Flooring Services Guide

Resources on Floor Sanding & Fitting

Best Practices & Guides in Maintenance & Care


How to Remove Stubborn Glue or Paint from Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are a timeless and elegant feature in any home, but they can easily be marred by leftover carpet glue, paint splatters, or construction adhesives. Whether you’ve recently removed old flooring or discovered an unfortunate DIY mishap, it’s important to clean the residue without damaging the wood beneath. In this guide, you’ll learn safe and effective methods to eliminate tough adhesives and paint while preserving the natural beauty of your hardwood floor.
10 Flooring Mistakes That Can Ruin Your Home – And How to Avoid Them!
Flooring is one of the most important elements of any home, impacting not only aesthetics but also comfort, durability, and long-term value. The right flooring choice can enhance your living space, making it warm and inviting, while the wrong one can lead to costly repairs, premature wear, and an overall disappointing look. Many homeowners make critical mistakes when selecting, installing, or maintaining their floors, often without realizing the long-term consequences.
Wood Floor Waxing Made Easy: Step-by-Step Tutorial
With our comprehensive guide on wood floor waxing, we will take you through every step of the process to achieve stunning and long-lasting results for your beloved wood floors. Wood floor waxing is an age-old technique that has stood the test of time, known for its ability to enhance the natural beauty of the wood while providing a protective layer against wear and tear. Whether you are a homeowner or a wood flooring enthusiast, understanding the importance of waxing and learning the proper techniques will empower you to maintain the timeless charm and durability of your floors.
Habits That Ruin Hardwood Floors (and How to Avoid Them)
As the proud owner of a beautiful hardwood floor, the last thing you want to do is ruin it—yet many homeowners do so unintentionally. Everyday use alone can create micro-scratches, marks, and dull spots, slowly wearing down the floor’s finish. While this natural wear and tear is expected, bad habits can accelerate the damage dramatically.
6 Unusual Wood Floor Maintenance Hacks That Actually Work
Wood floors have been a staple of interior design for centuries, admired for their timeless beauty, durability, and warmth. Today, they’re more popular than ever—so much so that many homeowners consider themselves amateur experts when it comes to wood floor fitting, sanding, refinishing, or upkeep. With so much advice online and offline, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of maintenance tips and tricks.
Reasons Why Your Hardwood Floor Looks Dull
Nothing beats the shine and elegance of a freshly installed or refinished hardwood floor. Its gloss, style, and sophistication instantly elevate any interior. However, as time passes, even with regular cleaning and care, that initial brilliance can start to fade.
Caring for Antique Wood Floors: Maintenance Tips & Best Practices
Owning antique wood flooring is both a privilege and a responsibility. These floors bring elegance, history, and character to any interior, but they also require a more thoughtful approach to upkeep. Unlike modern factory-finished planks, antique and reclaimed floors need gentle care and tailored maintenance routines to preserve their timeless beauty.
Why Steam Cleaning Hardwood Floors Is Risky
Hardwood floors are a true investment—beautiful, durable, and designed to last for decades with the right care. But proper wood floor maintenance requires following specific cleaning guidelines. Too much moisture or the wrong cleaning method can shorten your floor’s lifespan dramatically.
How to Choose the Right Vacuum Cleaner for Hardwood Floors
Cleaning hardwood flooring is one of the most important parts of proper maintenance. With the right care, your wooden floor can last for decades—sometimes even a century or longer. To achieve this, you need a routine that’s both effective and safe for wood surfaces.
When Is It Time for Hardwood Floor Repair?
Owning a hardwood floor is both a pleasure and a responsibility. These floors bring beauty, warmth, and timeless style to your home, but to keep them in excellent condition, you need more than regular cleaning—you also need to recognise when they require repair. Ignoring small issues can quickly lead to larger, costlier problems.
Pros and Cons of Staining Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are one of the most desirable features in any home. They combine elegance, warmth, durability, and timeless beauty, instantly adding character to your living space. Whether you are planning a brand-new wood floor installation or moving into a property with existing wooden flooring, you already know that this is just the beginning.
How to Avoid Underfloor Heating Issues with Wooden Floors
Are you considering installing an underfloor heating system in your home? It’s a smart choice that keeps your feet warm in winter and helps reduce heating bills. Even better, underfloor heating is compatible with most real wood flooring types, so you can enjoy both the timeless look of hardwood and the comfort of radiant heat. However, there are a few potential problems that may arise if the system isn’t managed properly.
How to Keep Your Wooden Floors Safe While Moving House
Moving into a new home is always exciting—a fresh start, a change of scenery, and maybe even an excuse to finally declutter. But let’s be honest: moving is also stressful. There’s the endless to-do list, the packing, the planning… and somewhere in the chaos, one very important detail often gets forgotten: protecting your hardwood floors during a move.
Water-Damaged Hardwood Floors: Should You Repair or Replace Them?
Noticed your hardwood floor starting to swell, warp, or balloon? Chances are, excessive moisture is the culprit. This type of water damage to wood floors is a common problem for many homeowners and can cause serious structural and visual issues if left untreated. Superficial water damage—like light stains or minor surface marks—can often be fixed with simple cleaning or refinishing.
