Sandgate Case Study
Jenny owned an old workers cottage in Sandgate, north of Brisbane. Jenny’s floorboards were Hoop Pine and riddled with borers, as you can see in the images below (floorboards removed and replaced) The scattered borer activity was here and there throughout the house. For this reason, I sat down with Jenny and gave her a couple of options.
Floorboards Repair Options
Option 1:
Leave the floorboards intact that had only very minor damage. Fill those borer tracks with filler matching the pine floorboards. And finally, replace the rest of the damaged boards – or the second option:
Option 2:
Replace all floorboards with any trace of borer damage.
In either case, on the whole the floors would end up looking great. Without delay, Jenny decided to rid her home of all traces of the damage.
Generally speaking, most clients want to save a little cash. With this intention, they are happy with the idea of filling the minor borer tracks. In that situation I walk around the floors with the owner and mark off all the floorboards for removal. To begin with, this puts total control in the client’s hands. By the same token, they are also in control of the extra costs of repairs.
Moving Forward With Jenny's Floors
After we completed the floorboard replacement, the coating and staining stage begins. Up to the present time the owner’s choice had been clear polyurethane as the coating. At this point, Jenny had a change of mind about the look of her new floors.
Instead of the classic golden colour of Hoop Pine, she now wanted to steer toward more of a hardwood look. By all means we wanted to help her out. In reality, when starting with a yellow base like Hoop Pine, it limits the colour choice.
As an illustration, if we only add a brown Walnut stain, we will end up with an orange tone. For this reason, we used Walnut, coupled with Black to get the desired result. Instead of trying to get it right in one hit, it’s best to build the colour in steps. For example, In the event that the colour went too dark, there is no turning back.
In view of steering away from a ‘Pine’ look, it delighted Jenny with the new hardwood tone to her floorboards.
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When I Quote on Your Floors:
- Expect a thorough quote outlining the full scope of work. Also, the quoted price is the total amount, with no hidden costs.
- I take the time to walk around your floors with you, while pointing out any issues of concern. Most of all, I listen and answer any questions you may have about the work.
- Every aspect of the work is factored in so there are no surprises. For example, if a floorboard needs replacing or bracing, I will take the time to show you. Also, I will explain why we should repair it. Right from the word go, we offer up-front honest advice.