Floor Sanding Process:
The sanding process is a complicated set of tasks which require patience, care and most importantly, the right expertise. Wooden floors require expert upkeep and in the wrong hands, something which could easily be a centrepiece to your home or building, can be an eyesore and ruin a perfectly good room.
In this section we will go through step-by-step the process we go through to thoroughly and expertly sand your wooden floor.
Examples of our wood floor sanding service can be seen throughout London, including our work at Selfridges on Oxford Street, Liberties, The Natural Gallery Museum, restaurants such as Sketch, Rowley’s and Nando’s branches, boutiques like Peter Monsoon/Accessorise, gyms, yoga establishments and homes throughout the country.
Some floorboard sanding, can require coarse grit for wood floor sanding to begin, or parquet floor sanding requires a lot less, than Hardwood floor sanding and West End Flooring Masters are experts when it comes to this.
Here is a breakdown of West End Flooring Masters process:
The Floor Sanding Process:
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Preliminary Preparation:
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§ First we will remove all the furniture necessary to provide full access to the floor and any space required for sanding and restoration. Our staff will happily move heavy and/or large items and if it not possible to move furniture to another room (due to confined space or any other reasons) we will complete the job in two stages. We will move all furniture to one side, fully sand and finish the work and do the same to the other side, maintaining a uniform finish throughout. |
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§ Any furniture, painting, pictures, ornaments, curtains, blinds and even ornate walls will be protected from duet through the use of plastic dust sheeting. § Masking tape will be used to make sure no dust enters any gaps including skirting boards, door frames, window frames, cupboards and wardrobes. § To complete this stage, we will sweep up and hoover to help us get ready for the next stage. |
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Professional floor sanding:
§ Before we start to sand, we will check to see if there are any loose boards or joists. We will then nail down and fix any problems before we begin.
§ If any floorboards need replacing, we will use reclaimed wood and match as close to the source as possible. Any new wood we use will be naturally sourced from the same supplier or stockist.
§ Slithers and inserts for gaps wider than 4 millimetres are cut onsite and to measure and are inserted.
§ We will usually start sanding Pine from sanding belt grit 24 for very dirty or painted wooden floors, from girt 40 for Oak and girt 50 for all other exotic woods and patterns such as Herringbone, Versailles and Chevron etc.
§ We never skip any stages, so we start with the necessary grit setting and work our way up to ensure a perfect finish.
§ While one team is working hard to sand with the upright sanding belt machines, additional teams will be sanding with edger, corner belts, angle grinders, orbitals and the Trio machine. A uniform finish is guaranteed always.
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§ When it comes to filling gaps, whether mass or part filling it is important to only use the highest quality products such as ‘Lecol 7500′, a resin base that we mix with a very fine shaving dust from your wooden floors obtained from sanding grit 80. We then apply 2 coats, one which is very fluid so that it sinks easily into the gaps, nuts and holes. Once that coat hardens and forms a base we apply the second coast which is a thicker mixture. We then sand off the excess leaving it flush and even with the rest of your wooden floor.
§ For a perfect finish the wooden floors need to be sanded to at least grit 120 or 150 where necessary. We do this so the colour will look natural and even throughout. Because every batch of wood is different, we leave the decision of the finish up to you by having you select one of your own floorboards.
Each and every finish is applied by hand using only the best stains, oils lacquer and paints from the very best suppliers to ensure a quality that is second to none.
Whether you are an expert with a keen eye, an architect or a residential client seeking value for your money, West End Flooring Masters is the best choice for your flooring.
§ Our team will usually apply three or four coats of lacquer or varnish, from Bonakemi Mega, Traffic 2 components, Junkers Strong Hold or HP High Performance.
§ We will normally apply two coats of Oil, either from Blanchon, Bona Carl’s 90, Osmo Oil or Dulux Diamond Glaze.
§ Varnish is considered more durable less maintenance but prone to scratches which requires experienced person to repair. Varnish can only be effective if using top end of the market such as Bonakemi, Junkers strong hold or high performance. It comes in silk matt, matt and gloss
§ Our years of experience will guide you through the numerous refinishing available that meets your requirements and suits your taste and interior design. Firstly you need to decide what type of finish you like shiny, silk mat or mat, clear or stained. Secondly what type of sealing agent you would like, oil or wax, Diamond glaze, Movacs…
§ The advantage of oil is easier to repair, by simple process of light sanding or buffing then oiling. However it needs more maintenance than varnishing by means of buffing and oiling every two. years or so.
There is nothing quite like natural beauty, whether you are looking at a sunset, a beautiful woodland or the natural beauty that comes from expertly manicured wood flooring. To ensure the best job is done, we only use hard wearing, environmentally friendly and durable floor sealants with Matt, Satin and Gloss finishes.
§ All flooring is buffed in between coats with silk screen grit 100 and 120 which helps in removing raised up grains and hairs and always leaves the smoothest of finishes.