So, you’ve discovered damaged timber floors. Before you reach out to FLOOR for repairs, it’s essential to evaluate whether the solution justifies the problem. Repairing even minor damages can impact the overall aesthetics and continuity of your flooring, not to mention the potential cost and inconvenience. Let’s delve into how to determine whether the damage warrants attention, repair, or starting afresh.
Step 1 – Assess the Damage
Before picking up the phone, take a close look at the affected area. How severe is the damage? How noticeable is it? Does it span a significant section of your floor, affecting the room’s overall appearance? Minor damage might only be visible to you. Repairs can significantly alter the continuity of your floors, so it’s crucial to consider whether they are genuinely necessary.
A simple test involves wiping a wet cloth over the affected area. If the scratch disappears momentarily, a re-coat may suffice. However, if the scratch’s colour changes or remains unaffected, it has penetrated the coating and reached the timber. In such cases, read on to the ‘severe damage‘ section below.
Step 2 – Avoid DIY Fixes
Dings, dents, and scratches in timber floors cannot be easily rectified with a DIY repair kit from your local hardware store. Without the specialist skills and equipment possessed by professional floor sanders like us, you risk exacerbating the damage. In addition to making the affected area more conspicuous, DIY attempts may introduce contaminants to the floor, necessitating a complete re-sand and polish. It’s a costly mistake you’ll want to avoid.
Step 3 – Seek Professional Advice
Unsure whether the damage warrants repair? Take photos of the affected area (and another of the entire room) and allow us to provide an expert assessment. Send the photos via email along with your room measurements, and we’ll determine whether the damage can be tolerated, repaired, or requires more serious attention.
Step
Description
Step 1 – Assess the Damage
Assess damage before calling. Minor issues might not need repair. Test with wet cloth.
Step 2 – Avoid DIY Fixes
DIY kits risky for timber floor damage. Pros needed to prevent worsening and costly mistakes.
Step 3 – Seek Professional Advice
Not sure if repair is needed? Send photos of damage and room. We’ll assess and advise.
However, before you grab your camera, consider the following information.
Repairs for Light Scratches in the Coating
For superficial scratches confined to the coating, a light buff and re-coat are recommended. To ensure uniformity in appearance and adequate protection, it’s advisable to re-coat the entire area. For instance, if the damage spans the kitchen and extends into the dining room, both areas should be treated to maintain consistency.
If you’re a homeowner and the damage was caused by either your tenant or a visiting contractor, remember that they are responsible for repairing only the damaged area, not the adjacent rooms.
If investing in re-coating the adjoining floors isn’t feasible, insisting on repairs might not be worthwhile. The repaired area could differ significantly from the surrounding floors, resulting in noticeable inconsistencies.
Cost considerations are paramount. Our re-coating service entails a minimum flat rate call-out fee of $1,000 for areas up to 40 m2. For a full re-sand and three coats of polish, the minimum flat rate fee is $2,000, as it involves two trips over two days.
If you’re the contractor or tenant responsible for the damage, you have the option to offer a settlement. Unfortunately, as professional sanders, we can only provide re-coating or re-sanding services; there are no quick or cheap fixes available.
Repairs for Severe Damage
In cases of severe damage where the coating has been penetrated and reached the timber, a complete re-sand (back to bare timber) and three coats of polish are recommended.
Once again, it’s crucial to acknowledge that repairing only the damaged area may highlight differences in joins, colour, and shine between the repaired area and the adjacent floors. If maintaining a consistent appearance is a priority, consider re-sanding the adjoining floors or continuous area in addition to repairing the damage.
As mentioned earlier, re-sanding the undamaged areas is the homeowner’s responsibility and cannot be passed on to tenants or contractors responsible for the original damage. Given the associated costs, accepting a settlement and living with the damage until excessive wear necessitates a full re-sand and finish might be a more prudent choice.
Recommended Action: Complete re-sand (back to bare timber) and three coats of polish.
Considerations:
Repairing only the damaged area may highlight differences in joins, colour, and shine compared to adjacent floors.
If maintaining consistency is crucial, contemplate re-sanding adjoining or continuous areas alongside repairing the damage.
Re-sanding undamaged areas is the homeowner’s responsibility and cannot be passed on to tenants or contractors.
Consider accepting a settlement and living with the damage until excessive wear necessitates a full re-sand and finish due to associated costs.
Before Contacting Us…
Pause and evaluate the damaged timber floors. Can you live with it, or does it genuinely require repair? Consider the extent and severity of the damage, potential repair costs, and its impact on the overall appearance of your floors.
Factor in the overall cost. If maintaining a consistent look across your entire floor area is essential, contemplate whether investing in re-coating or re-sanding the adjoining or continuous areas, in addition to the damaged section, is feasible. When the damage is caused by a tenant or contractor, remember that they are only responsible for repairing the damage, not ensuring consistency across your entire floor area.
