Floor Sanding For Homes and Businesses
While wood floors are particularly strong, they are not immune to wear. Yes, applying finish coats on them protects them from the abrasion effects that are witnessed on a daily basis, but this does not make them invincible. As the years go by, the finishes themselves will deteriorate, causing the surface to get worn out. Signs of ageing become more prevalent, from scratches all over, splinters, fading, all through to the staining that is caused by the occasional spills that were able to set onto the surface. The aesthetics get deteriorated, and the structural integrity of the floor is put on the line.
Highly trafficked areas like office spaces or homes with kids and pets see faster rates of wear. The damage occurs faster due to the dirt and grit getting tracked into the premises under people’s shoes, abrading the surfaces in the process. Routine cleaning wards off the effects, and here the emphasis is on cleaning the floor with formulations that will not weaken the protective treatments applied. Furniture being dragged on the floor, pets scratching the surface with their sharp claws as they run up and about, the water damage whether it is by spills, cases of flooding, or too much water being used during the cleaning process, the sun’s UV radiation causing colour changes in the finish coats or the wood itself – these all affect the installation. Floor sanding comes in to give your premises a fresh start.
Giving Your Floor A ‘Reset’
During floor sanding, high-powered equipment is used to grind through the existing coatings on the surface and get to the bare wood. During this process, surface-level damages like scratches are also removed, smoothening the floor. For cases of cracks and gaps, these are filled using a mixture of a filler agent and dust from the wood itself, that way the resultant paste will have properties similar to the rest of the floor.
There are different reasons to have the floor sanded, with the main one being that the installations become dull and worn out over time. There are also cases where damages are actual safety threats, such as splinters which can harm persons walking around. Flaws with the finishes also come into focus. For instance, if there were mistakes made when coating the floor with lacquers, such as not properly cleaning the surface or rushing multiple coats without allowing sufficient drying time, then the final coats can start blistering or peeling off. In such scenarios, the only remedy is sanding away the old finishes and having new ones applied.
A Fresh Start
Once the floor sanding is completed, new treatments can be applied to give the surface the desired aesthetics and protection. This ranges from the wood stains that deliver specific colours, to the lacquers that provide resistance to wear effects from foot traffic, as well as ward off water and oil-based stains. There are numerous formulations that you can work with, to go in line with your style and decor preferences. Natural finishes enhance the original colour and patterns of the wood, and there are also various gloss levels like matt and semi-gloss finishes where the difference is in how light is reflected from the surface. Whether you’re going for a textured look, natural clear finishes, or a Scandinavian style, there will be wood finishes to match your taste.
Ensuring that the floor has been properly sanded is key to get optimal results from the finishing process. The floor needs to be smoothed out – but not so smooth that the finishes applied won’t be able to bond well with the surface. The cleaning should also be thorough since you don’t want a case of particles getting trapped under the wet coats of products that will be spread on the floor. The direction followed when sanding also matters, as well as the grit sequence used with regard to the sanding paper. Handling powerful equipment used is also not a walk in the park, which is another reason why it is recommended that you hire a professional contractor to handle the job.
What To Consider When Hiring A Domestic And Commercial Floor Sanding Company
The specific contractor you get will determine how successful the restoration project is. Finding a reputable company will put you on the right track to getting the results you desire. Here are some of the factors that you should consider:
- Experience: How long has the company been providing the floor sanding and refinishing services, and what kind of training do their personnel have? Assessing the skill level of the contractor is key in order to be assured of the quality of the sanding methods, equipment used, and their ability to tackle the challenges that arise during the project. Don’t shy away from asking them about the specific approach they will use when dealing with your particular situation. Sure, young startups can still deliver on the task. However, there’s comfort and peace of mind that comes with hiring the services of a firm that has been around for years. This will come down to personal preference, and the levels of confidence you will have about the particular company in question.
- Reputation: What do other clients say about the company’s residential and commercial floor sanding and restoration services? Check out the feedback left behind on the business listing pages of the firms, as well as its various social media handles. Ask for their portfolio, especially for “Before/After” examples of previous projects they’ve handled. These can have been posted on the gallery section of the website.
- Pricing: The goal here is to get value for your money. Getting multiple quotes from different local floor sanding and refinishing companies will help you gauge the ideal range that your project should cost. Those companies offering particularly low rates are actually a red flag, since they may be relying on low-capacity machines or low-quality projects, which will compromise on the results. You also don’t want to put your floor at risk, or end up with costly liabilities in case of an accident due to the company in question not having insurance. On the other end of the spectrum, you don’t want to overpay for the project – which is why getting different quotes will be important to pinpoint the companies that seem like they want to rip you off.
