Finding out what's under the carpet
Some floors are pine boards, some are oak or parquet laid later, and some are chipboard or concrete that can't be sanded. Engineered boards have a thin top layer and may not take much sanding. Chris, our wooden floor specialist, confirms which you have before quoting.
In a listed house, old boards are part of the building's character, so we'd sand with a light touch and fill gaps rather than replace timber. Wood-block floors have their own page on parquet floor restoration.
Chris's method, from belt sander to oil
The open floor is sanded with a belt machine and the margins with an edger. Joints between boards are filled with a paste of the floor's own dust and Induro Morrells Mix & Fill, then a Mirka dust-free sander evens the surface before Osmo Polyx oil goes on, clear or tinted.
In Haddenham he finished a dining room and living room in Osmo tint oil in Gold, which carries 24-carat gold flecks. The Haddenham floor case study follows that job from bare boards to final coat.
Fen Ditton at a glance
- 5 milesby road from our Landbeach base, about 8 minutesOSRM routing
- 20%are terracedCensus 2021
- 32listed buildingsHistoric England
- 370householdsCensus 2021
How we approach floor sanding
Once the room is empty, Chris walks the floor for loose or squeaking boards and fixes them down. Nail heads are punched below the surface so they don't tear the sanding belts. He sands in stages, finer each time, packs gaps with sawdust and Mix & Fill, vacuums thoroughly, and oils in thin Osmo coats. The full method, products and FAQs are on our floor sanding page.