@Jo and Linda - I have to say I alternate but try and use an electric as have been dentist-advised also. It can be a slight adjustment letting the brush work for you - sometimes I forget and it can be a bit of a disaster, especially for sensitive gums!

Floorboards often "cup" (edges bend upwards) a little, and that means when sanding them back, more material is taken off on the sides than centrally in the board, exposing more "virgin" material. This could take a stain more strongly than parts of the board where more of the weathered surface remains. Also, wood is a natural material with variations; the way the boards haopen to be sawn (i.e. how the annual rings fall - more perpendicular or more aligned with the surface) , as well as the part of the trunk the board is from (heartwood or sapwood) makes a difference how strongly the wood in between will absorb a stain. Could they have been more thorough and, say, applied a 2nd stain coat ? Maybe so, and if you clearly expressed that you expected a very dark look then they sure should at least have asked. I'd not dare to predict how much a 2nd stain would have helped to be honest, but from previous experience varnishing a pine floor, how things look on a sample board/piece will not reflect "how it'll look everywhere". One of the attraction points to real wood are the variations ... (All that said - to me the floor looks very nice - neatly laid, no gaps, straight and even-sized boards)

Sounds right and for comparison; 2020 Supply and fit - Handmade Accoya door, frames, glazing, painted, ironmongery (removal of old door) £5k. That was a period repro door in London to match original. Also, 2017 Supply only - 2x Engineered Hardwood doors, frames, glazing, ironmongery £5k. Contemporary door for new build. Fitting was extra but part of the build out costs. Hope this helps.

Hi, we still haven’t committed yet! We decided to have the alterations done to the porch first, including a new front door and sidelights in brown-black. It’s booked in for March - couldn’t believe the lead time having ordered in November! Hoping that after this is done, the window colour decision will become clear. We had quotes for both Residence windows in Corse Lawn and bespoke sprayed upvc. The bespoke spraying cost an extra 33% on top of the standard price. Residence came in marginally less than this but as a standard product, we feel more inclined to go for it (even though it’s so much more expensive than standard upvc). I still feel uneasy about the the spraying of brand new windows that isn’t integral to the factory production process. Good luck with your decision. It’s not easy… L