Parquet Floor Sanding and Polishing
What's Covered on This Page
- How to Tell Your Parquet Floor Needs Sanding, Not Just a Polish
- What the Parquet Sanding and Polishing Process Involves
- Determining if Your Parquet Floor Can Be Sanded Again
- What Do You Do Immediately After a Job Is Finished?
- How do I know if my parquet floor needs sanding or just a polish?
- Why does parquet floor sanding take longer than sanding a regular timber floor?
- Can my Auckland parquet floor be sanded more than once?
- I just pulled up old carpet in my Grey Lynn home and found parquet underneath — can it be restored?
- What should I do to prepare before the sanding team arrives?
- How long should I stay off the floor after parquet polishing in Auckland?
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How to Tell Your Parquet Floor Needs Sanding, Not Just a Polish
We receive most of our calls too late. The client has likely been walking on the distressed floor for several years, hoping it would eventually respond to a polish. Sometimes it does, but more often than not, the floor has passed that stage.
So how do you tell which is which? Look for these signs:
- Grey or black discolouration between blocks. This is a sign that moisture has penetrated the old finish. A polish will do nothing to fix underlying problems.
- The finish has worn to bare timber. You can run your hand across a high-traffic area near a kitchen or entryway. If the surface appears lighter or feels uneven, then the finish has worn down to the raw timber.
- Edges have lifted or blocks have come loose. In older Auckland homes, especially in areas like Epsom and Remuera, original flooring has been in place for decades. Sanding followed by regluing is the only proper remedy in these instances.
- Deep scratches that you can feel with your fingernail. Surface scratches can be dealt with by buffing and refinishing. Deeper ones that can be felt with a fingernail require a complete sanding to remove.
A polish just sits on top of the floor, reviving the shine. A sanding removes the old finish, levels out any unevenness that has built up between the individual blocks, then applies a new finish from scratch.
One example we regularly see is when homeowners in suburbia such as Grey Lynn pull out the old carpet and are delighted to discover that the floor beneath is solid timber parquet. At a glance, it looks beautiful. Then they begin to notice the glue residue, the black discoloration due to the old carpet underlay, and the blocks that have cupped after years of moisture trapped underneath. None of those defects can be fixed with a polish.
In nine cases out of ten, if a parquet floor has not been sanded in over fifteen years, you require an overhaul. In most cases the timber itself is sound; the solid, thick blocks can typically be sanded a number of times over their lifetime. It's the surface that suffers the most abuse.
If you are still unsure, just check the area in which the most foot traffic takes place. If you can feel the wood grains and the floor feels chalky, then you need the floor sanded. The floor has a clear answer for you.
What the Parquet Sanding and Polishing Process Involves
It's easy to imagine one large sander moving to and fro, but a parquet floor does not work like that. The blocks have been laid with the grain in different directions, so you can't simply sand along the grain as you would a standard timber floor. You need to sand with all directions of the blocks in mind.
Here's a broad outline of how a typical sanding job in Auckland takes place:
- Remove all furniture from the room and check every block. We look for loose blocks, cracked edges, and old adhesive that has failed. In older homes, like those in Ponsonby and Grey Lynn, we regularly find parquet that has come away from the concrete floor. These are then re-glued and left to dry before any sanding is performed.
- Coarse sanding diagonally. We take the drum sander to the floor at 45 degrees to the block pattern. This creates an even cut across any blocks facing in opposite directions and is the only way to avoid gouging.
- Medium grit, then fine sanding. We work through the grits to remove scratch marks from the previous pass. The edger takes care of the perimeter and, more often than not, this is the most difficult part of parquet sanding since the blocks meet the skirting at all kinds of angles.
- Filling the gaps. We combine the dust collected during sanding with resin to fill the gaps between the blocks. Since it's sanded-up your own floor timber, the colour will match almost perfectly.
- Final buff and vac. A light screen over the entire surface followed by an excellent vacuum and a tack-cloth wipe. Dust is the enemy of a good finish.
- Apply the finish. Depending on how your home will be used, we recommend and apply between two and three coats of either polyurethane or hardwax oil. Light sanding occurs between each coat.
In most situations, the average size room in Auckland takes two to three days to sand and polish from start to finish. If you have bigger rooms or very damaged flooring, it can take longer. We never rush a project like this.
