Est. 2009 · Dunedin, Otago
Heritage floors deserve heritage skill.
Rimu Floor Revival is a two-person operation run by Grant and Tui Macalister from a workshop in South Dunedin. We sand, restore and finish native timber floors in Otago's grand old villas, bungalows and public buildings — and we do it without filling your house with dust.
Get a free floor assessment →Our work
Every board has a story. We bring it back.
We specialise in native New Zealand timbers — the rimu, matai and kahikatea that built Dunedin's homes between the 1870s and 1930s. Most of these floors have been covered by carpet for decades. Underneath is heart timber that modern mills cannot replicate, and our job is to reveal it without damaging it.
Our Bona DCS dustless sanding system captures 98% of airborne dust at the machine. Your curtains stay clean, your kitchen stays usable, and your lungs stay clear. Every finish we use is low-VOC and water-based: safe for children, pets and the Otago air.
- Sand & oil
- From $45/m² — for floors in reasonable condition needing a fresh surface.
- Full restoration
- From $65/m² — board repairs, filling, three coats of polyurethane or Rubio Monocoat.
- Board replacement
- From $120/m² — sourcing matching salvage timber and splicing in.
Before & after
Drag the handle to see the transformation.
A 1902 villa on Royal Terrace, Maori Hill. The rimu had been under carpet since the 1970s. Forty hours of dustless sanding, two coats of Bona Traffic HD and a beeswax edge treatment.
Timber types
We know every species that went into Otago's floors.
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Heart Rimu
The most common floor timber in Dunedin. Deep red-brown with a tight, interlocking grain. Old-growth heart rimu is almost impossible to source new — what is under your carpet is irreplaceable.
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Matai
Chocolate-brown with a distinctive feathered figure. Common in South Dunedin bungalows. Denser than rimu and finishes to a glass-like surface — our favourite timber to sand.
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Kahikatea
Pale gold, almost white when fresh. Used as an accent border in higher-end homes. Soft and needs a harder finish — we use Bona Traffic HD for kahikatea to prevent denting.
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Totara
Naturally oily and aromatic. Rarer in floors but common in older public buildings and churches around Oamaru and North Otago. Needs a breathable oil finish, never polyurethane.
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Mixed Native
Many Dunedin homes have two or three species in one floor — a rimu field with a matai border and kahikatea inlay. We match finishes so every timber reads true.
The process
From first look to final coat.
- Free assessment
We visit, lift a corner of carpet if needed, identify the species, measure the area and photograph the condition. You get a written quote within two days.
Duration: 45 min on site - Preparation
We repair loose boards, punch nails below the surface, fill gaps with a colour-matched epoxy and mask skirting. Furniture is stacked in another room or garage.
Duration: half a day for a typical three-bedroom - Dustless sanding
Three passes with the Bona DCS system: coarse (40 grit) to level, medium (80 grit) to smooth, fine (120 grit) for the finish coat. Edges done by hand with an orbital sander.
Duration: 1–2 days depending on area - Finishing
Two or three coats of your chosen finish — Bona Traffic HD polyurethane, Rubio Monocoat hardwax oil or Loba 2K Supra AT. Light sand between coats. We apply at low humidity for best cure.
Duration: 2–3 days with drying time - Handover
We walk the floor with you, check every edge and corner, clean up and leave care instructions for the first thirty days. Furniture goes back where it was.
Duration: 1 hour
Testimonials
What homeowners say.
We had no idea there was matai under the hallway carpet. Grant identified it immediately, matched the fill colour perfectly and the finish is like glass. Worth every cent.
The dustless system actually works. I was sceptical, but we stayed in the house the whole time and there was almost no mess. The rimu is glowing now — my grandmother would have loved it.
Grant and Tui restored the heart rimu in our 1890 villa as part of a Heritage NZ project. They found original kahikatea inlays we did not know existed. Professional, careful and genuinely passionate about these old timbers.
Third time using Rimu Floor Revival — this time for the bedrooms. Consistent quality every time and the Rubio Monocoat finish is beautiful, warm and easy to maintain.
Credentials
Licensed, insured, qualified.
- LBPLicensed Building Practitioner
Licence #BP120456 — Carpentry, External Plastering
- SSSite Safe Certified
Passport holder, asbestos-aware, working at heights
- MPNZ Master Painters
Full member since 2012 — floor finishing specialty
- BNBona Certified Craftsman
Trained on DCS dustless systems, Traffic HD and Rich Tone stains
- PL$2M Public Liability
Full liability cover plus a written two-year finish warranty
Gallery
Recent projects around Otago.
Royal Terrace villa Roslyn bungalow Knox Church hall Stuart Street heritage Olveston conservation Mosgiel reclaimed rimu
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