Published on 5 March 2012

Posted in Floor Sander Hire

““Don’t you ever switch off?” that was my wife’s anguished question as we were enjoying an after dinner coffee in the Old Pirate pub in leafy Buckinghamshire. All I had said was that I had noticed that the wooden floor in the bar/restaurant could do with a little restoration and I was going to give the manager one of my business cards advertising my floor sanding restoration services in Buckinghamshire.

Anyway it paid off! Two days later the ‘phone rang and the rather gruff voice at the other end was asking me how much I would charge to completely sand the hardwood floor in his Buckinghamshire pub, then varnish it and restore the restaurant floor back to its’ natural beauty. We agreed a price for my floor sanding and varnishing services and early on the Monday morning I was off to Buckinghamshire accompanied with a Bona 10” belt sander and a Lagler Trio finishing sander, with an assortment of floor sanding sheets and discs. I had also included a Bona edge sander and a Bona dust care system to complete the floor sanding project. I decided to buy the floor varnish at a local wooden floor specialist, just to make sure I would get the correct wooden floor seal and ensure that this well-used wooden floor was finished with the most hardwearing wooden floor finish. I had hired the Bona equipment and Lagler floor sanding machines from a London floor sanding hire shop who had also supplied me with sanding discs and sheets on a sale or return basis.

When I arrived at the pub, the manager had thoughtfully moved all the tables and chairs and the restaurant/bar area was completely clear, ready for me to get floor sanding. After assuring the manager that the Bona dust care system would collect over 99% of the residual dust, I set up the Bona 10” belt sander and started to sand the pub wooden floor, effortlessly ripping through the top layer of varnish with a 60 grit floor sanding sheet. Before long I was finishing off the floor with a 100 grit sheet, getting a smooth finish ready for the Lagler Trio to complete the floor sanding job. Getting down on my haunches was the correct posture for using the Bona edging sander, with its’ bright light helping me to get into the dark recesses of this Buckinghamshire pub. As the pub was only going to shut the restaurant for a few days, I had agreed with the manager that I would work into the night to get the floor sanding project completed in one day, allowing plenty of time for the wooden floor varnish to dry. So, after a quick sandwich and sip of coffee I was plugging the Lagler floor sander into the mains and began sanding the wooden floor of the restaurant to a fine finish. I reckon it was about three in the morning when I set the Lagler finishing sander down and began inspecting the hardwood floor making myself satisfied that the wooden floor was smooth and ready to apply a coat of floor varnish.

I packed away the floor sanding tools and then treated myself to a quick kip in my van. As the sun rose over this delightful Buckinghamshire pub, I pulled out my Blackberry and Googled “Floor Varnish Buckinghamshire” and up popped a local wooden floor specialist that advertised Bona Traffic floor varnish for sale. I noted their address and soon I had 25 litres of Bona Traffic and Bona Prime loaded into the back of my van.

Arriving back at the Buckinghamshire pub/restaurant, I set about applying the Bona primer across the wooden floor. I then applied the Bona Traffic, deciding to apply at least three coats of Bona Traffic as the floor was well trodden. It was late into the following evening before I had completed all three coats of Bona Traffic and although I was getting tired I was cheered by the look of the wooden floor, with a very natural finish, more ‘oiled’ than varnished. Bona Traffic is ideally suited for large footfalls, giving invisible protection, which doesn’t distract from the natural beauty of the wooden floor. Bona Traffic is formally certified for anti-slip (DIN norm 19 032 & BS 7044:1990) and meets ÕNORM C 2354 Category C (very heavy wear), the Austrian equivalent of our BS standards.

As I was packing away the entire floor sanding tools, unused sanding sheets and the empty Bona Traffic and Bona Prime bottles, the pub manager was at my shoulder gazing at his finished wooden restaurant floor. “You’ve done a job here,” he muttered, “thanks,” he added. I explained that the floor would be dry in about 5 hours, so he could probably get the bar and restaurant back into action the following day.

It made a nice change from floor sanding in London to go out into the Shires to ply my floor sanding trade, but sleeping in a van and working against the clock had taken its toll, I was looking forward to my bed! I made a mental note to return the Bona and Lagler floor sanding equipment back to the London floor sanding hire company the next day, after I had recovered!”

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