The floorboards were nailed right on top of the joists and had concrete subfloor below. We not only had to replace any damaged or missing boards, we also had to check the condition of the joists to make sure they are not rotten. We were also tasked with insulation fitting as well as subfloor preparation. The combination of so many assignments at once made our job harder and more time-consuming. However, as fully trained professionals we knew more than enough to provide excellent results. And we did, as usual.
Floor sanding and refinishing is more about changing the appearance of the wood and preventing problems in the future. It is important to do it whenever the need arises but when the damage is already there, the situation becomes a lot more complicated.
If the floor had been properly maintained and taken care of, the more extensive and obviously expensive repairs would have never been needed. After extensive examination, we discovered that despite their non-uniform appearance, the joists were not rotten or damaged. We did not have to replace them.
The next step was preparing the subfloor and seeing to the floor boards. We already knew which needed replacing and salvaged those we thought could be reused. You can clearly see the distinction between old and new pieces on the pictures below. After securing the boards and ensuring the floor is stable, we could proceed with the easy part – the sanding.
Sanding floorboards isn’t that different from sanding a solid hardwood floor. As long as you follow the grain, you should be fine. The only problem that may arise is if the boards are too thin to take the sanding. If they are, they must be replaced. Fortunately, the wood we worked on had plenty of material left to sand and the process went smoothly.
As we said, part of our job was to install a floor insulation. However, that insulation wouldn’t be very effective if the gaps in the floor were not filled. Gap-filling is far from mandatory but certainly helps prevent to draughts during the winter and save a few pounds on heating bills. We used the fine sawdust collected during the sanding and mixed it with a filler resin to create a substance which blended perfectly between the boards.
Finally, all that was left to do is stain and apply the finish. We applied a medium shade stain, left it to dry and sealed the surface with Junckers HP Commercial – a fine waterborne lacquer for high traffic areas.
The client was happy with the quality of the services and this what is truly important. We did a good job and it took us 4-5 days to finish it. The difference between the old and the new surface is obvious, we turned this old pine floor into a beautiful and fine looking part of the property.