Our most recent client came to us with an oak floor that had certainly seen better days. Over time, the surface had developed stains from day to day usage, including marks from cooking, furniture, and general wear and tear.
A kitchen floor is the centre of the family home, and it’s only natural that over time it will need some form of wood floor restoration. In this instance, the client also wanted the floors to have a dark oak wood floor stain, rather than the lighter oak they had previously.
In this case study, we are going to breeze through our step by step process, showing you how we do it along the way!
“So thrilled with our “new” floor, the difference is amazing. The guys were friendly and so considerate when moving furniture and it really was dust free!”
Charlie Chivers
To start this project, we began the sanding process. Using our industry standard planetary sander we achieved a finish that cannot be done with a standard rotary sander.
The coating we sanded was a factory applied UV cured finish which had almost completely broken down after just six years. Our 5 step coating process, in comparison, lasts up to 15 years and reduces the need for wood floor repair later down the line.
We then mix the dust we saved from the initial sanding with a filler specifically designed for sanding wood floors. We apply this filler on our hands and knees with a trowel to ensure no gaps are missed.
This creates a much more uniform look, by filling in any gaps and unlevel areas that may normally trap dirt. Levelling the surface in this way also stops pooling in gaps when staining old wood floors, which can look unprofessional and take an age to dry.
The next stage saw us begin with sanding the excess filler, using a sanding pad to create a random scratch pattern ready for the natural wood floor staining.
After sanding, the wood becomes a very closed and tight surface, which can make it difficult to stain straight away. Because of this, we spray the floor with water to reverse the constricting process and allows a greater surface area to be covered by the stain later.
Lastly, the stain used is an oil based primer with a hardener, and is applied carefully with trowels. We have a wealth of experience when it comes to knowing how to stain wood floors.
Once the floor is completely covered, we use a rotary machine to remove excess product several times. As the stain is oil-based, we leave the floor 24 hours to dry and cure before we apply the water-based lacquer.
Once dry, we return the next day to apply the lacquer, which we do with rollers and brushes, and leave to dry naturally. After one final light sand, we repeat with the final coat of lacquer. It can leave an unprofessional finish if you try to restrain wood floors without sanding again. leave to dry, and by this point, the client is left with a completely transformed oak floor!
If you are looking to restore your hardwood flooring, please call us on 01444 810505, and one of our friendly team will be happy to help.
