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Victorian floor boards

"Hi Nigel, We are so pleased with the floor; it looks great please tell your guys they did a super job and were a pleasure to have around."

Pine floor sanded and varnished

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Victorian pine floor restoration

Our Victorian period pine floor restoration services:


What to expect:

Here are just a few examples of our work – after 20 years spent restoring and refinishing old pine floors we have accumulated a vast knowledge base and library of photographs showing the results of our work. We have many more examples of restored period pine floors that we are able to send you and we are often able to provide you with a very close example of your own floor!

Victorian pine floorboards in Abingdon-On-Thames

Before

Pine floor boards before sanding
This kitchen Victorian pine floor was previously varnished with a solvent-based varnish; the finish had an unattractive orange hue and was flaking off. After sanding the floor was lacquered using water based varnish to retain the natural warm colour of the floor.

After

Old pine floor after varnishing
Sanded and finished with a good quality varnish retaining the natural colour and character of the boards.

Victorian pine floor in Oxford

Before

Worn old pine floor before restoration
The existing oil wax finish had almost completely worn off and was staining very easily and difficult to clean; we do not recommend the use of oil waxes in high traffic areas such as these as the finish is far less durable than lacquer.

After

Varnished old floor boards
Victorian wood floor treated with a durable floor varnish.

Victorian pine staircase in Birmingham

Before

Victorian pine staircase before sanding
The Victorian staircase sanded and lacquered to retain the natural colour of the wood. Please note that it is normal for the center of the stair treads and risers to have a slightly different shade, this is caused from the many years of the previous carpet runner covering the wood; this does not usually pose a problem as people normally install a traditional carpet runner and brass rail.

After

Victorian wood staircase sanded and lacquered
Victorian wood floor treated with a durable floor varnish.

Gap filled Victorian floorboards

Gap filled Victorian floorboards
We have cut slivers of wood from Victorian pine boards into the gaps to produce a neat filling of the boards; we only use Victorian pine for this as new pine would look stark against the existing aged boards.

Milton Keynes Victorian pine floor

Previously badly sanded and scratched pine floor; the customer had attempted a DIY approach to sand and varnish the floor themselves; we do not recommend this! We always say you start to learn how to sand a floor after your sixth floor by which time!

Poorly prepared wood floors will also result in the lacquer or other floor finishes wearing off very quickly. After taking into account the floor sanding equipment hire, sandpapers and lacquers etc. plus the hours of hard labour involved for the novice and with such poor results it really is worth hiring in a professional.

We have redeemed many wood floors that our customers have almost ruined!

Before

Pine wood floor scratched and damaged
A Badly scratched floor sanded by the owner.

After

Sanding errors removed from old wood floor
Re sanded and levelled pine floor with scratches and sanding errors removed.

Victorian Pitch pine floorboards

Herefordshire listed building with pitch pine floors restored in the former Ballroom.

Before

Repairing Victorian pitch pine floor
This Victorian pitch pine floor in a grade 1 listed building in Herefordshire had damaged and missing boards; from our stock of period pitch pine we were able to fit the replacement matching wood and then refinish the floor with a clear lacquer.

After

Repaired and refinished old pitch pine floor
The pitch pine floor now compliments this outstanding room.

Lime washing pitch pine floorboards

Victorian pitch pine floor; sanded before applying a lime wash effect and then clear varnished. Pitch pine can be a slightly too 'orangey' for some peoples tastes and it is possible to 'tone down' the colour of the boards using our lime washing technique.

Before

Pitch pine floor before lime washing
The floorboards were stained with paint and old Victorian stains.

After

Pitch pine floor after lime washing
The floor was sanded and partially gap filled before applying our lime wash effect and protecting the finish with a clear lacquer.

Lime washing Victorian floorboards

After Only

Old pine floor boards lime washed
Here is another example of lime washing old pine floor boards this time we used the technique in a kitchen and finished the floor with a clear hard wearing wood floor lacquer to protect and provide ease of maintenance.

Victorian pine staining

Before

Old pine floor before staining
This old pine floor had been previously sanded and poorly stained resulting in an unattractive appearance to the floor.

After

Medium oak stain applied to Victorian pine floor
The floor was sanded to remove all traces of the previous stain and with all minor scratched removed to produce a perfect finish in readiness for staining - when staining a wood floor it is very important to remove any sanding errors as otherwise these will be accentuated when the stain is applied. We applied a series of sample stains to the floor for the customer to choose from, in this instance the customer chose a light oak stain.

Common problems with Victorian pine floorboards and Solutions – We provide the full range of services

Common Problems Likely causes Our services
Damaged Victorian pine boards and other in appropriate floor boards fitted.
  • Woodworm
  • Previous electrical or plumbing works.
  • General age.
  • Damaged boards replaced with new pine.
  • We will remove of all damaged sections including the removal of inappropriate woods.
  • Select from our stock of reclaimed pine boards and fit these to the repair areas.
Floor boards movement and ‘squeaky’ boards.
  • Joists rotten - especially prevalent on areas adjacent to damp external walls.
  • Poorly fixed boards
  • Incorrect nail types
  • We will remove the affected area of pine floorboards investigate the damaged joists and replace as necessary with new treated joists.
Incorrect board fixings e.g. Unsuited nails, screws etc. detracts from the period appearance of the floor
  • Repaired with out due regard to period fixings.
  • We will remove all inappropriate fixings and replace these with traditional nails - these were designed to affix the boards securely and prevent movement of the boards
General poor appearance including scratches, stains and boards and lacking in definition.
  • Previously badly prepared and sanded
  • Existing seals are inappropriate and obscure the wood.
  • General wear and tear
  • We will sand the pine boards carefully; treat any stains (where possible) and then apply the appropiate finish to protect and maintain the original colour of the boards.
General poor appearance including scratches, stains and boards and lacking in definition.
  • Previously badly prepared and sanded.
  • Existing seals are inappropriate and obscure the wood.
  • General wear and tear
  • We will sand the pine boards carefully; treat any stains (where possible) and then apply the appropriate finish to protect and maintain the original colour of the boards.
Boards are difficult to clean and absorb water; flaking seals and polishes.
  • Incorrect or lack of floor protection.
  • As above.
Gaps between boards
  • Changes in temperature and humidity over time have caused the boards to contract.
  • Poorly fitting boards
  • We will fit Victorian pine slivers (new pine or mdf etc should be avoided as there will be a noticeable colour difference) the very narrow gaps with smaller areas filled with sand from the process mixed with a clear cellulose hardener.
  • Note: Gap filling is not always required and it is your personal preference; in our opinion normal sized gaps can be left unfilled unless the floor is draughty or under floor joists etc. can be seen. We are always conscious of the fact that the period feel of the floor should be retained wherever possible.
Draughty from under floor boards
  • Most wooden floors were laid on suspended joists with an open void beneath the floor allowing air circulation to prevent rotting of the joists and boards. Airbricks were fitted into the walls to assist air movement.
  • If the floor is unduly drafty we can fit under board foil backed insulation.
  • This is quite straight forward where the floor is laid over cellar areas; however where the floor is laid over an open void it will be necessary to remove the boards before fitting the insulation and then refitting the boards; naturally there will be wastage of some of the boards removed which will require replacing.

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