FAQS

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have a battery of questions about floor sanding and finishing in Orpington BR6, all ready to fire at us? We’ll try to field a few here by listing some of the ones that are frequently put to us during the course of our work. Give us a call if yours are not listed and we’ll be happy to assist.

CAN I EXPECT CLOUDS OF DUST EVERYWHERE?

Although it was undoubtedly formerly the case that when you had your floorboards sanded down there was no avoiding a lot of dust, times have changed. We use the very latest equipment for wood floor sanding and finishing in Orpington. Our machines have been expressly designed with dust retention in mind, and hardly any sawdust escapes from them. We also use tape to completely seal off other parts of your property and we do a complete clean-up job when we’ve finished, so you can forget all about thick layers of dust everywhere!

HOW LONG WILL YOU BE WORKING IN MY HOUSE?

We get in and out as fast as we can, but at the same time we want to do a proper job, so we’ve found a good balance between these two conflicting demands during 20 years of honing our services.

A normal floor, by which we mean something about the size of a typical suburban living room or hallway, will take a day to repair and sand. This allows for anything up to three separate sweeps with the machines if the floor is very old and uneven, for example. If the repairs are extensive a little more time may need to be factored in. You’ll be fully informed about these matters before the work starts, and we’ll explain exactly what’s involved.

Another day will be taken up with applying a suitable finish. This will be a compromise between the effect you’re looking for and what we think and advise is most suitable for the floor. A room like a kitchen for example might do best with a good varnish to create a tight seal, a protection against spillages.

When we’ve packed up and left, the floor will have to be left well alone for another day or two to allow the finish to cure correctly.

WILL YOUR FINISHING PRODUCTS AFFECT MY ASTHMA?

Our finishing products such as stains, varnishes and lacquers will certainly have an effect on allergy sufferers – by making their lives a whole lot easier! Many allergic reactions are caused by microscopic dust mites, related to spiders and scorpions, which live in carpets and soft furnishing and have a diet of mainly human skin, which forms most of the dust in a room. Remove their carpet-based habitat and breeding ground and you get rid of the problem. Old carpets can also give off formaldehyde fumes, which can seriously aggravate chest complaints such as asthma. You can easily keep your varnished floorboards spotlessly clean with a damp cloth and can use mats and rugs for decoration. These can be conveniently washed as often as you wish and then hung out to dry.

CAN YOU SUGGEST ANY IDEAS FOR MY FLOORING?

If you take a look through our online Gallery you’ll come across plenty of project ideas. It includes shots of what the flooring looked like before we started on it and what it looks like now. Also have a look at our Testimonials page to get a good idea of what our reputation is like in Orpington and what customers actually think of the work we’ve carried out for them.

WHAT FINISH DO YOU RECOMMEND?

There are strengths and weaknesses to every wooden floor, but in general terms there’s not a great deal to choose between the different finishes. This only becomes a real issue in places like museums and restaurants, where we need to use heavy-duty products to counter the higher levels of wear and tear.

You just have to remember that your floor will require different levels of maintenance for different types of finish. So, for example, an oiled floor will need to be re-oiled more frequently than a waxed floor needs to be re-waxed, and which you choose will depend largely on personal preference.

If you need advice on these or any other matters, or to book your free on-site assessment, contact us at the Orpington floor sanding experts today.