Bona Traffic HD Wood Floor Lacquer Review

 Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-renovations blog post.

Todays subject matter is a review of a new product from the mighty Bona stable of world class flooring lacquers.

We are proud to have been asked to test and evaluate the latest version of the rather superb Bona Traffic, the new product is called 'Bona Traffic HD' and is an updated and harder wearing version of the best selling Bona Traffic.

We have written a comprehensive review and evaluation of Bona Traffic HD, which is available for viewing on our website.

We also used Traffic HD on a relatively small entrance hallway which had a very nice Douglas Fir parquet floor which we restored, checkout the video clip below of the completed project.

Hope you enjoy the review...Regards Gary.

Waxed Parquet Block Floor is Sticky and Picks Up Dirt

Hello and Welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blog Post.


Today I'll show you a couple of pictures from a recent Floor Sanding job of ours and explain a few things that many end users often do and wonder why what they have done looks rubbish and doesn't last.


Our client had previously done the floor sanding and sealing works herself, with poor results, and was asking many questions with regards to sanding/finishing/products etc.etc.


When she had last sanded/sealed the floor, [only 12 months ago] which is an original Pine Parquet Wood block floor, fitted in the diagonal herringbone pattern with no border approximately 90 years old, the area was, to cut a long story short, basically sanded and waxed, which had unquestionably been applied too thickly by our client, [a common DIY mistake] which was the reason the floor looked blotchy, felt sticky all the time, was difficult/impossible to clean and attracted dirt like bee's to a honeypot...[picture below] 

This picture [above] was taken about 30 minutes or so after we started sanding the floor, and you can clearly see the high traffic area's in the middle of the picture which were basically bare wood as the old seal had completely worn through.

The picture below is the floor in its finished condition, immediately after the 3rd coat of lacquer had been applied to this floor.

 Our client had specified a high traffic lacquered finish for this project, and in this case we applied 1 x coat of a solvent based primer to seal in any wax residues and negate any contamination of the new lacquered finish, this was then followed by 2 coats of Lobadur WS 2K Fusion which is a high performance 2 part lacquer, famed for its durability, which looked superb and will serve our client well for many a long day.

Looks a bit different from the first picture doesn't it !

Thanks for reading...Regards Gary

Will the black marks on my parquet floor sand out ?

Hello and welcome to another Woodfloor-Renovations Blog Post.

Today the question asked is one which we come across quite alot, and can affect many different types of wood floors in many different ways.

The question is "Will the black marks i've got on my parquet floor sand out ??"

In this particular case the black marks are made by a cat litter tray...the floor in question is a Rustic Oak Parquet block floor, and you've guessed it ... the marks are pretty bad.

In this case the black marks on the parquet blocks didn't sand out, we did try very hard and used quite harsh abrasives [24 grit] to try and remove the said marks, unfortunately in this case circumstances dictated that the marks could not be removed...i'll explain why.

The Rustic Oak floor in this case had an Oiled finish, which had been in place for at least four years and wasn't applied particularly well in the first place, the cat litter tray for whatever reason had small holes in the bottom [like a plant tray] and let out the combination of cat urine and the litter mixture gradually over a long period of time.

When a mixture like this settles and permeates into an Oiled floor there is only going to be one result and that is a nasty black mark that just cannot be sanded out, the only other option would be to take out and replace [with new blocks] the effected area.

 In our scenario the clients understood the issues and as the area was out of the main living space they decided to live with it and buy a better cat litter tray...

Hope that helps - thanks for reading.

What Flooring Adhesive To use for my reclaimed parquet floor ?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog Post.


Today's offering is something we get asked often, as it's something alot of people try and do themselves to save some money.


The question today is "What Flooring adhesive to use for my reclaimed parquet floor ? "

There are many very good flooring adhesives out there in the big wide world of wood flooring, but there are exactly NONE that claim to be able to fix back into place reclaimed parquet flooring that have bitumen on the back of them NONE.

Most non professional end users will have a different perception of what is a properly prepared sub-floor surface or parquet block in readiness for the blocks to be relaid, if the prep work isn't done properly then your project will almost certainly be doomed to failure, even if you do use adhesive from quality manufacturers.

That brings me nicely on to the adhesives that I would recommend, there are three, and I'm only mentioning 3 as I know these work if used correctly, I dare say there are many more products out there that work just as well, but I haven't used them so I can't say whether they are any good or not.

The three products I use regularly are Lecol 5500, Laybond L16, and last but no means least Sika 5500s. All these products I have found to work very well if the correct prep work has been done, click Here to see our full article on proper methods & correct prep work and tools.