If you haven't had your floor polished in several years, you won't realise it is only around a third of the work and that the sanding is the most time-consuming aspect. Most of the time is spent with prep and finishing coats. It's also here where the good and bad finishes come from. When we arrive to complete a floor for clients who have done some (or all) of the sanding themselves, and the fine grit has been skipped, or the gaps between the blocks haven't been filled, you know when it has happened. The finish will sit unevenly and begin to peel and chip after about 12 months.
Have we sparked your curiosity as to whether your floor is ready for the process? Give us a call and we can talk you through it.
Determining if Your Parquet Floor Can Be Sanded Again
It's just the unfortunate truth that not all floors can be safely sanded again. If your parquet in Auckland has already been sanded two or three times over the decades, there might not be much left to work with.
Blocks in parquet flooring are much thinner than most standard floorboards. Typically, they measure from 8 to 12mm in thickness, and there is even less wood above the tongue for wear. Every time the floor is sanded, a small amount of wood is taken from it, so if there are only a couple of millimetres of wear layer left on the top of your Auckland parquet blocks, it may not be possible to safely sand again. Our inspection process will tell us if we're confident that enough wood remains after our job to provide a good, solid finish to your floor.
When we inspect your floor to see if it is viable for another round of sanding, these are the key items we look for:
- Measuring the thickness of the blocks, which can sometimes be done at any gaps in the floor, at a floor vent, or where the tongue has been exposed from sanding
- Checking to see whether or not any of the blocks have previously been sanded down to the tongue
- Noting any signs of repairs to the floor, such as filler, previous filling, or uneven sanding
- the strength and security of blocks to their subfloor
We encounter all of these situations most frequently in older homes within the Remuera and Epsom area. We see a lot of parquet floors that were installed in the 1960s or 70s and have been sanded a few times already, and are now at the end of the line. In nine out of ten cases, we can still rescue these floors, but this is something where experience is because you need to know where the limit is. The second issue we watch out for is loose blocks. Parquet relies on glue to keep it fixed in place, and sometimes the glue will go old and weak and the blocks move, leaving gaps. If we were to sand these blocks, they will chatter and chip. For this reason, we re-glue all loose blocks before we begin. This takes a little bit of extra time but is better than leaving loose blocks that might be damaged by the machine that we cannot replace. Also, what a lot of people aren't aware of is that we can actually replace a block that's too thin to sand. We carry spare blocks in common Auckland species (like Rimu or Matai) so we can match the colour to your flooring in case of this. So the bottom line is that a good inspection now will that you have a good floor for years to come without any issues mid-job.
Finish Options That Suit Auckland Homes and Climate
Auckland has a fairly changeable climate throughout the year and this is something you need to keep in mind when thinking of a suitable finish. With our damp winters, followed by hot and dry summers where the home dries, a different set of considerations for a suitable finish must be applied here when compared to a place like Christchurch. Generally in Auckland, there are two main finish options we use on our parquet sanding and polishing jobs and this is either water-based polyurethane or hardwax oil. They're both great on parquet, but have slightly different outcomes.
Water-Based Polyurethane
About 7/10 of the time that we install a finish on a parquet floor, we'll use a water-based poly. It dries fast, it's low odour, and it handles Auckland's moisture swings without peeling or clouding. It's usually good for foot traffic after 24 hours and in a herringbone or basketweave we often use a satin polyurethane finish that allows the timber to stand out beautifully. It sits on top of the timber and forms a hard, protective coating, making it great for busy homes with kids or pets. We see a lot of homes with parquet installed in the 1960s or 70s in areas like Ponsonby and Grey Lynn and a water-based poly keeps them looking great for years, without yellowing the timber like the old solvent-based products did.
Hardwax Oil
Hardwax oil is great for those wanting a more natural finish because it impregnates the timber rather than just sitting on top of it. It's matte and very tactile, almost hand-rubbed. It's often used in more modern homes or renovated villas where people want the Scandinavian look. On the minus, it does need a little more maintenance with the areas of highest traffic requiring reapplication every couple of years, though it is quite easy to spot treat without the need to re-sand. We factor the following things into recommending a finish for a parquet floor:
- Foot traffic in the room
- Is the area subject to direct sunlight?
- The timber species – Rimu and Kauri absorb oils differently to exotic hardwoods.
- How willing are you to maintain the floors?
Often we apply different products in different rooms. We may use a polyurethane in the hallway, where shoe traffic is highest, and hardwax oil in the lounge, where you prefer a softer finish underfoot. There's no "correct" answer as to which option is best. It depends on how you actually live in a space. I explain the pros and cons of each finish on site, so that you're comfortable before we open a single can.
