Floor Sanding Case Studies

Project Overview This project in Willesden was one of the most varied we have undertaken in a single residential property. The scope included engineered wood flooring installation in the main living areas, vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, hardwood floor sanding, buffing and lacquering in an existing bedroom floor, and gap filling and staining in the hallway. The clients were doing a ful...

Project Overview

This project in Willesden was one of the most varied we have undertaken in a single residential property. The scope included engineered wood flooring installation in the main living areas, vinyl flooring in the kitchen and bathroom, hardwood floor sanding, buffing and lacquering in an existing bedroom floor, and gap filling and staining in the hallway. The clients were doing a full refurbishment and wanted all flooring handled by a single contractor to keep coordination simple and the finished look consistent across the property.

The Challenge

Managing multiple flooring types simultaneously in a single property requires careful scheduling so that wet processes such as staining and lacquering do not hold up other areas or get contaminated by dust from sanding. We planned the sequence carefully: strip-out and subfloor preparation first across the whole property, then vinyl installation in the wet rooms, followed by engineered fitting in the living rooms, and finally sanding, staining and lacquering in the bedroom and hallway after all other work was complete. Keeping the dust from the sanding operation contained was also important given the fresh installations elsewhere.

Our Approach

• Sequencing: A detailed daily schedule was agreed before work began to ensure each trade area was ready before the relevant team moved in.
• Vinyl fitting: Kitchen and bathroom vinyl was cut and laid on prepared subfloors with full adhesive bonding to prevent movement in wet conditions.
• Engineered fitting: Living room engineered boards were laid floating over an acoustic underlay, with expansion gaps maintained throughout.
• Gap filling and sanding: The hallway hardwood received gap filling first, followed by machine sanding once the filler had cured.
• Staining: A warm mid-tone stain was applied to the hallway to tie it visually to the engineered boards in the adjacent rooms.
• Lacquering: All sanded areas received two coats of satin lacquer to complete the job.

The Result

The finished property had a consistent, well-thought-out flooring scheme throughout. The stained hallway bridged the gap between the new engineered boards in the reception rooms and the existing bedroom floor, making the whole ground floor feel connected. The vinyl in the wet rooms was practical and looked sharp. Having one contractor handle everything saved the clients a considerable amount of coordination time and produced a result that felt planned rather than piecemeal. Fitting costs typically run between £35 and £60 per square metre for engineered boards, with sanding and finishing at £25 to £45 per square metre for the restoration elements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you handle multiple flooring types in one project?
Yes. We regularly work on properties where different rooms require different flooring solutions. Managing the sequencing and transitions between floor types is something we plan carefully at the survey stage.

What are the benefits of vinyl flooring in kitchens and bathrooms?
Modern vinyl flooring is fully waterproof, easy to clean, warm underfoot and available in a wide range of designs including stone and wood looks. It can also be fitted over most existing subfloors without the height build-up of other options.

Do you work in Willesden and the NW10 area?
Yes. We cover Willesden, Harlesden, Cricklewood, Kilburn and the surrounding north-west London postcodes. Contact us to arrange a free survey.

Have a similar project? Call us on 020 88309782 or Book a Free Site Visit

Project Overview This was a challenging and rewarding wood floor renovation project in Stoke Newington. The floor was a wide-board solid wood installation that had seen years of heavy use and had received no professional maintenance in a long time. Several boards were damaged, there were open gaps throughout, and the surface finish had worn down to bare wood in places. The clients wanted the floor...

Project Overview

This was a challenging and rewarding wood floor renovation project in Stoke Newington. The floor was a wide-board solid wood installation that had seen years of heavy use and had received no professional maintenance in a long time. Several boards were damaged, there were open gaps throughout, and the surface finish had worn down to bare wood in places. The clients wanted the floor repaired, refinished and stained darker to match a recently updated interior. Our team handled the complete job from board replacement to final staining and lacquering.

The Challenge

Wide-board floors are more demanding to work with than narrow-board floors. The boards move more with seasonal humidity changes, which means gaps are often wider, and the boards themselves are heavier and can be harder to remove and replace without disturbing adjacent boards. Sanding wide boards also requires more attention to keeping the machine flat and level across the width of each board to avoid dishing. Getting the stain to penetrate evenly across both old and new boards required careful surface preparation, particularly on the replacement boards which were newer and had a tighter grain.

Our Approach

• Board replacement: Damaged boards were lifted individually and replaced with matching wide-board timber. New boards were secured with both adhesive and nailing for long-term stability.
• Gap filling: All significant gaps throughout the floor were filled with a sawdust-and-resin compound mixed to match the board colour as closely as possible.
• Sanding: A progressive sanding sequence from coarse to fine grit levelled the repaired areas and prepared the full surface for staining. Extra care was taken on the wide boards to avoid any dishing across the board width.
• Grain preparation on new boards: New replacement boards were lightly abraded by hand before staining to open the grain and encourage even pigment uptake.
• Staining: The agreed dark stain was applied and worked into the grain evenly. A second coat was applied to areas that needed more depth of colour.
• Lacquering: Two coats of hardwearing lacquer completed the job, protecting the stain and producing a consistent surface finish.

The Result

The transformation was considerable. What had been a tired, worn and gapped floor became a striking dark-stained wide-board floor that suited the updated interior perfectly. The repaired sections were not visible under the stain, and the gap filling had closed the most obvious gaps while leaving a natural look. The clients were extremely pleased with the result and described it as one of the best decisions they had made during their renovation. Sanding and refinishing a floor in this condition costs between £25 and £45 per square metre, with board replacement and gap filling costed based on the extent of work needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are wide-board floors harder to sand than narrow-board floors?
They require a bit more care, particularly around keeping the sanding machine flat across the board width, but they are not dramatically harder to work with. The main additional consideration is that wide boards move more with humidity changes, so gap filling needs to account for some residual seasonal movement.

How dark can you stain a wood floor?
You can go from a very light honey tone through to an almost black finish depending on the stain and the number of coats applied. We always do a test patch on an inconspicuous area or offcut before committing to the full floor so the client can see exactly what the finished colour will look like.

Do you cover Stoke Newington and north-east London?
Yes. We work regularly in Stoke Newington, Hackney, Islington, Dalston and the wider N and E postcode areas. Contact us to arrange a free survey and quote.

Have a similar project? Call us on 020 88309782 or Book a Free Site Visit