3 Ways to Extend the Life of Your Parquet Flooring
Parquet flooring isn’t just another pretty face—it’s the Beyoncé of floors. Stylish, timeless, and with the right care, it can keep performing for decades (no halftime show required). Unlike vinyl or laminate that age faster than a banana on a hot day, parquet floors are designed to last up to a century if you treat them well.
Water-Damaged Wood Floor Repair – Restore Your Floors
Wooden floors are vulnerable to water damage, and sometimes, even a small incident like a spilt glass of water can leave permanent marks. More serious situations, such as plumbing leaks, rising damp, or flooding, can cause severe and sometimes irreversible damage to your hardwood or parquet flooring. To protect your investment and keep your flooring looking its best, it’s crucial to act fast.
Top Things That Can Damage Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors: the crown jewel of every home. They look gorgeous, they add value to your property, and they make you feel just a little bit fancier every time you walk barefoot with a cup of coffee in hand. But here’s the catch – they’re also divas.
How to Clean Laminate Floors Properly: Best Tips & Mistakes to Avoid
Laminate flooring has become an increasingly popular choice, gradually replacing real wood flooring in many homes. The rising cost of natural wood and the advancements in laminate flooring technology have contributed to this shift. Today’s laminate floors offer an affordable alternative that mimics the authentic beauty of hardwood with remarkable accuracy.
How to Prevent Wood Floor Gapping – Causes, Tips & Solutions
We often talk about professional services like wood floor gap filling and how effective they are for restoring the look and condition of a floor. But what if you could avoid the need for gap filling in the first place? That’s the focus of today’s topic – learning how to prevent wood floor gaps before they appear. Gap filling itself is neither complex nor particularly expensive, and in some cases can even be done as a DIY project if the gaps are small.
Top Benefits of Natural Oil Floor Finishes
Choosing the right finish for your wooden floor is just as important as selecting the floor itself. Different factors come into play, including the type of wood species, the texture of the boards, the room environment, and the level of traffic the floor will experience. For example, a busy commercial space has very different requirements compared to a calm domestic setting.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wax Floor Finishes
Real wood flooring has been one of the most popular flooring choices among homeowners for many decades, thanks to its timeless beauty, durability, and versatility. Beyond the wide range of wood species, colours, textures, and floorboard sizes, one of the main reasons for its appeal is the ability to customise its look and performance with different wood floor finishes. The primary role of any finish is to protect the surface of the floor against wear, scratches, and moisture.
How to Protect Wood Floors from Damage
Real wood flooring is not something to take for granted. Hardwood floors are a serious investment, and most homeowners want to enjoy them for as long as possible while getting the best value for their money. In fact, high-quality wood floors are designed to last for up to a century when they are properly maintained and protected.
How to Protect Wooden Floors During Renovation – Tips & Aftercare
Right now, dozens of people across the country are planning or already carrying out a home refurbishment or renovation project. And as you can expect, when upgrading, repairing, or improving a property, there are countless details to think about. In the middle of this process, one important element often gets overlooked – how to protect your wooden floor.
How to Maintain Parquet Flooring – Care Tips & Professional Restoration
Parquet flooring has been admired for centuries, first gaining fame in the time of Louis XIV when it became a symbol of luxury and refinement. Today, parquet remains one of the most desirable flooring choices, thanks to its timeless charm and versatility. Whether laid in a classic herringbone pattern or a more modern geometric design, parquet brings warmth, character, and sophistication to any home.
How to Keep Your Wooden Floor Clean During the Holiday Season
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…” unless you’re a wooden floor. Then it’s basically survival season. Forget the carols and fairy lights – your floor is busy battling muddy boots, red wine spills, oily gravy drops, and the occasional flying chunk of roast potato.
How To Clean and Maintain a Parquet Floor
If you’re fortunate enough to own a parquet floor, you know it’s more than just flooring – it’s a timeless design feature that adds elegance, durability, and style to any space. To enjoy its beauty for decades, a regular cleaning and maintenance routine is essential. The good news? Caring for parquet doesn’t require endless effort, money, or time.
How Wood Floors Can Save You Money
In recent years, more attention has been placed on how interior design impacts not only style and comfort but also energy efficiency and sustainability. Improving energy efficiency is valuable for several reasons – it lowers household bills, creates a more comfortable living environment, and supports eco-friendly living by reducing waste and energy use. When it comes to your home, saving energy without sacrificing comfort is key.
Cleaning Wooden Floors Safely During Pregnancy
Life can be hectic, and cleaning the floors isn’t always the top priority of the day. For many people, a quick vacuum and mop often feels like enough. But when it comes to wood floor maintenance, proper care is essential if you want your flooring to stay clean, hygienic, and in good condition.
Mastering Winter Wood Flooring Maintenance
Winter brings plenty of charm, but it also creates challenges for wood flooring. As temperatures drop and humidity levels fluctuate, your floors are exposed to conditions that can affect both their appearance and durability. Snow, ice, and rain brought in from outside only add to the risks.