Need help with parquet floor sanding and polishing?
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What Do You Do Immediately After a Job Is Finished?
The job is done. Your floor looks spectacular. The next few days, however, are more important than you may think.
This is the advice I give all my clients after we finish the job. Don't move furniture back in too soon. The flooring must cure properly. Wait 24 hours before walking on it (you can, in socks if necessary), but keep heavy furniture, rugs, or pets off the floor for at least 72 hours. It might take up to two weeks for a water-based polyurethane finish to completely cure. You won't hurt it by walking across it on day one or two; it's dragging a couch across it that day two which could cause permanent damage.
First couple of weeks
Open the windows, wherever possible. Moving air helps the finish dry and harden. Auckland's humidity can affect the curing process, particularly in winter or in coastal suburbs like Mission Bay or St Heliers. I see this all the time. You leave the house, close it up, and the finish remains tacky, longer than you'd hope.
Avoid the following things in the curing period:
- Lay rugs or doormats down on the new floor
- Walk on the new floor in shoes, especially heels
- Leaving any moisture on the floor after wet feet, or spills
- Cleaning the floor other than dry or damp mop.
Two weeks later, you'll have it back to normal. Stick felt pads on all furniture legs, and all the legs. It's the cheapest form of protection I can think of for a hardwood floor.
Maintenance that actually works
I'd say in 90% of situations with new floorings in poor condition, there hasn't been the necessary maintenance. Sweep or vacuum weekly with a soft-brushed vacuum nozzle. Damp mop occasionally if necessary. Never wet mop.
It pays to watch high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchen entryways carefully. If you spot areas where the gloss or sheen is starting to diminish, that's when you need to buff and re-coat. This maintenance service is a fraction of the price of a full-sand. Most parquet flooring in Auckland will be good for a recoat every three to five years, depending on foot traffic.
Can't tell if your floor is looking for a recoat? Contact us for a quick, free check up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about parquet floor sanding and polishing services
How do I know if my parquet floor needs sanding or just a polish?
Your floor needs sanding if you can feel the wood grain or it feels chalky underfoot. Run your hand across a high-traffic area like a hallway or kitchen entry. If the finish has worn to bare timber, or you can see grey or black discolouration between the blocks, a polish will not fix it. Those are signs that moisture has got in and the surface needs a full sand and refinish from scratch.
Why does parquet floor sanding take longer than sanding a regular timber floor?
Parquet blocks are laid with the grain running in different directions, so you cannot sand in one straight pass. The sander has to work at 45 degrees across the block pattern to avoid gouging. Then the edges need separate attention, and gaps between blocks need filling with a dust and resin mix. Each coat of finish also needs light sanding in between. For an average Auckland room, the full process takes two to three days.
Can my Auckland parquet floor be sanded more than once?
Yes, but only if enough wear layer remains on the blocks. Most parquet blocks are 8 to 12mm thick, and each sand removes a small amount of timber. If your floor has already been sanded two or three times over the decades, there may not be enough wood left to sand safely. We inspect every floor before we start to check the wear layer. If the timber is too thin, we will tell you honestly before any work begins.
I just pulled up old carpet in my Grey Lynn home and found parquet underneath — can it be restored?
In most cases, yes. Finding parquet under old carpet is common in Grey Lynn and similar Auckland suburbs with older housing stock. The timber is usually sound, but expect glue residue, black staining from the carpet underlay, and some cupped or lifted blocks from years of trapped moisture. None of that can be fixed with a polish. A full sand, re-glue where needed, and fresh finish will bring it back properly.
What should I do to prepare before the sanding team arrives?
Clear all furniture from the room before we arrive. That includes rugs, chairs, and anything sitting on the floor. Make sure the area is accessible so we can move equipment in without delay. If you have loose blocks or know of any damaged areas, let us know when you book so we can allow extra time for repairs. The more prepared the space is, the sooner we can get started and the better the result.
How long should I stay off the floor after parquet polishing in Auckland?
You should stay off the floor for at least 24 hours after the final coat is applied. Full hardness takes longer — usually around seven days for polyurethane finishes. During that time, avoid dragging furniture across the surface or placing heavy rugs down. Auckland's humidity can also affect drying times, so we factor that in when we plan the job. We will give you clear instructions for your specific finish before we leave.
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