Frequently asked questions

Sanding a room of up to 50 m², including the edges of the floor, takes about a day. The floors of an average home are usually finished in 2–⁠3 working days, lacquering included.

Almost dust-free sanding means the sanding machines collect the dust straight into a bag. That is why practically no dust is left in the room, even when old lacquer is sanded off. A little fine dust can still rise into the air and settle, for example, on window sills. To stop it spreading to other rooms, it is worth keeping the doors to neighbouring rooms closed during the work.

Yes, sanding machines are loud. In a block of flats, we recommend letting the neighbours know about the working days in advance.

Yes, the room being sanded must be empty of furniture. As a rule, the client moves the furniture out and brings it back after the work. If you cannot move the furniture yourself, agree with the craftsman before the work starts how it will be done.

Yes. If the skirting boards stay on, the machine cannot reach right up to the wall, and a narrow strip of old lacquer or oil may remain next to them. With the skirting boards removed, the edge along the wall is sanded clean too and the new finish runs evenly up to the wall. You remove the skirting boards yourself and refit them after the work. If that is not possible, the craftsman does it as extra work.

The room where the floor is sanded must have electricity and working lighting. The sanding machines need a proper power supply: the main fuse of the flat or house must be at least 16 A. Light is needed to see sanding marks and unevenness. If the room has no lights yet, for example during a renovation, please install at least temporary lamps before the work. If you are not sure how big your main fuse is, check the fuse box or ask us when you request a quote.

During sanding, mostly yes, in the other rooms. During lacquering and oiling it is best to stay elsewhere, especially with children and pets. How to schedule the work in your home is agreed when the quote is made.

The craftsman does all the work himself and comes to Helsinki on agreed working days, so there may be a waiting list. We tell you the next free dates with the quote.

No. Working hours are Mon–Fri 8:00–⁠19:00. If we don't answer, we call back the same day.

Jüri answers the phone in Finnish and English, and everything is agreed with him in advance. The craftsman, Meelis, speaks Estonian, English and Russian.

One full sanding usually removes about 0.5–⁠1 mm of wood. Strip parquet, panel parquet and plank floors can be sanded repeatedly. With engineered wood flooring, the rule of thumb is roughly one sanding per millimetre of wear layer: usually once for 2.5 mm and 1–⁠2 times for 3 mm. Below 2.5 mm, full sanding is usually not possible. The thickness of the wear layer can often be seen in a photo of the floor edge.

For a lacquered floor, yes: the craftsman does not refresh lacquer, because new lacquer over old does not look good. An oiled floor sometimes only needs maintenance oiling.

Neither is better in general. Lacquer stands up better to liquids and needs less care; oil keeps the wood natural, and a worn spot can be repaired on its own. There is a comparison on the lacquering and oiling page.

You can walk carefully on a lacquered floor after 6–⁠8 hours and bring back light furniture the next day. Rugs and heavy furniture after about a week. An oiled floor takes up to 24 hours to dry in normal conditions. How long the oil takes to cure depends on the product: from 5 days to 3 weeks.

The craftsman focuses on sanding and finishing wooden floors. We do not do stairs, terraces, window sills, thresholds, shelves, kitchen worktops, painted floors or separate maintenance oiling. If such a job needs doing alongside the floor sanding, you are still welcome to ask our advice.

The work comes with a 2-year warranty, starting from the day of handover. It covers defects caused by the work, for example peeling lacquer or oil that does not cure. The terms are on the warranty and care page.

The warranty does not cover scratches and normal wear, water damage, gaps and cupping caused by air that is too dry or too humid, or wet cleaning of an oiled floor before the time the craftsman has given. Nor does it cover colour change from sunlight or filler cracking because of the seasonal movement of wood. The warranty does not limit your statutory rights.

Indoor relative humidity of 30–⁠60%, and if possible at least 40% during the heating season. In the Finnish winter, heating dries the air, and a humidifier helps. In air that is too dry, gaps open between the boards.

An oiled floor takes up to 24 hours to dry in normal conditions. Do not wet-clean it or lay rugs until the oil has cured: from 5 days to 3 weeks, depending on the oil. The craftsman tells you the exact time at handover.