Every timber takes stain differently. The sample you saw in a showroom was not your floor.
No obligation. Takes 30 seconds.
Floor Sanding and Polishing Brisbane connects Brisbane and greater Brisbane property owners with qualified, licensed local floor sanders for staining & colour. Tell us the rough floor area and what condition the boards are in and we'll match it to a licensed contractor covering your suburb. Firm per-square-metre price after an inspection.
Brisbane floors are commonly hoop pine, tallowwood, blackbutt or spotted gum, and each takes colour differently — sometimes dramatically so. Hoop pine in particular can go blotchy with a dark stain.
Insist on a sample patch on your own floor, in your own light, before committing. Any contractor will do this and it costs almost nothing compared to redoing a whole floor.
Whole suburbs are hoop pine, so this warning lands hardest in the pre-war pockets. Paddington is the clearest example — almost every cottage there is stumped, and the earliest ones are hoop pine throughout.
Going darker is straightforward. Going back lighter later means another full sand, which spends another slice of the floor's remaining life.
Dark floors also show dust, hair and scratches far more than mid tones. They look superb in photographs and demand more in daily life.
Popular on Queensland hardwood and it suits the light here. Worth knowing it's a look that has come and gone before.
A clear finish on good timber is the option that never dates, and on a well-figured hardwood it's usually the better answer.
Brisbane.
Where this job typically sits. Access is usually a bigger cost driver than size.
| Job | Indicative price | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Sand and polish, per square metre | $35 – $60 /m² | The standard way this is quoted. Covers sanding plus coats. |
| Typical 3-bedroom house (~110m²) | $3,800 – $6,500 | Whole floor, sanded and finished. Condition drives the range. |
| Single room (~15m²) | $700 – $1,200 | Small jobs carry proportionally more setup. |
| Carpet lift and staple removal | $8 – $15 /m² | Often quoted separately. Staples and tack strips take real time. |
| Board replacement | $90 – $200 per board | Matching an old profile costs more than the timber does. |
| Extra coat of finish | $8 – $14 /m² | Three coats is standard; a high-traffic hallway may want four. |
| Stain or colour change | $10 – $20 /m² | On top of sanding. Sample it on your actual timber first. |
| Parquetry restoration | $70 – $120 /m² | Slower and more skilled than strip flooring. |
| Recoat only (no full sand) | $18 – $30 /m² | Where the finish is worn but the timber is sound. Far cheaper. |
| Moisture assessment | $150 – $300 | Worth it on any floor that has been wet or looks cupped. |
Prices are indicative only and usually quoted per square metre. What a floor costs depends on its condition, the timber, how many coats it needs and whether boards have to be replaced. You get a firm price after an inspection.
Usually, but sample it on your own boards first, in your own light. Brisbane floors are commonly hoop pine, tallowwood, blackbutt or spotted gum and each takes colour differently — hoop pine in particular can go blotchy with a dark stain because softwood absorbs unevenly. A sample patch costs almost nothing next to redoing a whole floor.
Only by sanding the floor again, which spends another slice of its remaining thickness. Going darker is straightforward and going back is not, so treat a dark stain as a longer commitment than a wall colour.
Yes — dark floors show dust, pet hair and scratches noticeably more than mid tones. They photograph beautifully and ask more of you in daily life. Matt and satin finishes hide wear far better than gloss whatever the colour.
The core job — taking a tired timber floor back to bare wood.
Read more →
The finish itself — water-based or solvent, and how many coats.
Read more →
Lifting carpet to find — and rescue — the original boards underneath.
Read more →
Replacing damaged, cut or borer-affected boards before sanding.
Read more →Tell us the suburb and the floor area and we'll get it to the right person.
Call 0468 158 248