The Honest 95%

Dust-Free Floor Sanding, and What That Honestly Means

Every sanding firm in London promises "dust-free". Here is what those words actually mean when the machines are running in your home, from a company that would rather tell you the truth than win the job on a fairy tale.

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The Honest Number Is About 95 Percent

Modern floor sanding machines run on industrial dust extraction. The sander never meets the air in your room; the dust goes straight from the drum into a sealed extraction unit. On the open floor, that captures about 95 percent of everything the machine produces. It is the difference between the old horror stories, a week of wiping dust off every shelf, and wiping down one windowsill when we leave.

But nobody can honestly promise 100 percent. Lift one floorboard for a repair and that dust never sees an extraction unit. Sand into a corner where the edger meets a Victorian skirting gap and a little escapes. Anyone who promises zero dust is overselling, and if they will oversell you on dust, ask what else they are overselling.

The Lagler Flip edge sander working along a skirting board with its dust extraction hose attached — The Flip on the edges, extraction attached.

The Lagler Hummel belt sander making its first cut across bare boards, dust pulled straight into the sealed unit — The Hummel's first cut, hose on.

We Are Certified, Not Just Careful

Our machines are Lagler, the German equipment that most of the trade aspires to, and we are Lagler PST Certified, the Premium Sanding Technology accreditation for dust-free professional floor sanding, trained and assessed through Lagler's UK partner. The certificate matters for one reason. It means the dust extraction is not an accessory we bolted on; it is the system we were trained and tested on.

The Howard Naish vans loaded with Lagler sanding machines and dust extraction units

Our own machines, our own vans, every job.

Where Dust Honesty Really Matters: Stairs

Stairs are the exception, and we tell every client this before we start. Stair sanding is handheld work; the big extraction-driven machines physically cannot climb a staircase. Handheld sanders have dust bags, not industrial extraction, so stairs are dustier work. We sheet doorways, we clean as we go, and we leave the staircase beautiful, but we will never tell you a staircase was dust-free. Nobody can. There is more on how we approach that work on our stair sanding page.

What You Can Expect on the Day

The floor machines run on industrial extraction from the first cut to the last.
Doorways to the working area are sheeted where the job calls for it.
We clean up at the end of every day, not just the end of the job.
You will dust the room once after we leave, lightly, and that is it.
If a repair means lifting boards, we tell you first that this part makes dust.

Straight Answers

Dust Questions, Answered Honestly

Is floor sanding really dust-free?

About 95 percent dust-free on the open floor with modern extraction machines, and that is the honest ceiling. The remaining few percent come from edges, corners and any repair work. Anyone promising zero is overselling.

Will I need to cover my furniture?

In the working room we move or cover what stays. In the rest of the house, no. The extraction keeps the dust with the machine, not in the air drifting through your home.

What about sanding stairs?

Stairs are handheld, dustier work; industrial extraction cannot climb stairs. We manage it with sheeting and daily clean-ups, and we tell you this upfront rather than after you have paid a deposit.

What does Lagler PST Certified mean?

It is the accreditation run by Lagler, the maker of our sanding machines, for dust-free professional floor sanding. Both directors trained and passed. It means the dust claims on this page are tested, not marketing.

Every job is backed by the Howard Naish Workmanship Promise: 2 years on installation, 12 months on sanding and refinishing. If our work fails, we fix it.

Thirty Seconds, Five Boxes

See It for Yourself

Leave your details and one of us replies personally, usually the same day, to arrange your free site visit.

We're booking about three months ahead at the moment, and a deposit holds your place in the queue. Dates tight? Ring us anyway, cancellations happen and smaller jobs can often be slotted in.