When trying to effect block repairs you really do need to do your homework and find out the correct processes and products which will greatly minimise the likelihood of failure with your project, done properly with the correct products and know-how your project can have a professional finish and should last for many years.

Always always take time to read and understand the manufacturers product instructions in respect of how much product to apply to either the floor or the block, too much and it may be weeks before the adhesive dries properly, too little and the block likely won't adhere at all, make sure you use the correct sized notched trowel to apply the adhesive with as well.

Remember...which ever adhesive you use to fix your loose blocks you will get NO Guarantee  from any manufacturer, so if your project fails...it fails...Do Your Homework.


Hope this helps.....Thanks For Reading.

High Heel Damage and Wooden Floors....What Can I Do ?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog Post.


Today's question is a contentious issue which happens every day to someone's Wooden Floor, follow a few of the following simple steps and it may not happen to you.... 


The question is..."High Heel damage to my wood floors, what can i do ??"


The quick answer is Not alot the damage caused by High Heels can be really bad, I myself have seen indents of well over 5mm into a hardwood floor, this kind of damage cannot easily be sorted out.



High heels concentrate a person’s weight on a small point (estimate: 125lb person = approximately 2,000lbs per inch when taking a normal step). This kind of force can damage many types of flooring, fracturing ceramic tiles and perforating vinyl, as well as denting wooden floors. While high heels in good repair may not damage wood floors, we recommend a ‘no high heel’ policy.


NEVER feel guilty about asking your friends to take off their high heels on entering your home, better that than having marks and indents all over your wood floor....


We have Sanded and Refinished numerous wooden floors of various species that have had high heel damage, very often the marks are removed during the floor sanding processes, but sometimes these marks CANNOT be removed with floor sanding as the indents are just too deep, these indents can be filled with a gap filling mixture, but its likely that you will still be able to see the indents, but to a much lesser degree, sometimes this is the best option.

• As I mentioned earlier, if people are coming into your home with high heels on, politely ask them to take them off, A NO HIGH HEELS policy will keep your wood floors looking good for many years.....
• If you wear high heels around your own home make sure the heel tips are in good repair, heels without tips are almost certain to cause damage.....
• Damaged wooden floors are not easily repaired, consult a professional for advice if you are in any doubt.

Thanks for reading......We'll be back soon.


Checkout our website at Woodfloor-renovations

Floor Lacquers-How Long Do they Last ?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog Post.


The question today is one which we get asked on virtually EVERY project we carry out...."How long will the lacquer last ??"


Its a fair and reasonable question and one you would expect an easy answer to, but there are many variables which need to go into the answer which determines how long the lacquers will last.


In a typical domestic situation where the wood floor lacquer has been correctly applied and is reasonably well looked after...in that the correct cleaning/maintainance schedules are used on a regular basis, you can expect something between 3-5 years of good service before the area may need a light sand off and further coats of lacquer applying. 


You must also bear in mind the type of foot traffic going over the floor, in a busy household with young children and pets, the lacquer is not going to last as long as in a quieter household with say just two adults living in it..... other things to bear in mind are.....is the area a busy Hallway/Lounge ?  Do the family members take off their footwear on entering the property ? Do you remove small stones and grit from the floor surface regularly ? Do you use the correct cleaning and maintainance products on the floor ?


These things might not sound important but overall they can make a huge difference to the longevity of your floor lacquers, just using the proper cleaning products makes a massive difference, all the lacquer manufacturers have their own maintainance products that are designed especially for the lacquers, so my advice would be to do your homework and use the recommended products and follow the manufacturers maintainance schedules to get the best out of your flooring lacquers.


Thanks for reading.....

Can I Apply a Coloured Lacquer to a Hardwood Floor Without Sanding it ?

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blog post.


Today's post is a question i don't hear too often, but without the correct knowledge and proper techniques it would be very easy indeed to make a complete hash of your floor.


The question is:- "Can I Apply Coloured Lacquer to a Hardwood Floor Without Sanding it ? "  


You will almost certainly need to lightly Sand the floor prior to applying the Coloured Lacquer......read on as to why....


I know for a fact this topic has caught out many people who have tried to do just this, but have  had a very poor finish on their project, in fact I did a job for a lady last week who did exactly this and had a near disastrous finish.....Hence her phone call to us....


There are a number of things that anyone who is contemplating applying coloured lacquer needs to bear in mind before starting their project. Firstly and most importantly it needs to be determined whether or not the wood surface you are applying the coloured lacquer to is a Lacquered Finish.....or an Oiled Finish....


