Nottingham's Prudential Assurance Building: Parquet Restoration

The Prudential Assurance Building on King Street is one of Nottingham's prominent historic buildings. During a restoration project described on the former Hemmings website, the team uncovered parquet flooring beneath layers of screed and adhesive on upper storeys.

A listed building with concealed timber floors

The building was designed by architect Alfred Waterhouse. Its upper floors had been altered over time, leaving areas of original parquet concealed beneath later coverings. The initial site assessment included a small test patch to understand whether the material above the timber could be removed without causing excessive damage.

The original case study records an approximately 180-square-metre area on the second floor as part of the work.

Why removal was difficult

Screed and glue quickly clogged abrasives, and conventional edge sanding was not always suitable. The team also had to manage limited ventilation, with windows that had been painted shut. Planning safe surface preparation was particularly important in an occupied historic property.

Adapting the restoration method

The archive describes using an aggressive initial sanding stage, progressively finer abrasives and specialist carbide-blade equipment around difficult edges. Rather than discarding every damaged block, the team salvaged parquet from other areas of the building, cleaned it and reused suitable sections for repairs.

These techniques were specific to the condition observed on site. A heritage floor should always be assessed before specifying tools, adhesives or finishes.

Finishing the parquet

Once prepared, the restored second- and third-floor surfaces received Bona Classic primer and three coats of Bona Traffic HD Matte, according to the original article. The fourth floor was not included in that stage because substantial water damage required a different approach.

Preserving character without ignoring practicality

A restoration of this type balances the history of the floor with safe preparation, modern use and future maintenance. The completed work revealed timber that had been hidden beneath subsequent alterations and returned the parquet pattern to view.