 5 days.

Will arrange a convenient date to come and view and/or remedy the situation within 28 days.

In the unlikely event we are unable to resolve your complaint having exhausted the business complaints procedure, it may be necessary to use another complaint service.  Where the business cannot resolve the complaint to your satisfaction and/or agree to the final resolution requests confirmed to us; and both parties agree a ‘deadlock’ has been reached, you can then escalate your complaint.

We has access to an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) service for our domestic installation, service, repair and maintenance contracts as part of the Which? Trusted Traders Endorsement.  If you choose to you can refer your complaint to Which? Trusted Traders’ Alternative Dispute Resolution.  You will need to contact Which? Trusted Traders on 02922 670 040 who can explain if you are eligible to use their Alternative Dispute Resolution.