Timber Floor Sanding & Polishing: What to Expect (Perth Guide)

Quick answer: Sanding and polishing a typical Perth home of 60–100 m² takes about 3 to 5 days with a water-based finish. That's one to two days of sanding and filling, then a coat a day. You can usually walk on it in socks 24 hours after the final coat, move furniture back after 3 to 7 days, and put rugs down after about 2 weeks. It costs roughly $32–$74 per m².

Old timber floors hide well. Under tired carpet in a lot of 1960s and 70s Perth houses there's Jarrah, grey and scuffed, waiting for someone to notice. Sanding brings it back. So does a newer floor that's lost its shine after ten years of kids, dogs and sand.

But most people have never had it done, and the questions are always the same. How long do we need to be out? Will there be dust everywhere? Can we stay in the house? This guide answers those, in the order the job actually happens.

Can Your Floor Be Sanded?

Start here, because not every floor can.

• Solid timber (strip or tongue-and-groove boards): yes, usually many times over its life. Old Jarrah floors in Perth often have plenty of timber left even after 50 years.
• Engineered timber: usually yes, if the real timber top layer is 3 mm or thicker. A 2 mm layer might take one light sand. Thin veneers (under 2 mm) generally can't be sanded safely.
• Parquetry: yes, but it takes more care because the grain runs in different directions.
• Hybrid, laminate and vinyl: no. The timber look is a printed image, and sanding goes straight through it.

Not sure what you have? Lift a floor vent or take off a bit of skirting and look at the edge of a board. Or ask us to check it at a free measure. If your floor can't be sanded, our engineered vs hybrid flooring guide walks through the replacement options.

How Floor Sanding and Polishing Works, Step by Step

1. Clear the rooms and prepare

All furniture comes out of the rooms being done. Old carpet, underlay, tack strips and staples are removed. Then the floor gets checked: nails punched below the surface (a proud nail head will rip a sanding belt), loose boards fixed, and any damaged boards replaced.

This step is often skipped by cheaper operators. It's also where a lot of problems start. A single missed staple can leave a long gouge across three metres of floor.

2. Coarse sanding

A drum or belt sander takes off the old coating and a thin layer of timber. It starts with a coarse grit, often 36 or 40, to cut through old polish and flatten cupped or uneven boards. An edger sander does the perimeter the big machine can't reach.

3. Filling gaps and holes

Nail holes, small cracks and minor gaps between boards get filled with timber filler matched to the species. Wide gaps from years of seasonal movement are a different story. Filling them with a rigid filler usually just leads to cracking, so we'll talk you through the options.

4. Finer sanding

The floor is sanded again with finer grits, often 60, then 80, then 100 or 120. Each pass removes the scratches left by the one before. Corners and edges are finished by hand or with a small detail sander.

5. Vacuum and clean

Every trace of dust is removed from the floor, skirtings, windowsills and gaps between boards. Dust left behind ends up trapped in the finish. It's slow, boring work and it matters.

6. Seal and coat

Usually three coats: a sealer followed by two topcoats, with a light buff between coats to keep the surface smooth. Each coat needs to dry before the next goes on, which is why the job takes several days even though the sanding itself is finished in one or two.

Our floor sanding and polishing service uses professional finishing systems, including Bona, one of the finish brands we work with.

How Long Does Timber Floor Sanding Take?

For a typical Perth home, here's a realistic timeline with a water-based finish:

Stage	Time
Prep, sanding and filling (60–100 m²)	1–2 days
Sealer coat	Day 2 or 3
First topcoat	Following day
Final topcoat	Following day
Light foot traffic (socks only)	24 hours after the final coat
Furniture back in (with felt pads)	3–7 days after the final coat
Rugs back down	Around 2 weeks after the final coat

Oil-based and solvent-based finishes take longer, often a full day or more between coats, and they need longer to cure before rugs go down.

Weather matters too. Coatings dry slower on cold, damp winter days and faster in summer. On very hot days, a finish can dry too quickly and leave lap marks, so we sometimes adjust the timing to work in the cooler part of the day.

How Much Dust Does Floor Sanding Make?

Less than it used to. Modern sanders have dust bags and connect to extraction systems that catch most of it. You won't find a layer of timber dust across the kitchen benches the way people remember from the 1990s.

But "most" isn't "all". Fine dust gets into the air, especially during edging. So we seal doorways into rooms that aren't being done, close off air-conditioning vents, and ask you to take anything precious or electronic out of the rooms first. Shut kitchen cupboards and cover anything you'd rather not wipe down.

Do You Need to Move Out?

For the rooms being done, yes. Nobody can walk on the floor between coats.

Whether the whole family needs to leave depends on two things. The first is the layout. If the sanding is limited to the bedrooms and you can still reach the kitchen and a bathroom, many families stay home. If it's the whole ground floor of a single-storey home, you'll usually need to be elsewhere for three to five days.

The second is the finish. Water-based finishes have a mild smell and low fumes, so staying in a closed-off part of the house is usually fine. Solvent-based polyurethanes have a strong smell and much higher fumes. With those, we recommend everyone (pets included) stays out until the coating has cured.

Water-Based vs Oil-Based Floor Finishes

This is the biggest choice you'll make, and it changes the colour of your floor.

	Water-based polyurethane	Oil-modified / solvent-based
Colour	Stays close to the natural timber colour	Adds a warm amber or honey tone
Ageing	Little yellowing over time	Darkens and ambers with age
Smell	Mild	Strong, needs good ventilation
Drying time between coats	A few hours to a day	Usually a day or more
Hardness	Very hard with modern two-part systems	Hard, slightly more flexible
Best for	Modern, pale or natural looks; staying in the house	Traditional warm looks on Jarrah or older homes

The ATFA's note on colour change when re-sanding older floors explains why: solvent coatings and oils darken as they age, while water-based finishes tend not to. That's also why a freshly sanded 40-year-old floor can look much lighter than you expect.

