Ask The Expert


Expert Advice for Your Flooring Project

Ask The Expert

Hi, did you know that if you have any question about flooring products or their installation side, about subfloor preparation or aftercare and maintenance, you can post your question here and one of our flooring experts can help you with professional advice.

  • R Trent

    Barking, 2024

    Is it possible to restore 3-Strip engineered wood flooring?

    I have 3-strip engineered oak flooring which desperately needs sanding. It is currently lacquered, but I was wondering if it can be sanded and oiled instead?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2024

    Three strip oak floorings usually come with 3 mm top layers and unless it has been sanded before it should be possible to restore. Once the existing sealant is completely removed through the sanding process, is perfectly fine to change the sealant from lacquer oil.

    Before you make the final decision on the most appropriate type of sealant for your engineered wood flooring restoration, bear in mind that oiled floors require more frequent maintenance and re-oiling to ensure long lasting protection.

  • Mellissa

    Guildford, 2024

    Oak stained in dark wood base and white grain effect

    Hello! I'm in love with this dark red wood and white grain effect: stain-oil-finish-stone-effect-active-stain-osmo-oil.jpg Can you tell me how you achieved this? :) I'd love to pass it along to my builder for our home!

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2024

    Hi,

    This example is shown on oak timber. This type of finish is achieved by application of Active Stain on top of oak timber, flollowed by application of white hardwax-oil on top - buffed in and sealed with another clear coat of oil on top.

    Some active stains are available from Woca (Active stain 1, 2, 3 and 4) and white oils are available from Osmo, Fiddes, Treatex (and other brands). 

    The process of active stain is slow - takes about a day and oils are slow-drying. It may be worth looking for a pre-finished product with similar appearance, instead of starting from scratch on bare wood.

    Hope this helps.

  • W Tucker

    Bromley, BR1, 2020

    How can I do a whitewashed finish on my wooden floors?

    Hi,

    I have engineered wood flooring in my living room, which had whitewashed effect. There are patches where the whitewashed effect has completely gone. I would really like to have the floors refinished in the same colour and I wonder how it works?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2020

    You can achieve a durable whitewashed effect on your engineered wood flooring with both lacquers and oil-based products if you choose the right product and apply it properly. The choice of lacquer or oil will define the final appearance.

    Achieving whitewash effect with lacquer will result in a more uniform colour. This is done by either by mixing a white colourant with a clear lacquer / primer, use ready-mixed primer, or by applying white stain on the sanded floors, followed by the application of multiple coats of clear floor lacquer on top. For our floor restoration projects where staining to whitewashed finish is required, we use mainly white pigmented primers by Bona or Junckers.

    Oil-based products have ready-mixed stains and colours in various shades of white - available from all major brands - Osmo, Blanchon, Woka, Loba, Bona, Rubio Monocoat, Treatex and more. Hardwax-oils colours create more prominent grain than lacquers - main difference between the two finishes. Clear coat on top is required after the application of the colour, except for Rubio, which is a 1 coat system.

  • R Zane

    Bedford, 2020

    What is the best sealant for solid oak flooring?

    I have solid oak flooring, which I want to restore. Would you recommend sealing it with varnish or oil?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2020

    Restoring solid oak flooring requires careful consideration when choosing the right sealant. Once the floor is sanded to a smooth finish, you have two main options: varnish (lacquer) or hardwax-oil. Each has its own benefits, and the best choice often depends on your personal preference.

    Between the two, lacquer will give a better and longer lasting protection, without the hassle of re-coating and hardwax-oil, may give you more textured / natural appearance, however some areas with higher traffic will require re-oiling and waxing every couple of years.

  • N Stuart

    London, 2019

    What is gap filling and how is it done?

    What exactly is involved in the process of gap filling and strip filling?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2019

    Gap filling usually refers to a procedure that is part of the floor restoration process, which uses a mixture of clear resin and saw dust, collected from the initial sanding and is used to fill in the gaps between the floorboards or between the parquet blocks. It is a very common service that often goes along with floorboards restoration and parquet floor sanding services. Sometimes, bigger gaps appear between the wooden planks and they require the use of wooden strips to be filled. This is called strip filling.

  • D Willis

    Westminster, 2019

    Do you replace damaged pine floorboards?

    I have original Victorian pine wood flooring with some damaged floorboards. Is it possible to replace them and can you supply matching reclaimed planks?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2019

    Floorboards refitting and replacement is part of our regular floorboards repairs services. We work with local flooring reclamation yards and we can supply reclaimed or seasoned pine floorboards to replace your damaged planks. Pine comes in either yellow, red or orange colour and tends to change over time. Therefore, we will always try to supply the closest possible match to your existing floorboards to ensure a uniform appearance once the floors are sanded and sealed with hardwearing varnish.

  • Z Stewart

    Camden, 2019

    Do you sand bamboo flooring?

    Is it possible to sand and varnish bamboo flooring?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2019

    While bamboo (as final product) is not exactly timber, it is possible to sand and varnish bamboo flooring. However, bamboo floor sanding needs to be done with extreme care and it requires a specific approach and highly skillful flooring technicians. We will not recommend sanding and varnishing bamboo flooring yourself.  Bamboo floor sealing, for example, requires the application of solvent based, rather than water-based sealants. Also, wood floor staining is not recommended on bamboo floors.

  • S Thornton

    Barnet, 2018

    Is lacquered finish better than hardwax-oil for my original floorboards?

    I have pine floorboards in my house, which I want to restore. Would you recommend sealing floorbaords with lacquer or hardwax-oil (thinking of Osmo)? 

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2018

    The short answer is lacquer. The timber of the original floorboards is pine - pine is a soft, porous wood, which makes it less suitable for sealants that rely on deep penetration, such as hardwax-oil. While hardwax-oil works well for hardwoods, lacquer creates a protective surface layer, making it a more versatile option. It offers superior protection for all wood types, including softwoods like pine, and will provide a more durable finish for your original floorboards.

  • B Hayden

    Croydon, 2017

    Do you offer restoration of stairs and banisters?

    Can you help with sanding and resealing of my wooden stairs and banisters?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2017

    Sanding stairs and banisters is not an easy task and it requires high level skills and craftmanship. Most of the work involved is done manually and therefore it is very time consuming. We at FloorWorks would love to assist you with your stairs and banisters restoration as we have the required tools and the necessary skills and knowledge to bring their shine back. Stairs are usually exposed to higher levels of foot traffic, so hardwearing varnish is the recommended type of sealant.

  • G Lacey

    Romford, 2016

    Can I stain my wooden stairs?

    Is it possible to change the colour of my wooden stairs or is this something that is only done on wooden floors?

    Flooring Expert
    Floorworks™

    London, 2016

    It is perfectly fine to do staining on any solid wood areas, including wooden stairs. For our wooden stairs staining and stairs restoration projects, we use Morrells stains, which come in various shades and colours, which we apply on the sanded surface. This is then followed by the application of multiple layers of hard-wearing water-based wood floor varnish.