Floor Sanding & Polishing In Brisbane!

Want to reduce costs?

A little preparation before we arrive can help keep your floor sanding costs down:

• Clear furniture, rugs and personal belongings from the rooms before work starts.
• Arrange easy access to the work area and discuss any floor coverings that need removing when we quote.
• Choose your finish with us in advance, so we can recommend an option that suits your floor and budget.

DIY sanding can end up costing more if the timber is damaged. Leave the sanding to the professionals and check with us before doing any preparation yourself.

How long does floor sanding and polishing take?

The length of time it takes to complete a floor sanding and polishing job in Brisbane obviously varies depending on the size and complexity of the project. However, as a rough guide:

Standard floors will take 2–3 days to complete, depending on drying time.

Size makes no real difference, as the average floor in Brisbane and the surrounding areas is about 60m2 – 85m2 and even small floors take 2-3 days because you cannot get three coats down in one day. Note: as mentioned above, you might still need to vacate the house for a couple of days after the work is completed if you have chosen a finish with strong fumes.

Regardless of whether you need to vacate the house, it will still take a few days for the finish to dry before you can use the rooms again. We can advise you on waiting times once you’ve selected the finish you’d like applied.

At Best Floor Sanding we employ several teams of professional floor sanders ensuring that once you’ve accepted our quote, we can have a team at your door and ready to go within days.

What is floor sanding and polishing, and what does it involve?

Having your timber floors sanded and polished is the best way to maintain them and keep them looking their best. If you don’t sand and polish your floors, grooves, scratch marks and dents will build up and the finish will slowly wear away, reducing the lifespan of your floor. The sanding process involves removing the very top surface of the timber with specially designed sanding machines. Once a floor has been sanded (and all the wood dust removed) a finish is applied to help protect the floor and/or to give the timber a beautiful hue or sheen.

How do I tell if my floors need sanding?

As a guide, timber floors generally require sanding and polishing every 10-15 years. However, your floors may need more urgent attention if the sand and polish job was not done correctly the previous time around.

If you’ve noticed that the finish is peeling off the timber, or the stain colour is unevenly distributed (and it doesn’t correspond with high-traffic areas), these problems suggest your floors weren’t properly sanded and polished and, unfortunately, you’ll need to get a complete re-sand and polish. Similarly, if you notice warping boards (which is indicative of water damage) or you’ve got large unsightly stains (that can’t be removed with wood floor cleaner) you should call a professional floor sander.

Timber preparation and polishing

Preparing the floors before sanding

Newly laid floors require nails to be punched and nail holes plugged with coloured putty. As the edgers sand right up to the wall, it is best that skirting boards are not installed. For existing floors, old nails, adhesive, staples, or carpet underlay are removed or punched down. Repairs are made or boards replaced as needed. Sanding starts when complete preparation is done and normally the first cut is done using coarse-grit paper to make the floor flat.

Preparation of the work area for your timber floors to be sanded

If building, renovating or decorating, schedule the start date for floor sanding in relation to other trade processes.

• All building work (carpentry, electrical, plastering, plumbing and glazing) should be complete before sanding work starts.
• All furniture and all floor coverings to be removed from the rooms.
• Power must be available.
• Seal rooms so that dust can't travel into or out of the finished areas.Fireplaces, air vents, or open windows or doorways to be sealed with paper and masking tape.Cover light fittings and curtains with paper or plastic bags.
• Strangely enough, ants seem to be attracted to polyurethane. To avoid having ants crawl across and spoil your newly finished floor, get a pest treatment before sanding work starts.
• As some finishes give off strong fumes or need to harden for a few days before furniture can be replaced, you may need to arrange alternative accommodation. Bear in mind that wet floor areas cannot be walked on and some coatings produce strong fumes.

Timber Floor Sanding Process Begins

For timber floor sanding, specialised machines are used to complete the job. Most of the time, these are large belt or drum sanders. In hard-to-reach parts of the house, such as corners and stairs, a special edger is used to get it done properly. Floors are sanded and vacuumed to remove dust and then sealed (so dust from other parts of the house doesn’t contaminate the freshly applied finish).

Polishing & Finishing

Floors are stained, if required, and depending on the type of finish you prefer, at least two finish coats are applied and then left to harden for a few days.

For your floors, you have a wide selection of different stains and finishes available. You can choose between water-based, oil-based and solvent-based. Picking the right finishing product after your floors are sanded is extremely important and we will advise you onsite based on colour, gloss and traffic conditions for the area. For more information about stains and finishes for your deck or internal timber floors visit this page.

Floor restoration and Repairs

For timber floor sanding, specialised machines are used to complete the job. Most of the time, these are large belt or drum sanders. In hard-to-reach parts of the house, such as corners and stairs, a special edger is used to get it done properly. Floors are sanded and vacuumed to remove dust and then sealed (so dust from other parts of the house doesn’t contaminate the freshly applied finish).