Not every floor sander is right for every project
Most floor sanding businesses are built around suburban renovation work. They're good at it -- strip back a lounge room, three coats, done. But that's a different skill set to finishing 200 square metres of open-plan Spotted Gum to a specification that matches a colour sample.
The right contractor for a considered project needs to understand product systems, sheen management, edge detailing, stain behaviour on different species, and how to deliver consistency across a large floor area. What to look for.
What to ask before appointing
A contractor who can name specific products (not just "water-based") and explain why they use them is someone who understands what they're putting on your floor. If they can't tell you the difference between Traffic HD and Mega, they probably can't deliver to a spec.
This separates contractors who can follow a spec from those who've only ever made their own decisions. Ask for examples. If they've done commercial work, architectural projects, or builder handovers with spec compliance, that's a strong signal.
Photos are good but visiting a completed floor is better. You can see edge work, consistency across the area, how the sheen reads in natural light, and whether the finish matches the promise.
If the answer is no, walk away. Dust contamination affects coating adhesion and finish quality. Any serious contractor uses extraction on every machine.
On any design project, the contractor should be willing to prepare a coated sample on the actual timber. If they resist this, they're either not confident in the outcome or not used to working this way.
Edge sanding is where most quality issues originate. The transition between drum-sanded and edge-sanded areas should be invisible. Ask how they blend. Ask what edger they use. Bona CombiEdge and ErgoEdge produce better results than older orbital edgers.
Red flags
Can't name the specific products they'll use
Won't do a sample panel
No dust extraction
Cheapest quote by a significant margin
Can't show photos of comparable projects
Pushes solvent-based products without explaining why
Gets defensive when asked technical questions
No insurance documentation available
Bona Certified Contractors
Bona Certified Contractors have been through Bona's training program and use Bona products as their primary finishing system. The certification is invite-only and requires minimum $5M public liability insurance.
This doesn't guarantee they're the right fit for every project. But it does mean they have product-specific knowledge and have met a baseline standard. In our directory, they're marked with a blue border.