Floor Varnishing and Restoration Services
At Bromley Painting Company, we specialise in floor restoration with a particular focus on varnishing wooden floors. Our expertise extends beyond standard painting and decorating to include the careful preparation and finishing of hardwood and engineered wood surfaces, helping to extend their lifespan and maintain their appearance.
Our Approach to Floor Varnishing
Wooden floors can wear over time due to foot traffic, furniture movement, and general use. We start with thorough preparation, including sanding to remove old finishes, scratches, or imperfections, followed by cleaning to ensure a smooth base. We then apply high-quality varnishes selected for durability and suitability to your floor type—whether matte, satin, or gloss.
This process not only protects the wood from future damage but also enhances its natural grain and colour. We use professional-grade products that provide resistance to scuffs, spills, and UV fading, making them suitable for both residential and commercial spaces.
Why Choose Us for Floor Restoration
Experience: Drawing on generations of family expertise in painting and finishing in London and Kent.
Attention to Detail: We handle each project with precision, minimising disruption and ensuring a clean finish.
Custom Solutions: Advice on the best varnish options based on your floor's condition, usage, and desired look.
Local Service: Based in Bromley, we cover homes and businesses across Kent, London, Surrey, and Sussex.
If your wooden floors are looking tired or need protection, contact us for a free, no-obligation quote. Call 07845 445250 or email peter@bromleypaintingcompany.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
Sanding is an essential step in floor restoration. To achieve a smooth, even surface ready for varnishing, we sand the floor in multiple stages using progressively finer grits. Importantly, we change the sanding direction between passes—typically starting along the grain, then diagonally, and finishing with the grain again. This technique removes old finishes, levels imperfections, and prevents visible swirl marks or uneven areas.
The image shows a floor part-way through preparation: some sections have been heavily sanded to bare wood, while others still have remnants of the old coating. Once fully sanded and cleaned, the surface will be perfectly flat and ready to accept varnish for a durable, professional finish.
After thorough sanding with progressively finer grits and changing directions between passes, the floor is now fully prepared. All old varnish, stains, and surface imperfections have been removed, leaving the wood clean, level, and smooth to the touch.
This bare wood stage is critical—any remaining dust or debris is vacuumed and we then clean the wood with a methylated spirit to ensure perfect adhesion. The surface is now ready to accept multiple coats of high-quality varnish, which will protect the wood and bring out its natural grain and colour for a durable, professional finish.
The image shows the floor at this pre-varnish stage: light, even, and free of dark patches or scratches, waiting for the final sealing process.
Once the floor has been fully sanded and prepared, we apply multiple coats of professional-grade varnish. Each coat is allowed to dry fully before the next is added, with light sanding between coats to ensure a smooth, even build-up. The result is a hard-wearing protective layer that resists everyday wear, spills, and scuffs while enhancing the natural character of the wood.
This image shows the finished floor after three coats of satin varnish. The surface now has a consistent, rich tone with a subtle sheen that highlights the grain without looking overly glossy. The restoration brings the original pine floorboards back to a clean, modern appearance suitable for a high-traffic kitchen-dining area.
Proper preparation and quality materials make the difference—delivering a durable finish that will protect the floor for years with minimal maintenance.
