FAQ

Whether a floor sanding or floor planing should be performed depends on the condition of the wooden floor. Floor sanding is carried out in the majority of cases, as this is a cheaper solution for freshening up old and worn wooden floors. As mentioned in the answer to question 1, the old surface treatment is removed, after which a new surface treatment can be applied. This choice is also made, for example, if you just want a brighter shade of wooden floor.

Floor planing is a coarser method, where sharp knives remove shavings from the floor. Floor planing often removes 3–4 mm of wood so this method is good for floors that are particularly uneven. However, it should be mentioned that many wooden floors are already thin after many years of floor sanding and therefore simply cannot handle floor planing.

At NB Floorsanding, we have chosen to concentrate on the following floor treatments:

• Varnishing (clear, matt and white)
• Oil treatments (white, natural and dark)
• Lye treatment
• Soap finishes
• Wax treatments

(We also paint floors using standard floor paint: white, grey and black)

For newly sanded floors, we at NB Floorsanding recommend three layers of varnish.
Visually there is no difference if the floor has two or three layers of varnish. But the more layers of varnish that are applied, the more durable your wooden floor will be.

Yes, ordinary surface stains (assuming that the floor has not been left naked and untreated) such as from fruit, shoe soles, coffee, milk, soda, tea, etc., can be removed via a floor sanding. Stains caused by prolonged exposure to water, fat, etc., can be so deeply embedded in the wood that blotches will remain despite a floor sanding.

Likewise, it should be mentioned that if you have had furniture standing in the same position for a long time and the sunlight has not affected these areas as much, a floor sanding will never completely remove these small differences in shade. However, the difference will be reduced significantly!

There are several good floor treatments that are stain-resistant and easy to clean. But there is no doubt that a varnished floor is by far the easiest to clean and maintain.

Lye is applied to wood to prevent yellowing. All light Scandinavian wood will change colour over time if a lye finish is not applied.
Lye prevents the natural pigments in the wood penetrating to the surface and making the wooden floor turn a yellowish hue.

When a wooden floor creaks, it can become quite tiresome.

There may be several reasons why it creaks and unfortunately there is no magic bullet to make the creaking disappear.
This cannot be solved through floor sanding or floor planing.

You must first make sure that there are no more active beetles in your floor.

This is most clearly seen in that there will be tiny piles of wood on top of the floor.
The holes in the floor can only be removed through applying filler with a spatula or replacing the entire floor surface.

Varnishing the floor is a great treatment that provides a beautiful, smooth surface that is easy to clean and maintain.

Varnish is available with different sheens!

That is, how much it shines. The sheen is measured as a gloss level where 100 is the highest (high gloss) and 0 is the lowest (matt).

• Sheen: Gloss 70

There are several good floor treatments that are stain resistant and easy to clean. But there is no doubt that a varnished wooden floor is the easiest to clean and maintain.

Here you only need to use a wrung out mop or floor cloth. (Soap: soft soap or white soap flakes).

Lye is applied to wood to prevent yellowing. All light Scandinavian wood will change colour over time if a lye finish is not applied.
 Lye prevents the natural pigments in the wood penetrating to the surface and making the wooden floor turn a yellowish hue.

We work on flooring throughout the whole of Denmark.

As a rule, each flooring specialist will travel to your premises from their home.
 For larger jobs, the team will gather at one of the company’s addresses. So whether you live in Skagen, Copenhagen or Gedser, we can perform a floor sanding and apply a floor treatment at very short notice. We also carry out floor work in southern Sweden and on Bornholm.

All you have to do is contact us to receive a great deal and agree a time for the work to be performed.

Due to varying drying/curing times for the different floor treatments, it is difficult to provide a general timeframe for all floors. As a rule of thumb, floor work carried out in an average-sized property is carried out in one day, after which the floor will dry and cure overnight. In this case, you can walk on the floor the next morning.

However, there are a number of exceptions depending on the floor treatment type, the floor’s condition, the temperature and especially the humidity. For example, an oil treatment should be left to dry/cure for 24 hours, and for varnishing it depends on the number of layers that need to be applied.

When a wooden floor is dry to touch, you can start walking on it with socks.

Complete curing often takes a week during which the floor must not be hermetically covered. That is to say, the floor must not be covered with an airtight surface such as plastic or the rubber underside of a carpet.

