New Builds
On new builds, the floor sanding is usually the last wet trade before handover. The timber has been laid by the carpenter but left unfinished. The floor sander comes in after painting, after plumbing fit-off, after the kitchen is in.
Sequencing matters. If the painter comes back after the floor is coated, overspray is a problem. If heavy items are moved across a freshly coated floor before it's fully cured, the finish will mark.
Tip: Specify when the floor will be sanded in the build program and make sure the builder understands the cure time before heavy foot traffic or furniture placement. Traffic HD needs 7 days to full cure.
Heritage Restoration
Older homes often have original hardwood floors under carpet, vinyl, or tile adhesive. The timber may have nail holes, patched areas, stains, water damage, or previous coatings that need stripping.
Heritage work is where contractor skill matters most. Board replacement needs to match species, grain direction, and colour. Gap filling needs to be done properly or it shows under the finish. Old nail holes are part of the character -- a good contractor knows when to fill and when to leave them.
Finish choice: Oil finishes (Craft Oil 2K) suit heritage work well because they enhance the aged character. For period accuracy, some heritage projects specify gloss poly to match the original finish -- but this is increasingly rare.
Commercial Fitouts
Retail, hospitality, offices, galleries. Commercial projects need extreme durability, fast turnaround, and even coverage across large areas.
Traffic HD was designed for this. Two-component, 100% polyurethane, commercial re-entry in 24 hours. The Extra Matt sheen is the standard for commercial because it hides micro-scratches and reads as natural timber rather than shiny floor.
Consistency: On large commercial floors, sheen consistency is critical. Application technique, ambient temperature, and coat thickness all affect the result. This is not a job for an inexperienced operator.
Multi-Unit / Apartment
When multiple units need matching floors, the challenge is consistency. Different units may have slightly different subfloor conditions, different natural light, or different ambient temperatures during application -- all of which affect the final appearance.
Use the same contractor for all units. Same product, same batch if possible, same application technique. Specify the primer, topcoat, and sheen level explicitly.
Staging: If units are handed over at different times, the early floors will have UV-shifted by the time the last unit is done. This is unavoidable with real timber. Set expectations with the client.
Stair Finishing
Stairs are the hardest thing in floor sanding. Every tread and riser is a separate surface. Edges are exposed. Grain direction changes between treads and risers. The nosing takes the most wear.
Not every contractor does stairs well. Some subcontract it, some avoid it. If the project includes timber stairs, ask specifically about stair experience and request photos of previous stair work.
Anti-slip: For commercial stairs or stairs in public buildings, Bona Traffic HD Anti-Slip may be required to meet BCA slip resistance requirements. This is a separate product from standard Traffic HD.