Our satin-finished timber floorboards have been damaged by rolling office chairs. Is there any way to repair the damage without having the entire floor re-sanded?

Timber-floor maintenance normally involves either sanding or a 're-coat'. "A re-coat is when the existing coated film is cleaned and lightly sanded, and a new coat of finish applied over the top," explains Kendall Waller, National Technical Manager of Premium Floors. "This will remove light scratches and restore a uniform gloss level. But it won't remove stains, fading, heavy marks or indentation. To remove indentation, a full re-sand is needed." It's not advisable to sand isolated patches, Waller warns, as the re-surfaced section will come up a different colour and gloss level to the rest of the floor. Patch repairs work somewhat better on oil-based finishes, but you still need to be prepared for tell-tale changes in colour and gloss level. Premium Floors; (02) 9982 3777.