Furthermore, it is advised not to put newspapers or other printed material on the newly coloured floor for at least 14 days after the completion of the floor work.

Yes, usually there are four levels of gloss to choose from.

• High gloss (very glossy)
• Semi-gloss (medium gloss)
• Eggshell (matt)
• Matt (almost invisible)

You are free to choose between the different gloss levels and they only differ with respect to their appearance. As far as cleaning, care and maintenance are concerned, there is no difference.

Normally the floors should be cleared of furniture, interior decoration and any old floor coverings. However, upon request, we can arrange to clear the floors for an additional fee. It is also possible for us to help with covering, packing, removing carpets, linoleum and more.

Any wooden floor which is at least 4 mm thick can be stained.

Staining requires an additional 2–4 days depending on:

• The type of stain
• The condition of the floor
• The temperature and humidity

The answer depends on the area that needs to be varnished.

Most floor sandings and varnishes take 1–2 days from start to finish. The same is the case with white pigmented varnish. Staining the floor takes an extra 1–2 days.

The new varnish types that exist nowadays dry and cure relatively quickly. After one layer of varnish, the varnish dries in one hour. In other words, when the varnishing is finished at one end, then the varnish will already be dry at the other. The more layers of varnish that are applied, the longer the drying time. Furthermore, there are also differences between the different types of varnish.

Every situation is different and is dependent on the extent of the damage.

There are a number of things that affect the overall outcome. Among others:

• Are the urine stains new or old?
• How deep has the urine penetrated into the wood?
• Is the wood discoloured?
• How strong is the smell?

Most urine damage can never be completely eliminated but can be significantly reduced. By using an agent that neutralises the smell and counteracts the acid in the urine, we can improve the situation considerably. After this, the floor can be sanded and possibly sealed with a dense and thick varnish.

Most floor companies have a price list on their website where you can see prices.

A typical price per square meter for floor sanding and finishing is around DKK 120–170 incl. VAT. The price can vary depending on the floor company and finishing.

Today, most floor companies have very efficient vacuum cleaners on their floor sanding machines. The new technology has made the discharge of dust very limited, but we cannot avoid some very fine and airborne dust being emitted.

But it is not much different than if any other type of workman had been there.

Generally, wooden floors under carpets are in good condition and you can almost always get a great result from sanding them. However, there may be certain situations that can make the process difficult, including the condition and type of the wooden floor.

Always contact a professional specialist for an evaluation.

It is important to make the necessary considerations regarding the desired aesthetic and use of the floor.
There is a difference between whether you are a single pensioner who always removes their shoes before stepping on the floors or whether you are a large family with dogs, cats and lots of children.
Here are the most important things to consider:

• The floor’s use – how much wear?
• Do you want a light or dark floor?
• The price
• When does the floor work need to be carried out?
• Does furniture need moving?
• Is there sufficient power?
• Dust cover

Furthermore, it is very important to have a close dialogue. Contact your flooring specialist and get the agreement fully in place.

Access is permitted while the floors are being sanded.

However, do not use dirty footwear as the sanded areas must be kept clean and dry. It will usually be possible to have access to the work areas between 8 p.m. and 7.30 a.m. However, this is subject to special reservations as there are many things that influence the machining process.
 But always consult with the flooring specialist and get an accurate timetable.

The smell depends on the type of floor finish that is applied. The floor sanding smells of sawdust, like in a circus ring.

Various types of floor treatment contain volatile organic solvents such as turpentine.
 The environmentally friendly water-based varnishes have the least smell.

The only supplement added is if we need to carry it out two times or more. In this case, a surcharge of DKK 1,400 is added.

A sanded and treated wooden floor is hygienic, practical, stylish and comfortable to walk on. Wooden floors do not collect dust mites that induce allergies like carpets do. They require virtually no maintenance and are very easy to clean.

A newly sanded floor does not have the stuffy smell of pets and tobacco. It is said that wooden floors are advantageous as they emit heat in the winter and cold in the summer.

A wooden floor expands and contracts as a result of temperature and humidity:
It also moves when you walk on it.

Therefore, it is important that the work is carried out properly and that the correct sealant is used.

The subfloor must be completely clean. That is, there must be no dirt in the cracks as this may prevent the joint from staying in place and cause it to slip. It is important that the work is performed correctly by a professional right from the start.

