Ask Mr Sanders

Hi and thank you for contacting us regarding parquet flooring restoration. Fireplace removal and extension with reclaimed parquet blocks is definitely something we can help with. This is a regular service that often goes with our floor restoration services. However, you mention that you would like to use your reclaimed parquet blocks, which have bitumen on the back. Bear in mind that it is often very difficult to remove the bitumen, so we might need to supply some additional reclaimed parquet blocks, matching the size of your flooring and use them instead. After the floor extension, a complete sanding and re-varnishing will provide a beautiful and new look to your parquet flooring.

Gap filling is a technique used during floor restoration to fill gaps between floorboards or blocks, achieving a smooth finish. This can be done on pine floorboards, parquet flooring, or solid wood flooring. The gap filling putty is a mixture of clear resin and sawdust collected from the sanding process. The method used depends on the flooring type and gap size. Smaller gaps, typical in parquet blocks, are filled with finer dust, while larger gaps in pine floorboards may require coarser sawdust.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Resin Gap Filling

• Advantages:

  • Popular and reliable method.

  • Effective in resolving gaps between floorboards or parquet blocks.

• Disadvantages:

  • Durability depends on flooring type and subfloor stability.

  • Typically applied twice during restoration for increased effectiveness.

  • Thicker floorboards with tongue and groove installation last longer than thinner pine floorboards on unstable subfloors.

  • Movement of floorboards or subfloors can reduce the durability of resin gap filling.

Strip Filling

Strip filling is another method used for wider gaps, employing small pine slivers. It is more durable and reliable for larger gaps but can only be applied in specific locations, not throughout the entire floor.

Advantages:

• Effective for larger gaps.

• More durable than resin gap filling in certain cases.

Disadvantages:

• Time and labor-intensive.

• May have an undesirable visual effect due to the additional small strips added to the floor.

Hi,

While you are absolutely right that restored pine floorboards look stunning once they are sanded and varnished, I am afraid we cannot install pine floorboards throughout your floors. Pine floorboards can be purchased from reclamation yards and we regularly do so, when a replacement of existing board is required during the floor repair service. However, if you need installation of flooring throughout your property, we would advise you to consider solid wood, engineered wood or parquet flooring instead.

I hope that this helps.

While there are many underfloor heating products on the market today, the general advice is that underfloor heating requires either engineered parquet flooring, or planks or appropriate laminated flooring above it. LVT will work as well.

Solid wood flooring, including parquet blocks, is too sensitive to temperature and can cause significant contraction over UFH.