Parquet (is from the French word for “a small compartment”) is accepted as a geometric mosaic of wood pieces used for decorative effect in flooring.

The individual wood pieces are glued to floor, sanded and sealed with a stain and varnish.

Parquet floors are practical and hard-wearing as well as being beautiful.

Restoring parquet floors

Parquet floors can be brought back to life to look almost new, but with a timeless, aged appearance. These floors fit in well with the period features of any property and last for years.

So we can quote we need to inspect and measure your floor. We will check for defects and plan to repair and fill where necessary (with wood or filler for very small defects. Having then agreed a cost and time and date, we will use our dust free sanding machines to even out and take off the very top layer of dirt and old varnish.

Once this is done we do the necessary repairs to your floor and match this in with the freshly sanded surface. We can then apply the finish. This can be varnish, oil or wax. If required, the floor can be stained to a colour of your choice, but we recommend waiting until the old finish has been removed before you make your choice. We can advise on how the final floor will look depending on your choice of finish or stain.

See some examples of parquet floor restoration can be seen at our gallery.

To arrange a quote contact Cameron on 01788 569980 or 07836 659115 or fill out our contact form.

The post Restoring your parquet floor first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

We use sanding machines by Lagler UK. This German company was established in 1956 and Lagler have pioneered the floor sanding machine industry with revolutionary designs and dust-extraction technology.

The sanders come with cloth bags that filters out dust as it is created by the sanding process. The dust is retained them in sealed containers, this enables us to sand large volumes of wood floors cleanly and safely. Some of the important features of these machines include the following:

• High powered aggressive sanding
• Extremely low dust emissions
• Change belts in seconds
• 3x adjustable pressure

Dust free sanding is good for our customers as it speeds up the job and reduces the mess, it is important for our workers as wood dust is damaging to health if exposure happens over weeks and years.

Dust free sanding machines speed up the job

Using dust free sanding machines means that the job can be done quicker with less mess. We will obviously check the floor thoroughly but the way these machines work dust free means that we can get on with applying the finish.

You can then choose from a wide variety of finishes for your floor. These can be lacquers, oils, hardwax or oils depending on the type of appearance and durability required. All of the finishes that we use are environmentally friendly and are hard-wearing. Some finishes may not be suitable for high footfall areas but we can advise on what is suitable.

Don’t be put off your floors sanded because of a fear that there will be lots of dust and mess. This is true of inferior machinery or inexperienced tradesmen, but with our dust free floor sanding service there really is no need to worry. If you are considering having your wood floor sanding then call Cameron on 07836 659115 or email for a free no obligation quote at our contact page.

The post Is your floor sanding really dust free? first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

It’s a tough but beautiful floor that can survive the worst of children, pets and other challenges and still, with some cleaning, be restored to its original state.

There will come a point when you need to consider floor sanding and sealing  in order to fully restore the beauty of the original wooden floor.

The advantage of wood is that you don’t need to throw it away. Simply sanding and sealing your floor can transform your floor so it’s like having a completely new floor.

When to get your floor sanded

Here are some examples of when you should think about getting your floor sanded:

Your floor looks dull

When the wooden floor is first installed and varnished, it will look beautiful. When it gets dirty or dusty then you clean the floor and being wood it should look look nearly as good as new. There will be a point when your floor looks dull and no amount of cleaning and polishing will lift the appearance.

Professional floor sanding, staining and sealing with varnish will return your floor to its freshly installed appearance.

Your floor is becoming uneven

If some parts of the floor are raised compared to other parts then there might be some issues with the underlying surface. Damp or mould can cause this. It is best to get a professional view as this type of issue cannot go untreated.

Strange smells from the floor

When your floor is starting to smell then it’s a sign that something has entered the surface or there are moulds or algae growing underneath the floor. Again it’s important to seek professional advice as we can trace and correct the problem.

Your floor is wearing in some high footfall areas

Wooden floors are very hard wearing but some areas will show signs of wear if they are particularly high footfall areas. We can repair floors and then sand and finish so it breathes new life into your floor.

The beauty of wooden floors means they can be fixed sanded and sealed for as good as new finish!

Get in touch for a quote at our contact page or call Cameron on 07836 659115. See examples of our domestic floor sanding and treatment.

The post When should I get my floor sanded? first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

I cannot recommend Cameron and Allwood Floors highly enough!!

