Return tired, damaged or water-affected hardwood floors to full working condition - at 30–50% of the cost of replacement, with minimal disruption to your operations.
When a commercial hardwood floor reaches the point where it looks clearly past its best (grey, worn, scratched or damaged) the instinct is often to price a replacement. In the majority of cases, that instinct is wrong.
Hardwood floors are extraordinarily durable. What typically fails is not the timber itself but the finish protecting it — the varnish, oil or lacquer that has been worn away by traffic, degraded by cleaning chemicals, or simply aged beyond its useful life.
Professional restoration typically costs 30 to 50% of an equivalent replacement, takes significantly less time, and produces a result that in most cases is indistinguishable from a new floor.
Since 2006
Quicksand Flooring has been carrying out commercial wood floor
restoration across London and the Southeast. Our managing director,
Daniel, has over 20 years of hands-on experience. Every project is
handled entirely by our own employed team — we never subcontract.
SMAS Worksafe Accredited
Bona Certified Contractor
NWFA Member
Constructionline Accredited
Wood floor restoration is not a single process. It's a range of techniques applied in combination to address whatever the specific floor requires.
The foundation of most restoration work. Sanding removes the existing finish layer, strips back built-up grime and contamination, levels out wear and minor unevenness, and opens the timber surface to receive a new finish. We use professional-grade Lägler equipment - German-manufactured machinery that is the benchmark for the industry - which produces an even, mark-free surface and minimises dust through integrated extraction.
Multiple sanding passes at decreasing grit levels bring the floor progressively to a clean, smooth base. The result reveals the natural grain, colour and pattern of the timber that years of wear and accumulated varnish had concealed.
Before or during sanding, we address any boards that require attention: loose or damaged sections re-fixed, split or cupped boards replaced where necessary, and gaps filled using dust-and-resin or sliver techniques to produce a continuous, level surface. Structural problems are resolved before finishing, not hidden beneath it.
Fine gaps filled with a paste made from the floor's own sanding dust mixed with water-based resin - an inherently colour-matched solution. Wider gaps filled using the sliver technique: wedges of reclaimed, species-matched timber fixed permanently into the gap structure. Both approaches produce a seamless result.
Water-damaged boards are assessed individually. In many cases, sanding and treatment removes the visual evidence of water damage entirely. Where boards have moved structurally, we advise on whether repair or targeted replacement is the right approach.
The final and critical stage. The choice of finish determines how the floor looks, how it performs under commercial footfall, and how long it lasts before the next intervention is required. We specify the right product for the environment and apply it to manufacturer specification - never rushed, never undercoated.
Finish selection is not decorative; it's a specification decision that affects performance, maintenance requirements, and the total cost of ownership.
High-traffic
Two-part system for school sports halls, hotel corridors, office lobbies. Exceptional abrasion resistance in matt, silk-matt or gloss.
Waterborne
Low-VOC, exceptional abrasion resistance. Compatible with Bona's maintenance system for long-term floor care.
Natural
Penetrates timber surface for protection from within. Water-repellent and stain-resistant. For boutique hotels and heritage buildings.
Hybrid
Combines oil penetration with wax surface protection. Easy to repair in sections without full re-coating.
Heritage
Appropriate for heritage and listed building environments where an authentic period finish is required. Gives a distinctive, natural sheen that enhances grain and colour. Requires a more active maintenance schedule than modern lacquer or oil systems (periodic buffing and re-waxing) but produces a result that no synthetic finish replicates.
We advise on finish selection honestly and without bias toward any particular product.
Industry benchmark machinery with dust extraction that keeps commercial sites clean and compliant.
Every operative is a Quicksand employee, trained to our standards and accountable to our management.
We'll tell you clearly if replacement is better. We don't quote for work that isn't in your interest.
Evenings, weekends and school holidays are standard. We commit to agreed access windows in writing.
Full commercial health and safety accreditation. We meet method statement and risk assessment requirements.
Every project starts with a visit. We assess in person and provide written specification and fixed quotation.
Period and modern hardwood floors in City and West End buildings, co-working spaces, and corporate headquarters. Restoration during evenings or weekends.
Assembly halls, sports halls, gymnasiums, corridors and classrooms. Holiday-window programming with local authority procurement experience.
Lobbies, function rooms, restaurants, bars and bedroom corridors. Finish specified for spills, cleaning chemicals and hospitality footfall.
Some of London's most historically significant floors. Experience with listed building environments and heritage timber.
NHS buildings, libraries and public offices. Out-of-hours working as standard with full compliance requirements.
Hardwood sports floors restored and finished to Sport England guidelines, including line marking where required.
Whether you're dealing with a floor that has deteriorated over years of neglect, preparing a building for new tenants, or looking for an alternative to a costly replacement, we'd like to take a look. We provide free site surveys and written quotations across London and the Southeast.
