Floor sanding - would you complain? (with picture)

[HotChoc10]

I booked a company in to sand/restore the original floorboards in my house. Mostly theyve done a good job but there's a couple of boards which look dreadful and I'm not sure why.

I asker the workman about them and he said something like 'there will always be flaws' and i just sort of left it... The company advertises its services as restoration and repair. Its website doesn't actually mention replacing old timber so im not sure i have grounds to ask them to come back and sort it if that's what needs to be done.

I'm sure you paid a pretty penny so I would most definitely be calling them back out.The top piece looks amazing!!
It looks like they skipped over the rest of them.Good luck to you and I would also review your contract as well.

Sanding and restoration doesn’t go as far as replacing floorboards unless is stated in the contract.

I would say however that if you replace those floorboards with new ones, there will be a big difference in colour and if you live in an old house, in width, height or nail style. So demanding they are changed can well result in going from an age feature (those are the old marks of insects eating the wood) that is a foot wide to having a rogue variation wall to wall.

No I would be happy with them.

They are never going to look perfect-even brand new wood has knots and different colours in them.

The contract only mentions sanding, gap filling and varnishing so I suppose its just part of having an old house. And it's in a hallway so I can get a nice runner to cover it up.

I treated the boards for woodworm after i got the old carpet up so hopefully there won't be any more bugs!

I thought the same about mine. They are now covered by a beautiful carpet.

I suppose some companies can replace with an eye to detail but I guess it will be a bit costly.

That damage is the result of having woodworm. Have you checked for ongoing infestation or have the boards been treated? They could be replaced, but you need a proper carpenter/joiner who can match the seasoned wood to make a good job of it.

x post.

But... but... but... surely the whole point of exposing the floorboards is to show the life they've had? If you want perfect then replace the lot!

I absolutely love seeing the life in old woodwork and it looks to me as though the two boards in the photo may well have already been replaced in the distant past. They could well be a slightly different wood but in my eyes, it just adds character.

I have a few areas were there was woodworm in years past and... I love to look at them, the area I covered with carpet is the one with the mismatched modern plank.

Haha you've made me feel much better about it @BessieBumptiousness and @TanMateix!

Yes, was coming on to say that’s woodworm damage. Nothing much they can do to eliminate it. The colour is beautiful.

HotChoc10 Good! I see the beauty and lives lived in it - I love old houses that tell a story. I'd hate to live in a modern box with its flimsy walls and perfect floors!

Exactly the same thing happened to me. I was pissed off they didn’t point it out to me before they stained it or I’d have had them replace it. When questioned they said I should have pointed it out to them first which I would had done had it been able to see it! It only became obvious when they had sanded a layer off. I was quite pissed off as the floorboard is so weak we have to be careful standing on it but they refused to come back to sort it.

It was The Floor Doctor.

There's always a risk when you expose old floorboards that they will be unsightly, scarred with old wood worm damage, pitted and worn in places. I love original floorboards, they tell a story about your house. They are part of its history and imo they deserve a special place in the very real fabric of your house.
In many years to come someone may look at the work that you've had done and really appreciate that you kept faith with the original history of your house and didn't put a load of softwood perfect planks in that space.
You may have guessed that I love original features in an old house,

They look good!

If you want uniform boards replace the whole lot with new flooring.