Frequently Asked Questions

A typical room takes one to two days, including finishing. Larger areas, repairs or extra coats add time, and we confirm the timeline with your fixed quote.

Very little. Our dust-free sanding systems capture around 99% of dust at source, so there is almost nothing to clean afterwards. We also protect doorways and skirting before we start.

We visit for free, look at the floor and give you a fixed written quote. The price on the quote is the price you pay, unless you ask us to add extra work. You can request a quote online at any time.

Yes, we carry £5m public liability insurance. Certificates are available on request, which facilities managers and landlords often need before work starts.

Our floor restoration comes with a 3-month service guarantee. If something is not right with our workmanship during those three months, we come back and put it right. Gap filling is excluded, because wooden floors move with the seasons — see our service guarantee for the details.

No. We work room by room, and most customers stay at home throughout. Our water-based lacquers and low-VOC oils have only a mild smell, so day-to-day life carries on.

You can usually walk on the floor in socks after a few hours. Furniture can go back after 24–48 hours, and rugs after about a week while the finish fully cures.

Our team works across Bromley and the neighbouring towns and villages. If you are just outside the area, send us a message — we can usually help for larger jobs.

Because the blocks run in different directions, we use a multi-direction sanding sequence. A final pass with a fine-grit buffer removes swirl marks and leaves an even surface ready for oil or lacquer.

Many older parquet floors were laid on bitumen adhesive. It is not a problem for sanding, but loose blocks need cleaning back and re-fixing with a compatible adhesive. We check this during the survey and include it in the quote.

We fill narrow gaps with a resin and wood-dust mix that matches the boards. Larger gaps are best filled with tapered pine slivers, glued and planed flush. Our gap filling guide compares the two.

Gap filling is excluded from our service guarantee. Wooden floors expand and shrink with the seasons and with movement in the building, so filler can crack or work loose over time. We choose the method that suits your floor best to keep this to a minimum.

Yes, noticeably. Gaps between floorboards let draughts rise from under the floor. Filling them makes rooms feel warmer and helps keep dust out.

Yes. After sanding we apply test patches on your timber so you can see how each shade looks in the room before we commit. Find out more about wood floor staining.

Oak, pine and other woods all react to stain in their own way. Sample cards are only a rough guide, so testing on the sanded floor is the only reliable way to choose.

Yes — we strip paint and old varnish from treads, risers and spindles. Stairs are sanded mostly by hand, and we finish them with a durable finish that copes with daily use. See stairs stripping and restoration.

Yes. We work on every other step so you can still get up and down, then complete the rest the following day. We plan this with you before we start.

Most staircases take two to three days from stripping to final coat. Lots of paint layers or turned balusters can add a day, which we include in your quote.

Yes — we plan school and public projects around term dates, events and opening hours. Most halls are finished in a few days, so the space is back in use quickly.

We can. After sanding we apply a slip-resistant sports lacquer and can repaint court markings for badminton, netball and other games between coats so they are sealed in. Read more about our school floor restoration.

We provide risk assessments, method statements and insurance details before work begins. Our team is used to working on occupied sites with strict safety rules.

Office floors can be done out of hours or in phases. Dust-free sanding and low-odour finishes mean minimal disruption to your team.

We have restored many church and community hall floors. We treat older floors with care and choose finishes suited to heavy public use. See churches and community halls.

The cost depends on the size of the floor, its condition and the finish. Our price list shows typical starting prices, and the free survey gives you a fixed written quote.

For many jobs, yes. A few clear photos and the room sizes let us give a guide price quickly. We confirm it with a short visit before work starts, so the final quote is fixed.

Oil soaks into the timber for a natural look and is easy to spot-repair. Lacquer forms a tougher surface layer that copes well with spills and busy households. We recommend the right one at the survey — or read our guide to oil and lacquer.

Yes. We use low-VOC oils and water-based lacquers that are safe for children and pets once fully dry. We suggest keeping pets out of the room for the first 24 hours, and keep claws trimmed to help the finish last.

Oiled floors normally get two coats, and lacquered floors three. High-traffic areas can have an extra coat for added protection.

Usually, if the wear layer is at least 3 mm thick. We check the wear layer during the free survey, often by lifting a threshold strip or a floor vent. Our engineered floor guide explains more.

Solid timber floors can be sanded again and again. Each sand removes only a fraction of a millimetre when done properly, which is why period floors are still going strong after a century.

Almost always. We re-glue loose blocks, replace missing ones with matched or reclaimed timber, then sand and finish the whole floor so the repairs disappear. Find out more about parquet floor repairs.

Usually, yes. Period pine boards sand up beautifully. We knock down protruding nails, replace split boards and sand back to fresh timber. Read our guide to Victorian floorboards for the full process.

Empty the room where possible and take down curtains that reach the floor. We can help move heavy furniture if we know in advance. Our guide to preparing your home has more tips.

A normal plug socket and parking close by is all we need. Everything runs from your normal sockets, and we bring everything else with us.

In most cases, yes. We deep clean, sand and treat the boards with a UV-resistant decking oil that restores the warm timber tone and reduces slipperiness. See our decking restoration service.

We work on decking from spring to early autumn. The timber needs dry weather so the oil can soak in properly. Our guide to decking after winter explains how to prepare.

Most decks benefit from a fresh coat every year. Decks in strong sun or under trees may need it sooner. A yearly coat keeps the timber protected.

Yes — we replace rotten or split boards before sanding. Replacement boards are matched as closely as possible once the whole deck is oiled.

We match the species, width and age of your boards wherever possible. After sanding and finishing the whole area, repairs blend in. Learn more about wood floor repairs.

Squeaks usually come from loose boards rubbing against nails or joists. We re-secure boards with screws and fix any movement in the joists below. Read about why floors squeak.

Often, yes. Light marks often sand away, while cupped or blackened boards are replaced and blended in. The floor must be fully dry first, so we take moisture readings before starting.

If the finish is worn but the wood is not damaged, a maintenance coat is often enough. It is quicker and cheaper than sanding and keeps the floor protected. See re-oiling.

Most homes re-oil high-traffic rooms every 12–24 months. Bedrooms often last several years. Our maintenance guide helps you judge.

Yes, if the scratches are only in the lacquer. We screen the surface, clean it and apply a new coat of lacquer, giving back an even, protective finish without a full sand.

Use a soft brush or vacuum, then a barely damp mop with a wood floor soap. Avoid steam mops and bleach or multi-surface sprays. Read our care guide for a simple routine.