Dealing with Problem Floors in London
We have nearly 20 years of experience – if we haven’t tackled a problem with wooden flooring before, and solved it, no one has! The two classic problems we come across are woodworm infected boards and joists and the laying of Deal (young pine) by inexperienced or unscruplous installers.
Woodworm
Woodworm-affected joists – if penetration is not critical, they can be ‘treated & cleated’ that is treated with a low-odour, water-based woodworm treatment/prevention, repaired and structurally ‘beefed up’ using cleats made from lengths of new joist timber (also treated).
Affected joists tend to crumble on their edges (right angles) – as long as the woodworm has not fully penetrated the joist, they are usually treatable and may only need basic cleating.
‘Cleats’ installed alongside weakened original joist timber and resting correctly on the ‘plate’ – the structural wood that runs below and perpendicular to the joists and supports them.
Another classic problem: ‘Deal’- young pine
It shrinks like mad for up to 6 months after being purchased/laid. Ideally, it should be avoided like the plague as it’s too unstable. It’s worth paying the extra for seasoned reclaimed timber.
The floor below was a tongue & groove ‘deal’ that another contractor had laid, sanded, and stained rosewood. They finished it all correctly with several coats of good quality lacquer & when the job was finished, it looked good. Fast Forward six months and a whole winter central heating cycle, and you can see that the boards shrunk substantially. Significant gaps opened up, showing the ‘blond’ un-stained tongues of the boards.
We had to fill all the gaps with specially mixed two-component filler, re-sand, and stain everything from scratch. The client paid twice for the same job.
The moral of the story is don’t scrimp and buy new pine, however cheap it seems at the time – buy reclaim or live to regret it!
What our customers say
Megan Arneau2023-12-23Dave, Diego and Stick came over to renovate our floors in the property we just purchased. We had no idea what we were getting into, and their communication was flawless with a lot of explanations and what to expect. They were of great advice, efficient and incredibly kind! We are absolutely delighted with how the floor looks like and couldn't believe the difference before/after. We would highly recommend them! Thanks again for the work you have done :)
John Owen Waller2023-12-11100% Recommend. Have had Dave and Diego do our floors a few times now. You won’t find a more friendly and obliging team. Extremely knowledgeable, reliable and punctual, with great suggestions on colour/tone for newly sanded floors; also have super contacts when it comes to replacing damaged boards.
Mona Ando2023-10-19We had our wooden floors sanded by the natural floor company and they look amazing! David talked me through the process and Diego carried out the job. They were professional, tidy and did an outstanding job. What more can you ask for! We would highly recommend using them if you want to bring your wood floors back to life.
Phillip Ayoub2023-10-11I couldn't recommend David and Diego more highly! Professional, kind and excellent craftsmen. The floors turned out great and it was a pleasure having their team around while they were working on it.
Flora Bain2023-08-22The Natural Floor Company were excellent to work with. David and co were organised and helpful from our first enquiry, checking our needs (we're an art studio). Our really grimey and bumpy floor was transformed by their work. See pictures. The work was completed well within the time they estimated and the cost was as agreed. We are thrilled with the results. Comments from our studio neighbours include 'beautiful' and 'phenomenal'. Highly recommend.
daegyte awdetr2023-06-28Amazing service, high communication, flexible, personable, made every step of the refurb painless and easy. Wasn’t derisive when there were hiccups on my end from this being my first time hiring a contractor. I couldn’t have had a better service nor had better people. Has made my first home beautiful and long lasting. 10/10 highly recommend, will be recommending to friends and family.
Amye Clarke2023-06-02Great, professional workmanship. Done in the time set out and very clean . Thanks David and Diego for transforming my floor
Renee Rigby2023-04-20Many many thanks to David, Diego and Sticky. Our dining room floor looks amazing! Highly recommend this small company.
Haley Haley2023-02-01I can not say enough good things about the natural floor company. David and Diego really know what they are talking about and deliver and then some with the final product. I inherited engineered wood flooring with a house I purchased, I am not even sure how old the floor was, but it had been exhausted by the previous owner and tenants. They literally bought the floor back to life, and it looks brand new. Knowledge, hard work and a quick turn around. I googled the process and came across them via a search, and picked them based on reviews and location, and very glad I did. Amazing people, and I hope this company only grows. Fully recommend. Infact my family have saved their details incase needed.
Alternatively call us on 020 8830 1455
The Natural Floor Company, 216 Chapter Road, London NW2 5NB
Please click to provide us with reviews of our services. Your feedback is invaluable to us.