There are also penetrating oils and hardwax oils, which soak into the timber rather than sitting on top. They give a matte, natural look and can be spot-repaired, but they need more regular maintenance.

Can Sanding Remove Deep Scratches and Stains?

Surface scratches, dull patches and worn coating: yes, easily.

Deep gouges: mostly. A deep dent may need a board replaced rather than sanding the whole room down to the bottom of the dent.

Stains are harder. Pet urine, water damage and black iron stains around old nails often go deep into the timber. The ATFA warns that these can look gone once sanded and then reappear once the coating goes on. We'll tell you honestly what's likely to come out before we start, and where replacing a few boards makes more sense.

Floor Sanding Cost in Perth

In 2026, timber floor sanding and polishing in Perth usually costs about $32–$74 per m², with a typical job around $47 per m² (What's the Damage Perth 2026 cost table). On an 80 m² home, that's roughly $2,560–$5,920.

Prices go up for:

• Floors under carpet that need staple and tack-strip removal
• Heavy repairs, board replacement or gap filling
• Parquetry and herringbone
• Stairs, which are priced separately
• Premium two-part or commercial-grade coatings

Compared with new flooring, it's great value. Our Perth timber flooring cost guide puts the two side by side.

How Often Should Timber Floors Be Re-Sanded?

A full sand every 10 to 15 years is typical for a family home. In between, a "screen and recoat" every 3 to 5 years keeps it looking good. That's a light buff of the existing coating followed by a fresh topcoat. It doesn't touch the timber, takes a day or two, and costs much less than a full sand. The trick is doing it before the coating wears through to bare timber in the high-traffic paths.

Looking After Your Floor Once It's Done

The first month is the delicate part. The coating feels dry within a day, but it keeps hardening underneath for a couple of weeks. During that time:

• Walk on it in socks, not shoes
• Put felt pads on every furniture leg before it goes back in, and lift furniture, don't drag it
• Hold off on rugs for about two weeks, because they can trap moisture and mark the finish while it cures
• Sweep or vacuum only. No wet mopping in the first week

After that, keep it simple. A microfibre mop, a pH-neutral timber floor cleaner, and good mats at the outside doors. Steam mops are a no: the heat and moisture damage the coating and can push water into the joints between boards.

Perth sun is the other thing to watch. UV changes the colour of timber over time, and rugs and furniture that never move leave paler "shadows" behind. Blinds on west-facing windows and moving rugs around now and then keep the colour even. If you've chosen a pale species such as Blackbutt, our Blackbutt timber flooring guide covers how it changes with light and finishes.

Can You Sand Floors Yourself?

You can hire a drum sander. We'd gently suggest thinking twice. Drum sanders are heavy and aggressive, and the most common DIY result is "chatter marks": waves or ridges where the machine paused for a second. On a soft floor or a thin engineered layer, one mistake can take off more timber than you can spare. Coating is a skill too. Brush marks and trapped dust are hard to fix once they've dried.

Book a Sanding Assessment

Every floor is different, so we start with a look. Nulook Timber Flooring will check what your floor is, how much life it has left and what finish suits it, then give you a fixed written quote and a clear timeline so you can plan around it. Book your free assessment or call 0405 821 884. For matching treads, see our timber staircases work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does floor sanding and polishing take?

A typical Perth home of 60 to 100 m² takes about 3 to 5 days with a water-based finish: one to two days of sanding, then about one coat per day. Oil-based finishes take longer because each coat needs more drying time.

How long after polishing can I walk on my floors?

With a water-based finish, you can usually walk on the floor in socks about 24 hours after the final coat. Furniture can go back after 3 to 7 days, and rugs after about 2 weeks.

Do I need to move out while my floors are sanded?

You need to stay off the floors being sanded and coated. If you can still reach the kitchen and a bathroom, you may be able to stay home with a water-based finish. Solvent-based finishes have strong fumes, so moving out is recommended.

How much dust does floor sanding create?

Modern sanders with dust extraction catch most of the dust, but some fine dust still gets into the air. Doorways and vents are sealed off, and you should remove valuables and electronics from the work area.

How much does floor sanding cost in Perth?

Timber floor sanding and polishing in Perth typically costs about $32 to $74 per square metre in 2026, with most jobs around $47. Repairs, carpet removal, parquetry and stairs add to the price.

Is water-based or oil-based floor polish better?

Water-based finishes keep timber close to its natural colour, smell less and dry faster. Oil-based finishes give a warmer amber tone that deepens with age. Neither is better overall; it depends on the look you want and whether you're staying home.

Can engineered timber floors be sanded?

Yes, if the real timber top layer is thick enough, usually 3 mm or more. Engineered boards with a very thin veneer, and hybrid or laminate floors, can't be sanded.

How often should timber floors be sanded?

Most family homes need a full sand every 10 to 15 years. A light screen and recoat every 3 to 5 years protects the timber and delays the need for a full sand.

Can sanding remove pet stains from timber floors?

Sometimes. Surface marks sand out easily, but pet urine and water stains often go deep into the timber and can reappear once coated. Badly stained boards may need to be replaced.

Why does my floor look a different colour after sanding?

Sanding removes years of aged coating and exposes fresh timber, which is often much lighter. Old solvent and oil finishes darken over time, so a newly sanded floor with a water-based finish can look very different.