Blowing the myths about floor sanding - highly recommend Redeemed Floors

[Kath Berry]

Howdy neighbours,

I am posting this thread to share with you my delight at discovering that floor sanding is not nearly as much of a nightmare as I imagined.

I have put it off for years, but took the plunge earlier this month and enlisted the help of Andrew Caustin from Redeemed Floors: http://www.redeemedfloors.com.

He did an amazing job (evidenced by photos attached).

Andrew was punctual, considerate and his quote included a break-down of different options and the costs, so that I could choose what suited our budget and design (for example floor staining is a little more than using a standard lacquer). He noted that the natural colour of the wood matched our light-couloured carpet and suggested we went with a natural lacquer rather than darken the wood. He also suggested an additional, cost-effective option to cater for our heavy traffic with two young kids.

Most importantly he mapped out his schedule for me so that over the five days he was working on the floors (in the hallway, lounge room and dining room), I could plan when to be out of the house with the kids.

It's true, it was dusty - but no where near as bad as what I thought! Apparently this depends on the machine that is used (his delux one having an inbuilt vacuum function). In addition, he brought along his industrial vacuum cleaner too - and kept the place spotless during the evenings.

I also really enjoyed brain-storming ideas with him about how to reuse/ up-cycle the sawdust (he is exploring options - and has been experimenting with different uses for it... for example turning it into compressed logs for the fire), and I looked into biodegradable cat litter pellets. Any other ideas/ uses??

So, my advice is, if you want to get your floors done - he's your man. I am really so delighted with the outcome (also expect it will reflect in our heating bill as he filled the huge, drafty gaps between the floor boards!).

PM me if you want more photos, the ones attached speak volumes!

And, incidentally, if you fancy giving it a go yourself, you can hire floor sanders for about ?24 / day from Diamond Hire in Brixton (I did this and decided it was worth paying the professionals). Diamond Hire put me in touch with Andrew.which I am thrilled about. http://www.floor-sander-london.co.uk

I am happy to pass this recommendation on to you!

Best

KWB