If you’re still uncertain, send us photos of the damage, along with your room measurements, and we’ll provide guidance accordingly.
For more information call Mark on 0438 777 561.
Mark Jolley
Brisbane Floor Sanding Specialist
With over 33 years of experience, Mark Jolley is the founder of Floor in Brisbane. Known for his exceptional craftsmanship and innovative use of UV-cured polyurethane technology, Mark has sanded and polished over 10,000 timber floors and decks across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. His dedication to quality and customer service makes Floor the top choice for floor sanding and polishing.
Call Mark
Damaged Timber Floors? 3 Things You Need To Know
Damaged Timber Floors: A Comprehensive Guide
So, you’ve discovered damaged timber floors. Before you reach out to FLOOR for repairs, it’s essential to evaluate whether the solution justifies the problem. Repairing even minor damages can impact the overall aesthetics and continuity of your flooring, not to mention the potential cost and inconvenience. Let’s delve into how to determine whether the damage warrants attention, repair, or starting afresh.
Step 1 – Assess the Damage
Before picking up the phone, take a close look at the affected area. How severe is the damage? How noticeable is it? Does it span a significant section of your floor, affecting the room’s overall appearance? Minor damage might only be visible to you. Repairs can significantly alter the continuity of your floors, so it’s crucial to consider whether they are genuinely necessary.
A simple test involves wiping a wet cloth over the affected area. If the scratch disappears momentarily, a re-coat may suffice. However, if the scratch’s colour changes or remains unaffected, it has penetrated the coating and reached the timber. In such cases, read on to the ‘severe damage‘ section below.
Step 2 – Avoid DIY Fixes
Dings, dents, and scratches in timber floors cannot be easily rectified with a DIY repair kit from your local hardware store. Without the specialist skills and equipment possessed by professional floor sanders like us, you risk exacerbating the damage. In addition to making the affected area more conspicuous, DIY attempts may introduce contaminants to the floor, necessitating a complete re-sand and polish. It’s a costly mistake you’ll want to avoid.
Step 3 – Seek Professional Advice
However, before you grab your camera, consider the following information.
Repairs for Light Scratches in the Coating
If you’re a homeowner and the damage was caused by either your tenant or a visiting contractor, remember that they are responsible for repairing only the damaged area, not the adjacent rooms.
If investing in re-coating the adjoining floors isn’t feasible, insisting on repairs might not be worthwhile. The repaired area could differ significantly from the surrounding floors, resulting in noticeable inconsistencies.
Cost considerations are paramount. Our re-coating service entails a minimum flat rate call-out fee of $1,000 for areas up to 40 m2. For a full re-sand and three coats of polish, the minimum flat rate fee is $2,000, as it involves two trips over two days.
If you’re the contractor or tenant responsible for the damage, you have the option to offer a settlement. Unfortunately, as professional sanders, we can only provide re-coating or re-sanding services; there are no quick or cheap fixes available.
Repairs for Severe Damage
In cases of severe damage where the coating has been penetrated and reached the timber, a complete re-sand (back to bare timber) and three coats of polish are recommended.
Once again, it’s crucial to acknowledge that repairing only the damaged area may highlight differences in joins, colour, and shine between the repaired area and the adjacent floors. If maintaining a consistent appearance is a priority, consider re-sanding the adjoining floors or continuous area in addition to repairing the damage.
As mentioned earlier, re-sanding the undamaged areas is the homeowner’s responsibility and cannot be passed on to tenants or contractors responsible for the original damage. Given the associated costs, accepting a settlement and living with the damage until excessive wear necessitates a full re-sand and finish might be a more prudent choice.
Before Contacting Us…
Pause and evaluate the damaged timber floors. Can you live with it, or does it genuinely require repair? Consider the extent and severity of the damage, potential repair costs, and its impact on the overall appearance of your floors.
Factor in the overall cost. If maintaining a consistent look across your entire floor area is essential, contemplate whether investing in re-coating or re-sanding the adjoining or continuous areas, in addition to the damaged section, is feasible. When the damage is caused by a tenant or contractor, remember that they are only responsible for repairing the damage, not ensuring consistency across your entire floor area.
If you’re still uncertain, send us photos of the damage, along with your room measurements, and we’ll provide guidance accordingly.
For more information call Mark on 0438 777 561.
Mark Jolley
Brisbane Floor Sanding Specialist
With over 33 years of experience, Mark Jolley is the founder of Floor in Brisbane. Known for his exceptional craftsmanship and innovative use of UV-cured polyurethane technology, Mark has sanded and polished over 10,000 timber floors and decks across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and the Sunshine Coast. His dedication to quality and customer service makes Floor the top choice for floor sanding and polishing.
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