Project Overview
This Putney project covered the full process of hardwood floor installation followed by sanding and staining to the client's chosen finish. The clients had decided on unfinished hardwood boards rather than pre-finished, which gave them the freedom to choose an exact stain colour and finish level on site after fitting. We handled the complete job from subfloor preparation through to final lacquering, working across several interconnected rooms in the property.
The Challenge
Installing unfinished hardwood and finishing it on site requires two separate site visits with a dry period in between to allow the boards to acclimatise fully after fitting before any sanding begins. If you sand too soon after fitting, the boards may still be adjusting to the room's humidity and temperature, which can lead to an uneven surface after the finish goes on. The staining added another consideration -- the clients wanted a mid-tone warm colour that still showed the grain clearly rather than masking it with a very dark pigment. Getting this balance right took some testing on offcuts before committing to the full floor.
Our Approach
- Acclimatisation: Boards were delivered and stacked in the property several days before fitting, allowing the wood to adjust to the internal conditions.
- Subfloor check: The existing subfloor was checked for level and any high points addressed before boards went down.
- Installation: Hardwood boards were secret-nailed to the subfloor, working from a straight baseline and staggering joins between rows by at least 300mm.
- Post-fit wait: We allowed the floor to settle for several days before returning to sand.
- Sanding: A progressive sequence from coarse to fine grit produced a smooth, even surface across all rooms.
- Staining: The agreed warm mid-tone stain was applied evenly and allowed to penetrate fully before the first lacquer coat.
- Lacquering: Two coats of matt lacquer were applied to protect the stain and leave a natural-looking finish.
The Result
The finished floor was exactly what the clients had in mind. The stain gave a rich, warm tone that complemented the existing decor and the matt lacquer kept the look natural rather than overly shiny. Fitting unfinished hardwood and finishing it on site costs more in time and labour than a pre-finished board but gives a result that is genuinely tailored to the space. Fitting costs run between £35 and £60 per square metre, with sanding and finishing adding to that depending on the specification chosen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why choose unfinished hardwood over pre-finished boards?
Unfinished boards let you choose the exact colour and sheen level to suit your room after fitting. There are also no factory finish edges between boards, which means the finished surface sits completely flat. The trade-off is a longer overall project timeline.
How long does the full process take from installation to final finish?
Installation typically takes one to two days for a medium room. After a settling period of several days, sanding and finishing takes another one to two days. Allow at least a week from fitting to fully finished floor.
Can you match a stain to floors in an adjacent room?
Yes, in most cases. We can test stain combinations on offcuts or a concealed area to get as close as possible to an existing floor tone. Exact matching is not always achievable depending on species and age of the existing floor, but a close match is usually possible.