Hardwood floor repair

Usually closely, sometimes exactly, occasionally not. It depends on the species, the width and profile of the boards, how much the existing floor has aged and darkened, and whether the finish is a stain or a natural oil. We will give you an honest read on the likely match before you commit, because a repair that stands out is worse than no repair for some people.

Sometimes, but not by sanding it, at least not first. Cupping means the underside of the boards has taken on more moisture than the top, so the priority is finding and fixing that moisture source and letting the floor stabilise. Boards often flatten substantially on their own once the cause is removed. Sanding a cupped floor flat while it is still wet underneath produces crowning later.

Not always, and it is worth waiting to find out. Gaps that open in winter and close again in summer are normal seasonal movement and filling them causes problems when the boards expand again. Gaps that persist year-round are a different matter and can be addressed. We would generally want to see the floor in both seasons, or at least know what it does, before recommending filling.

Repair, in almost every case, and often by a wide margin. Board-level replacement uses a small amount of material and targeted labour, while replacing a room means removing a floor that is largely sound, buying new material for all of it, and reinstalling. Replacement makes sense when the floor has been sanded to the end of its life or damage is genuinely widespread.

Our work is repair, which includes treating a damaged finish locally in the area we have worked on. A full sand and refinish of an entire floor is a different trade and a different job, and if that is what your floor actually needs we would rather tell you so than sell you a repair that will be sanded away six months later.