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Preparation
Preparation is the key to any great finish and sanding and polishing timber floors is no exception to this rule. To ensure we achieve the best finish possible for your floor Amber Floor Sanding has an experienced team that know exactly how important preparation is. Here we outline some of the essential elements of preparing a floor to be sanded.
Nails
All nails need to be driven further into the timber so that they do not contact the sanding belts or discs and create marks in the sanded finish. Amber Floor Sanding punches every nail by hand for effective and accurate results. The holes left behind are filled with putty in a matching colour to the floorboards to create a seamless finish.
Filling imprefections
Any holes from the recessed nails and imperfections in the floor are filled with putty prior to finish sanding. This creates the groundwork for a smooth and unbroken finish in the final coats. Amber Floor Sanding uses Timbermate water based putty on all floors for its tried and tested reliability. Timbermate putties are recommended for floors because their woodfiller is an Interior grade 4 in 1 Woodputty, Grainfiller, Edgefiller and Crackfiller. Timbermate putty does not shrink, sink, crack or fall out. It is non-flammable, non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Timbermate comes in 13 premixed colours plus Natural Tint Base enabling every floor colour to be matched. Matching the putty to the colour of the floor is no easy task as the putty does not change colour with the timber as the coatings are applied, so this is best left to the experts at Amber Floor Sanding. The Timbermate formula is over 85 years old and is the only genuine water-based formula in the world proving that the formulation has stood the test of time. Timbermate is also proudly 100% Australian made and 100% Australian owned.
Corners
The corners of the floor need special attention as they are not accessible with the typical floor sanding machines. The trusted team at Amber Floor Sanding have the right equipment and know how to make the corners of your rooms as perfect as the rest of the floor because we know this is important to you. We are experts in timber floor sanding Brisbane and surrounding areas.
Cleaning
The entire floor must be free from wax, silicone, oil and other contaminants prior to sanding so cleaning is a another vital aspect of the preparation of the floor. Any contaminants can leave undesirable marks on the finished floor. Even bare feet can leave behind oils which will ultimately leave shadows on the floor which can only be removed by completely sanding the floor back to bare again. Old surfaces which have had applications of wax, polish, or floor coatings other than that which is being applied should be thoroughly coarse sanded or abraded/scarified, then smooth sanded to a matt finish with worn 120- grade paper or 120 screenback on a flexible pad. Our team knows the in's and out's of these little problems that can arise and ensure that your floors finishing is flawless.
Note: Where surfaces have been coated with products of an unknown origin, a professional result can only be obtained by sanding back to the original surface. Before proceeding, remove any oil, grease, lint dirt, dust, etc. by scrubbing with a suitable paint preparation cleaner or household detergent. If necessary, wash the surface with water containing not more than 50ml/litre of methylated spirits. After rinsing, allow the surface to dry thoroughly (preferably over 1-2 days).
Structural Integrity
Before coating the floor, Amber Floor Sanders ensure the floor is structurally sound. Any movement or deterioration in the floor can lead to movement that will quickly ruin any finish on a floor. It is not always apparent at first glance, however the qualified floor sanders at Amber Floor Sanding can identify these flaws and deal with them accordingly.
Moisture Content
At the time a timber floor is coated the moisture content of the timber must be at equilibrium with the atmosphere. Any excess moisture will create problems and only become apparent some time after coating the floor. Cupping or warping of the boards and gaps between the boards may appear as the timber reaches a balance of moisture content. Amber Floor Sanding's professional tradesmen will identify any areas of concern and address the problem before it causes damage to your floor.
IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING THE COATING OF TIMBER FLOOR
All timber floors contain a percentage of waxes and oils. These may be present naturally in the timber as oily resins, or wax can be present in treatments given to the surface as part of the regular maintenance. These waxes can penetrate the timber to below the re-sand level, causing a lack of adhesion between subsequent top-coats; in extreme cases, peeling can occur. MDF and some timber species have a wax/oil content of between 3-15%, which can cause problems, some of these timbers are: Western Australian Karri, Brush Box Tallowwood, Red Mahogany, Tasmanian Blackwood, Black Bean and Johnstone River Hardwood.
Floor Preparation Brisbane & Timber Floor Finishes Australia