We service Home owners, buyers and sellers. We also service contractors, painters, investors, realtors and insurance adjusters. Some are new clients and some have been customer for 20 and 30 years. We get many different questions from many different prospectives. We strive to work with each one the best we can and we desire to meet or exceed their expectations. If you have a question, please ask. Tell us where you are going and if we can reach our goals together it will be a good day.
How long will it take?
Most jobs take several days. We will make multiple visits to your place. Sand + Vacuum + Sand + Vacuum + Sand and Vacuum. Sanding to a very smooth finish will take time. A very good sanding job looks good. A sloppy or poor sanding job looks really bad. Same for a finish with dust or trash. Once we start putting on stain or finish we will have to allow for time to try. In most cases if you have not decided on the exact stain color or finish we need to account for that as well. Ideally we will have reached a final agreement on the Stain and finish before we start. Before we start we have a pretty good idea of how long your job will take. But without looking at and without thinking about we can’t say. Yes one room is faster than three rooms. 3 closets taken more time than a big living room.
How much will it cost?
Our prices are generally based on square foot and the number of visits. Sanding + Stain + Finish is more expensive than Sanding + Finish. Doing the entire house start to finish will take less trips than one room at a time. Starting the job now and coming back in a month or so to put on the final coat may cost a few dollars more but if it’s better for your schedule and the result is a better product that just might be the plan. Let us prepare you a written estimate and a schedule that fits your plan.
When can you start?
We are scheduling new jobs nearly every day. We are usually planning on a 90 to 120 day schedule. It seems like every month we have 1 or 2 jobs that have to reschedule because something is delayed. If we put you on the schedule you are the priority for that date however we understand things happen. Projects are delayed and the schedule has to be adjusted. Today we could be booked solid for 6 weeks and before the day is over what we planned to start tomorrow just moved and we are looking to squeeze something into the schedule. Before we can schedule we need to prepare and plan and decide what needs to be done and determine about how long it will take. With a written estimate and a plan we can put you on the schedule. If your schedule is flexible you might be the very job we can tackle on a minutes notice.
Should we expect strong odors?
We are happy to report the newer water based products we are using are not nearly as strong as the solvent based products we used 10 or 20 years ago. For many the dry time or cure time is also less. You will still have odors to contend with. Customers who have had floors refinished more than once are pleasantly surprised at how far the industry has come.
Can we do just one room?
Yes. Some houses only have to one room. However if you have hardwood going from room to room choosing where to start or stop the refinishing is what matters. We are always concerned with “how will it look”. Even if you say it’s ok we can put a rug over it. We want your floors to look great when the room is empty! We want every nail set, every cracked filled, every scratch removed. We can’t make floor perfect but we are gonna give it a try. So stopping in the middle of the hall or sanding and coating half the room is rarely our plan. If you have or need something special let’s talk maybe it should just wait a few months or a year when the timing is right and the plan is good.
When can we walk on the floors?
While we are sanding you could walk on the floors but we don’t want any traffic while we are vacuuming. Once the stain is applied you need to stay off and stay out. While the finish is being applied and for at least several hours you will need to be out. No exceptions. No options. No admission. Walking on a wet floor will leave a mess on the finish and it’s actually very slippery you can very easily slip and fall. You might get hurt and I am sure whatever you are wearing will not come clean. Please stay out. Now in 3 or 4 hours the floor if dry could take very light traffic. Socks but no shoes. We really want 10 or 12 hours. 2nd or 3rd coat. Same is true. When the final coat is done. We wait 12 hours for very light traffic, 3 or 4 days for normal traffic. Fully cured finish is more like 14 days.
When do we pay you for your service?
We like to get paid when we finish. We are a small business and we don’t actually offer extended terms or financing. If you are not planning to pay us for our time and material upon completion please discuss this before we begin.
Do you install hardware floors?
Not actually. We do know how, yes we can but are main focus is finishing. We have contractors we work with who can do entire houses, single rooms and small repairs. Let us know what you need and we can see if we can’t get it worked out.
Do you do insurance claim work?
We have done both direct and sub contract work. We actually prefer to work directly with a homeowner but we realize not all jobs are identical and sometimes requirements will dictate how a project can proceed.
Do move furniture?
No we are not furniture movers or storing companies. However you will need to move it. We have been asked can you work around a PIANO or a REFRIGERATOR. We have done that but it’s disappointing to get a call 2 or 3 years after a job is done and the customer says, we sold the piano and we need you to come and refinish that spot. UGH! not a good project, the new finish will not match the old finish and nobody is gonna be happy. It is always better to empty the room.
Who’s first Who’s last?
We want to repaint the ceilings, walls and redo the floors. What do you suggest? Top to bottom. Paint the ceilings first, then walls then floors. That is the easiest on everyone. If the painter drips paint on the floor no big deal. How about the shoe molding or base board. More than likely we will install new shoe molding, The Base board should be painted and finished. Its better if the painter removes the shoe molding and paints near or at the floor. Should we mask off the floor? just be careful. Nobody wants to sand paint off the floor but a few drops or some brush marks maybe a light over spray is not a big deal to sand off. Having to shovel off dry wall mud or a half of gallon of paint someone kick over is no fun either.
Can you refinish “pre-finished flooring”?
That’s a loaded question. Some pre-finished floors can be refinished but not all of them. Some can be sanded 1 or 2 times. Some are solid wood flooring and it is not a problem at all. If you have a sample of what was installed we can look at the profile and get a better idea. In some homes we can look at a doorway or maybe remove a register vent to see how thick it is.