Choosing A Quality Floor Sanding Service

When updating your timber floor, it can be a great way to modernize a home.

It can also add serious value or make it more appealing when you sell.

Floor sanding service completed
But is it always a good idea to go for the cheapest price?

Besides that, what does a quality floor actually mean, and how do you decide whether to focus on a quality or the best price? Below we explain:

  • How clients generally choose a floor sanding service
  • What you need to look for when deciding what's best for you.

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What's your Category?

Generally, when clients search for a floor sanding service, prices are at the forefront of their minds. They most often fall into one of three main groups:

1st Type

When Clients:
  • Want the cheapest price they can possibly get.
  • Are not concerned with anything else.

2nd Type

When Clients:
  • Definitely want a good job.
  • Don’t know exactly what they are getting.
  • Haven’t done any research.
  • The cheapest price ends up being their driving factor.

3rd Type

When Clients:
  • Want the highest quality floor possible.
  • Want it to last 10 to 20 years – not 2 years.
  • Have done their research.
  • Know that polished floors vary GREATLY in quality and durability.
  • Want the higher quality finish and are happy to pay a fair price for it.

Getting Value For Money

Saving money now is great, but what about the costs in the long term?

To get real value for money, you should understand the effects of cutting corners. At Economy Floor Sanding we always make sure the client can make an informed decision. That way, you get the best outcome for your money spent.

The Real Picture

Polished timber floors will vary in quality & durability depending on the company you use.

For example, as a break down in costs for polished timber floors, approximately 80% of what you pay for is workmanship. Only about 20% of the cost is materials (Coating, sandpaper etc).

To illustrate, this means that the quality factor lies solely with:

  • The skill, care and technique of the operator
  • The experience, and the type of equipment used
  • Attention to detail

The minor defects on a polished floor surface can be compared with small dents on the bonnet of a black car. When you're sitting in the driver’s seat, it will be highly visible in reflected light.

Do Your Research

The following information is what some floor sanders don’t always want you to know.

Consider the following information because as you always hear, knowledge is power. These topics are what affect customers the most. Most likely, it’s when it’s too late. They have either moved their furniture back into their home or too much time has passed.

Topic #1: Not punching the nails

This ‘time saver’ for the floor sander will always come back to bite the customer every time.

Punching the nails down before sanding is just good practice. Even if the floor has been previously sanded and polished, floorboards will loosen over time. Visual signs an existing polished floor needs re-punching include:

  • Raised/lowered floorboard edges
  • Raised nail-hole putty
  • Exposed black/rusted nail heads
  • A creaking floor

Excess floorboard movement can also cause the existing coating to crack at the edges. An opaque line will appear between the floorboards and other problems can follow including minor delamination. Punching the nails before re-sanding the floor is an absolute must. It will set the floorboards back down solidly onto the tops of the joists.

 Economy Floor Sanding always re-punches the floors we sand. Further, our quotes state this clearly in the 'scope of work' section.

Topic #2 – Coating & durability

Most home owners never even ask about the coating. Others have some sort of knowledge.

Some companies will opt for the cheapest coatings they can find. To say the least, it is not in the best interests of the customer. The polyurethane film build, sits between your feet and the raw timber surface. This is where all your durability lies. While there are many types of floor coatings on the market, they all vary in formulas, quality, and cost.

Durability

A quality floor coating is the difference between your floor lasting 2 to 3 years or 10 to 20 years. If the coating wears through, it allows moisture/dirt to enter the raw timber. A total re-sand would be necessary to repair the damage.

At Economy Floor Sanding, we commercial grade high solids (high film-build) polyurethane on all our floors. Don’t become one of the statistics and don’t pay to have your floors sanded twice!

Topic #3 – Sanding techniques

If polished timber floors were an ‘off the shelf’ product, then quality would always be the same.

In contrast, they are created within your home using your existing flooring. This leaves the door wide open for a variance in quality of the finished product. Below are some of the factors which can affect the quality.

The first sand

If the first sand is not done on an angle, then the surface will never be dead flat.

In contrast, some companies will start sanding in the direction of the grain. This allows the machine to dip and roll into the floor imperfections rather than removing them. Angle sanding will create a dead-flat surface and will effectively remove issues such as:

  • Concave/convex floorboards
  • Previous sanding defects (stop marks, vibration chatter etc)
  • Deep penetrating stains

The final sand

Once the floor is flat, rotary sanding completes the process.

Rotary sanding removes the residual minor defects the other sanding machines have left. It is the final step in a process to obtain a superior polished timber floor. Rotary sanding down to a 150 grit screen disc is the difference between a good floor and a great one.

An Example of Sanding Quality

 

Topic #4 - Final Preparations

At this point, laziness can ruin an otherwise perfect floor.

Time saving companies will cut corners here which can be detrimental to the quality of the finish, and ironically cause potential delays for the customer. Final coat preparations are steps to ensure quality control and to avoid issues such as:

  • Dust or debris in the coating
  • Variations in gloss
  • Rejection of the coating

Economy Floor Sanding meticulously prepares your home to avoid any potential issues. We take steps which include include:

  • Covering all external windows (This avoids direct sunlight heating the floor and causing gloss variations)
  • Sealing around all external doors/vents etc. (This avoids any air movement causing gloss variations, or debris entering)
  • Adding anti-rejection fluid to every coat (This avoids any contaminants causing the coating to “roll back”, or be rejected from adhering to the floor, which is a common issue)

In Conclusion

As floor sanding industry professionals, we care about the outcome of  our work.

As the business owner, I am not concerned with getting as much work done as possible. To get the best result with every floor is my goal. As I said, the customer needs to do their research so that the cheapest price does not guide them to a poor quality floor.

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