Answers to Frequently Asked questions

Strip timber floors:

How do I prepare my strip timber floor for the sanding/coating process?
Any existing flooring has to be removed. Carpet normally comes up quite easily, but if you feel the need to cut the carpet to make its removal easier, make sure that you do not cut right through the carpet into the timber underneath. A piece of hardboard slid under the carpet is an easy way to prevent this happening. If you do cut right through, the knife marks are usually narrow but quite deep. This means that they cannot be sanded out, and will be visible as dark lines in the finished job. Any nails, tacks or other fastenings will need to be removed, This is the slow part of the work, and can easily take many hours. If any of these fastenings break off level with the floor, they have to be punched down below the level of the timber or they will be visible as shiny spots after the coating has been applied. When you think you have removed everything, get hold of a steel ruler about a metre long and slide it over the floor. You will probably find several fastenings that you have missed.
Yes we can remove the old floor coverings and fastenings for you, but obviously we have to charge by the hour for this work.

When should I lift the old flooring?
We recommend that this work be carried out about a week before we are due to sand and coat your floor. Should you need to carry out any repair work on the subfloor, this will then allow time to arrange for the repairs to be done. Also, exposing the subfloor to the air for a few days will help dry out any moisture that may be trapped under the old floor coverings

Looking at the timber in my floor, I'm not happy with the colour. Can a stain be applied to the floor?
Yes, the floor can be stained. The Wattyl Craftsman ( not Colorwood ) stain range has been approve by our polyurethane manufacturers as compatible with their products, and use of this stain range ensures that their manufacturer's warranty remains valid.
The stain can either be applied directly to the floor, or can be added at 5% dilution to each of the first coats of polyurethane for a more translucent look.

How about a colour rather than a stain?
By using a water borne polyurethane (rather than an oil-bourne moisture-curing product) we can supply any colour from the Resene Multicolour range as an additive to the polyurethane. Density of the colour is related to the number of coats applied - generally 4 to 5 coats are required.

I have gaps between the boards in my floor. Should I fill these?
A strip timber floor will always expand and contract with changes in atmospheric temperature and humidity. A tongue-and-groove floor is designed to accommodate this movement by adjusting the size of each of these gaps by a very small amount. Thus the gaps are continually changing their size. If you apply filler to these gaps, the filler will, over time, either fall in or be squeezed out. Either way the filler will fail. If you do want the gaps filled, we will require you to sign a specific indemnity that, when this failure does occur, Floorco will not be liable in any way for this failure.
Take a thin card and try and slide it down into the gap. In a tongue-and-groove floor, the card will not go right through. It will stop at the tongue. Thus the wind cannot whistle up through the gap.
When the polyurethane coating is applied to the floor, it will flow down into the gaps and coat inside the valley, thus sealing the floor. Polyurethane is not a gap-filling compound, so it will not fill the gap by itself.

What about filling the nailholes?
This is a matter of personal choice. Some prefer to leave the nailholes as is, other people want them filled. We offer this as an option. Filling the nailholes is not and invisible mend, you will still be able to see where the nailholes were, as we cannot match the filler in each specific nail hole to the surrounding timber. When you accept our quote, you will need to tell us if you want the nailholes done.

My existing floor has some stains in it. Can these be removed?
Probably not. The sanding process removes surface material, but any stains have generally sunk deeply into the timber and cannot be sanded out. Common stains in timber floors are found in corners of the room (where pot plants have been watered) or where the boards have been nailed down to the joists and the nails have rusted over the years, causing black stains. Think of them as adding character to your floor! Alternatively, you might consider applying a timber stain to the floor to minimize the visual impact.

What about borer?
See above paragraph. If you can see some borer in the floor, you probably have more than what you expect. All will be revealed as the floor is sanded. This will make the timber quite porous, so you may well need one additional coat of polyurethane to build up the finish.

How long will I need to remain off the floor after the work has been completed?
Generally, the final coat will be applied to the floor late in the day. You can walk on the floor carefully - bare feet or socks - 24 hours later. The full cure of the coating will require seven days. Some furniture can be replaced before this full time has elapsed, but be sure to lift and place (not drag) anything on the floor during this time.

How do I clean and maintain my floor after the work has been completed?
Sweep the floor frequently, so that grit (which may scratch the coating) is removed. Use protective mats at entranceways to ensure that grit is not walked on to the floor. Wash the floor using 3 litres of hot water and a quarter cup of methylated spirits. Do not use abrasive cleaners or anything that may scratch the coating.
For long term maintenance, keep an eye on the highest wear are of the floor - in doorways, or in front of the kitchen bench. As soon as the first signs of wear are visible, we can clean the floor with a solvent and apply two more coatings of polyurethane to refinish the floor. A there is no sanding involved, this renovation process is much cheaper and quicker than a full sand and recoat. If this is done on a periodic basis, your floor will last forever. Note that this refinishing will not remove any physical damage (gouges, scratches etc.) that may be present.
This refurbishment technique is also useful for rental properties, to renovate the floor between tenancies.