14 Important Ways in Which Your Wood Floor is Trying to Tell You Something
Have you ever found yourself exasperated, just like dealing with a crying baby, trying to decipher what your wood floors are trying to tell you? Wood floors, just like babies, communicate through signs, and it's important to pay attention to these signs to identify any potential problems with your hardwood floor installation. In this comprehensive guide, we will equip you with the knowledge to address common issues that may arise with your wood flooring installation. So, get ready to tackle these challenges and impress your friends with your newfound expertise on solid wood floors.
How to Reduce Colour Changes in Your Wood Floor
As a natural material, wood flooring will inevitably experience some changes over time. The type of change depends on several factors, including the species of wood, the finish or stain applied, indoor climate conditions, and the level of care the floor receives. Colour changes are perfectly normal – just as time affects all natural materials – but the results can vary greatly depending on the circumstances.
6 Common Myths About Wood Flooring and Its Maintenance
Wood flooring has long been admired for its timeless beauty, durability, and value. Yet, despite its popularity, many homeowners are still hesitant to choose it because of common myths and misconceptions. Some believe wood floors are too expensive, others think they’re difficult to maintain, or worry they won’t work well with pets.
Pets and Wood Floor Damage: How to Protect Your Floors
Pets and wood floors are not always the perfect match. Dog and cat nails can leave scratches, while shedding hair, muddy paws, and the occasional accident all add to the potential damage. Over time, even minor issues can build up and affect the look and durability of your flooring.
Protecting Your Floors from Furniture
Hardwood flooring is beautiful, durable, and a valuable investment. It adds warmth and character to any home, but it also comes with a price tag – one that most homeowners want to protect for as long as possible. After all, no one spends thousands on wood flooring just to neglect it later.
Daily and Regular Wood Floor Care Made Simple
The elegance, versatility, and natural beauty of wood flooring make it one of the most popular choices for homeowners today – and for good reason. Real wood not only adds warmth and style to any interior, but it is also hypoallergenic, doesn’t trap dust and debris like carpets, and feels more natural underfoot compared to tiles. Another advantage is that wood flooring never goes out of fashion.
Protecting Hardwood Floors with Doormats and Rugs
Hardwood floors naturally show signs of wear over time. Stains, spills, dents, and scratches all have one common cause – foot traffic. The more people move through an area, the faster the surface begins to look tired and distressed, eventually requiring professional sanding to restore it.
High Heels and Wooden Floors: What You Need to Know
High-heeled shoes are often seen as impractical, uncomfortable, and even painful to wear. Yet, despite these drawbacks, many women still choose them because of fashion trends and the sense of elegance they bring. Interestingly, high heels were not originally designed for women.
Having Plants on Wooden Floors: Benefits and Protection Tips
In our busy everyday lives, we are constantly on the move, balancing work, family, and countless responsibilities. Centuries ago, people naturally turned to nature for rest and balance, but in modern times, many of us have drifted away from this connection. Still, no matter how much we distance ourselves, the pull of nature remains strong — and we often bring it indoors in the form of houseplants.
Solid Wood After Care
With the correct care, your floors will stay beautiful for many years to come. Common sense and a few preventative steps can lengthen the life of your floors. A regular wood floor cleaning routine will simplify your floor care.
Cleaning Stains and Repairing Scratches on Waxed Wood Floors
Waxed wood floors have a timeless, elegant charm. The warm sheen they provide makes any room feel more inviting. However, they do require regular care, and stains or scratches can sometimes spoil their beauty.
Cleaning Stains & Scratches on Varnished Floors
Hardwood flooring remains one of the most beautiful, attractive, and desirable flooring choices for homeowners. However, unlike some other resilient flooring options, wood requires consistent care and maintenance to preserve both its appearance and structural integrity. Among the most common issues faced by homeowners are stains and scratches on hardwood floors.
Treating Stains & Scratches on Waxed Floors
Waxed floors are stunning… until life attacks them with muddy shoes, spilled drinks, or the occasional dog accident (we won’t name names). The good news? Most stains and scratches can be fixed without calling in a full restoration team. Let’s break it down, problem by problem, so you know exactly what to do next time disaster strikes.
Preventative Floor Maintenance
Wooden floors are a natural product associated with style and even luxury. Floors, however, can and will get worn, distressed and damaged over time. This brings up the question, what can you do to preserve them in their current state? How to keep them in good health? There is a lot you do to make sure your floor is well maintained.
How to Clean and Maintain Laminate Flooring in Your London Home
Keeping your laminate flooring looking beautiful shouldn’t be a chore. Whether you’re a busy London homeowner or a hands-on DIYer, the right care routine saves time, prevents damage, and protects your investment. Our expert team has been helping local families maintain their laminate floors since 2004 — now it's your turn to enjoy smooth, spotless results.



FlooringFirst! Services
158 Coles Green Road
London, NW2 7HW
T: 020 88309782