I have had two jobs very successfully completed:
1) a complete open living and dining room had the laminate sanded down and two coats of varnish applied. Prior to this there were gauges in the floor and it looked permanently tired and dusty/old.

2) after I removed a bedroom carpet, Cameron was able to sand down the floorboards (1960s house) and again apply to coats. The end result again being like a new floor!

Cameron and his colleague were immaculate in their work and extremely time efficient- I can’t thank them enough and would have absolutely no hesitation in recommending their services :o)

Becki Coombe

Get in touch with Cameron on 07836 659115 or use our contact page.

The post Latest testimonial for Allwood Floors first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

In practice the job is difficult to do well. And it needs to be done to a professional standard as you will be living with the results for a very long time.

Why floor sanding is difficult in practice for DIYers

Sanding machines can be hired. However sanding machines are incredibly powerful and need a lot of practice to master. There is a risk that they can destroy your floor if you have not used them before.

Floor sanding is very strenuous labour and requires a lot of strategic effort and planning. It’s difficult to estimate how much effort it is if you have never done it before. There is also the issue of protecting yourself, your family and pets and your furniture from the dust and mess.

For a large floor, you’ll need lots of tarpaulins and dust sheets and your room will be out action for longer than it would be if a professional was doing the job.

Selecting the right varnish for your floor

Once the floor has been sanded then the finish needs to be selected carefully.

For environmental and safety purposes you might be tempted to choose a water based varnish. Unfortunately this is not suitable for some woods. For example a water based varnish on Rosewood may cause discoloration in a very expensive product.

If you use a solvent based varnish then the worker needs the right personal protective equipment which is expensive to buy or hire.

In short, unless it’s a very small job, you should always get a quote from a professional. When you get the quote think about how long it would it take you to do the job, how much extra equipment you need to buy or hire costs and the disruption involved from taking everything out of a room and protecting your walls and ceilings.

Get in touch for a quote at our contact page or call Cameron on 07836 659115. See examples of our domestic floor sanding and treatment.

The post Floor sanding – why you should always use a professional first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

Here are some tips for the final wood flooring sanding step.

5 Tips for the Final Wood Flooring Sanding Step

1. The grit of the abrasive used for the final sanding step depends on the wood species and how you sanded the floor up to that point, what grit sequence you used to get there.

2. Wood flooring generally must be sanded with a finer grit when oil or wax is being used. The grit sequence must run accordingly to include finer grits.

3. The deeper the sanding marks, the more oil or wax can penetrate and make these indentations appear dark. Deep sanding marks are much more visible than with finishing sanding. The usage of colored oils and stains will even reinforce this effect.

4. An even and fine surface structure of the wood flooring is particularly important for colored oil or stain. The deeper the sanding marks, the more color pigments can deposit in them. The sanding marks therefore appear even darker than with normal oil. A surface treated with colored oil or stain is therefore generally sanded with one grit number finer than with other treatments.

5. But it is up to the contractor to make the call on whether the surface quality following the final sanding step is suitable for the planned surface treatment. Make sure to follow the finish manufacturers’ instructions.

Get in touch with us on 01788 569980 or email us on our contact form.

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A floor sanding machine is a powerful piece of equipment so must be used by experienced professionals.

Here are some general tips to keep in mind to prevent sanding marks:

• The abrasive must be suitable for the respective machine and should not be damaged.
• The abrasive must be correctly attached and fastened.
• The wheels should not be soiled or damaged.
• The V-belts should not be soiled, damaged or worn out.
• The pulleys should not be soiled, damaged or worn out.
• The machine operation must be uniform and adapted to the corresponding process.
• The grit sequence must be followed.

We go through these checks and procedures for all our sanding jobs.

Get in touch with us on 01788 569980 or email us on our contact form.

The post Preventing sanding marks first appeared on Allwood Floors, floor sanding & finishing Midlands.

The new website now has a much improved gallery with new images of past work plus clearer descriptions of what we do.

Allwood floors specialise in sanding, fixing and finishing all types of wooden floors for commercial and domestic customers.

We use dust free sanding machines to minimise mess and help you get your rooms back in action as soon as the work is over.

As well sanding floors we will fix and fill any imperfections ready for sealing with hard-wearing specialist floor lacquer.

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