Which Bottisham floors can be sanded
Solid timber floors, whether old pine boards or hardwood, can be sanded back and refinished. Engineered board has a thin veneer of real wood that may stand one light sand at most, and laminate or vinyl can't be sanded. The older houses in the conservation area, and the 135 terraced homes counted in the 2021 Census, are good places to start looking.
On the 1960s Park Estate, which accounts for just under half the houses, it's worth checking what's under the carpet before you plan a room around bare boards.
Chris's process in a Bottisham room
The room is emptied, loose boards secured and nails punched down. A belt sander does the middle of the room and an edging sander works along the walls. Gaps are filled with sawdust and Induro Morrells Mix & Fill, and a Mirka dust-free sander finishes the surface. The finish is Osmo Polyx oil, which soaks in and can be patched on worn areas later.
Tinted oils change the colour as well. The Gold tint Chris used on our Haddenham floor job carries tiny flecks of 24-carat gold. If yours is a block floor, read about parquet restoration instead.
Bottisham at a glance
- 8 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 12 minutesOSRM routing
- 15%are terracedCensus 2021
- 25listed buildingsHistoric England
- 908householdsCensus 2021
How we approach floor sanding
Chris would check the boards and look for past repairs, patches and splits at the visit. On the day, doorways are sealed, coarse to fine sanding follows, gaps are filled and the floor is vacuumed before oiling. Osmo is applied thinly, coat by coat with drying time between, before our decorators tidy the skirtings. The full method, products and FAQs are on our floor sanding page.