Changing a joint in a wooden floor is not an easy task and requires the expertise of an experienced joiner. A sandable joint is used and usually the cracks are milled to make them the same width and depth.

There are pros and cons to both types of floor treatment and it’s actually a matter of taste and cleaning. There is no doubt that a varnished wooden floor is the easiest to clean and maintain.

Here you just need to use a wrung out mop or floor cloth and an ordinary neutral detergent. The disadvantage of using varnish is that you cannot remove scratches and nicks without sanding the floor. On the other hand, an oil-treated wooden floor must be washed with a floor soap specially designed for oil-treated wooden floors. In addition to cleaning your oil-treated floor, you also add a little oil and protective coating so that floor is cared for through the floor cleaning.

The advantage of oil-treated wooden floors is that small scratches and small nicks can be removed by applying oil or by laying a damp cloth over the damaged area overnight.

A wooden floor may creak for a number of different reasons. It may be due to low humidity, incorrect installation or a poor quality or uneven subfloor.

Once the floor has been laid, there is no magic bullet to make the creaking disappear. It’s tricky to do something about floors that creak, but it’s definitely a possibility.
But the problem is always that the floor starts to creak again. I often find that customers think that special screws or glue can eradicate creaks, but it is only in very few cases that this is possible.

In most cases, it is necessary to change the entire floor to get rid of the creaking. Therefore, it’s important to sort out the subfloor and supports before installing a new floor. On floors where the creaking is localised to just a certain part of the floor, a partial replacement can take place.

This means that you can simply replace parts of the floor in some cases. Here there will be a difference in colour between the new and old floor but it will become more alike over time.

The advantage of a solid hardwood floor is that it consists of the same wood throughout. It does not consist of different kinds of wood such as with an engineered wood floor.

Therefore, it can be refreshed lots of times via floor planing or floor sanding.
 A solid hardwood floor is distinguished by its exclusivity and quality, qualities that are not found in other types of flooring. Hardwood floors are a living material even after being laid as a floor.

This means that the material expands or contracts in response to changes in temperature and humidity.
 This leads to smaller or larger gaps between the floorboards.

When a wooden floor is laid without being attached with nails, screws or glue, it is called a floating floor. It is not recommended to lay a solid hardwood floor as a floating floor as each board must be able to move independently. By laying the floor as a floating floor, the entire floor must have room to move. Therefore, you have to allow a gap between the floor and the wall.

No, that is not possible.

The floorboards will split in half and the floor will expand and contract in an unnatural way that damages the floor. Many floor layers can recount horror stories of laying solid hardwood floors on underfloor heating.

Wooden floors can be divided into three categories: Exotic wood, hardwood and softwood.

The exotic woods are hard and dark.

But they are often produced from unsustainable forestry. This means that you cannot restore the forest where the trees have been felled.
Hardwood from Scandinavia is ash, oak and beech.

Softwoods are pine, spruce and Douglas fir.

Whether you opt for a hardwood or softwood is down to taste and preference, as there is of course also a difference between conifers and deciduous trees.
 However, it is always recommended to buy wood flooring produced in Denmark from suppliers such as Dinesen, Juncker, Widing and Horning.

If you treat a wooden floor properly, then it will look great for many years. And varnish protects and provides a nice surface that is easy to clean and maintain.

All wooden floors can benefit from being varnished, whether they are newly laid, newly sanded or previously varnished.
 Lye-treated floors and white-washed soap-finished floors must be sanded completely before they are varnished.

The same applies to oil-treated wooden floors, which in some cases can be treated with a special alkyd varnish since the oil’s greasy surface prevents the varnish from binding.
 Most new wood floors are already treated with varnish at the factory. They rarely use a durable varnish and it will not last forever. Therefore, at some point, it is necessary to re-varnish the floor before it is worn through.

You can get varnishes with different sheens from a high gloss that is very glossy to a very matte varnish that is almost invisible. The varnishes that are used these days are based on water (acrylic) The varnish is completely transparent and forms an anonymous and almost invisible film over the floor.
 It is environmentally friendly and does not smell much, and it almost does not yellow.
 The water-based varnishes are best suited for light woods like spruce, pine, ash and beech.

If you use a water-based varnish on dark woods, you will get a milk-white surface. Therefore, you must only use alkyd varnishes on dark woods. Varnished wood floors are vacuumed or cleaned with a wrung out cloth or mop.