If you know the Finish on your floor is an oiled finish then its project over before it's begun, you cannot apply Coloured Lacquer on top of an Oiled Finished Floor, it will just reject and peel off, usually within a day or two, Lacquer and Oil are literally like Oil and Water, they DON'T mix......However if you happen to know that the finish on your project is Lacquer, then you should be ok......famous last words.


I would strongly recommend that you thoroughly clean your project floor before you start applying any lacquer using a good proprietary wood floor cleaning product, I would also advocate doing a small test area first, say a small board or two in a corner of your room so you can basically test whether or not the Coloured Lacquer will properly adhere to and cover your wood floor, this will also allow you to see how the coloured lacquer will look on a small area before you coat the entire floor.


If the test area is successful then its time to move onto doing the whole floor. Clean the surface with a proper wood floor cleaning product as I mentioned before and wait for that to dry. Now you need to lightly sand the whole area with say a 120 grit level sandpaper, this is so that the whole area has a good 'key' so the following coats of coloured lacquer will adhere properly.


After you have finished lightly sanding your floor then vacuum the area thoroughly, and also tack cloth the area as well so the floor is as clean as possible before you start applying any coloured lacquer.


Check to see if your Coloured lacquer product can be applied with a roller or a brush and use the correct application tools, read and correctly follow the manufacturers instructions. 


Hope that helps......Good Luck.

How Do I Lay a Parquet Floor ??

Hello and Welcome to another WFR Blogpost.


This post will probably be a short one, but the subject matter is something I come across on a regular basis...


The question is "How Do I Lay a Parquet Floor ??"

 Believe it or not that's what I'm asked on a very regular basis, its akin to asking "how do I do a vasectomy myself ? ".....if you don't know how to, or haven't been professionally trained then my strong advice would be Don't Bother.....get a professional tradesman to lay the floor, and a professional company to Sand & Refinish for you as well.


The chances are after investing considerable amounts of money and time, the end result won't be anywhere near the quality of finish you expected.

Here's what a properly laid/sanded & refinished Parquet Floor looks like.....

That's it....Rant over....Thanks for Reading :-)

From Behind The Machine....Our first post

Hello and welcome to the Woodfloor-Renovations first ever blog post...

Over the coming months I'll be commenting on many Floor Sanding related topics, such as Gap Filling, or whether to use Lacquer or Oil as your floor seal of choice, I'll also be giving you an insight as to my perspective on the trials and tribulations of a professional Floor Sander. 


I'll be trying to answer questions sent in via email on Wood Floor Sanding topics, so if you have any issue's with your project or are just wondering 'How do I' do this or that....email me or ask through the Blog and I'll try and answer the question.

The question I'm most asked is 'should I use Lacquer or Oil on my wooden floor ?'

Its a reasonable question, unfortunately there isn't a straightforward answer....it's mainly down to personal preferences but there are many things to bear in mind before making the decision on which Seal to use on your project.



An Oiled finish can give a greater depth of colour to the floor, while a lacquered finish may leave the floor slightly more pale in appearance, but this can be entirely dependant on wood species... Normally 2 coats of Flooring Oil are applied to a properly prepared wood floor, while most professional Floor Sanding Companies will apply 3 coats of Lacquer as standard. Under normal traffic conditions, an oiled finish should last between 12-18 months before needing more coats of Oil to be applied, whereas Lacquer should last between 3-5 years before needing attention.

These timings are approximate and depend on a number of variables, such as :-the Cleaning regime employed by the home-owner, the volume of traffic in the home, and the type of shoes that go over the floor......


Both Lacquers and Oils are available in different sheen levels, with Lacquers the sheen levels are usually:- Extra Matt, Matt, Satin, Semi Gloss and Gloss, while Oiled Finishes usually come in:- Matt & Satin finishes.


It is highly recommended to always use the proper wood floor cleaning products from the manufacturer of the Lacquer or Oil you have applied to your floor....Why?? i hear you ask.

The answer is quite simple.....the Lacquer/Oil manufacturers wood floor cleaning products are designed to work specifically with the Seal you have just applied to your wooden floor, their usually easy to follow instructions make cleaning your beautiful newly Sanded & Finished Floor quick and very easy, these products are normally cheap and readily available.   


Do a Google search for:-wood floor cleaning kits / you will get many results and varying prices, one of the best cleaning kits on the market is from Bona, and is cunningly named The Bona Wood Floor Cleaning Kit....the kit comes complete with a wide mop, extension pole and the cleaning solution all in the box, expect to pay between £20 - £25 for the kit, now i know this is quite alot of money but bear in mind that the material head of the mop is machine washable and the 1 litre of cleaning solution will last many months before a refill is needed.


Thanks for Reading.....