Parquetry Sanding in Newcastle
Sanding Across the Grain, Not With It
Parquetry is the one timber floor you can't sand in a single direction. Herringbone, basketweave and brick patterns turn the grain through a right angle every few blocks, so a pass running with the grain on one block runs across it on the next. At Freedom Flooring, parquetry sanding in Newcastle is worked diagonally across the pattern and then refined, which levels the blocks without tearing the cross-grain sections or scalloping the surface. Loose blocks are re-fixed and missing ones replaced before any cutting starts. The coating you choose matters more here too, since the pattern is what people notice. Call 0404 606 142 for a look at yours.
Restoring a Parquetry Floor
Old parquetry brings problems that strip flooring simply doesn't have.
Loose and lifting blocks are re-adhered before sanding. A block that moves under a machine chips its own edges and unsettles the ones around it, so the floor has to be solid before the first cut.
Sanding runs diagonally across the pattern in successive passes. Cutting across both grain directions at an angle is what avoids the tear-out you get from running straight into end grain.
Missing blocks are replaced with matched timber cut to the same dimensions. Older parquetry often uses block sizes that are no longer standard, so replacements sometimes have to be cut to suit rather than bought off the shelf.
Bitumen and old adhesive residue is dealt with during preparation. Original parquetry was frequently laid in bitumen, which clogs abrasives and can bleed into a new coating if it isn't handled properly.
FAQs
- In most cases yes, since parquetry blocks are typically solid timber with plenty of thickness left to sand. The deciding factors are how many blocks are loose or missing and whether the subfloor beneath them is sound.
- The pattern places blocks at opposing grain directions right next to each other, so no single direction works with the grain across the whole floor. Cutting diagonally across the pattern gives an even result on both orientations instead of tearing the cross-grain blocks.
- Sometimes, if the existing finish is intact and only dulled, a light abrasion and fresh coat will lift it. Where the coating has worn through to bare timber in traffic paths, a full sand is needed to avoid an uneven, patchy result.