So you have wood floors that need freshened up and are looking into the possibility of a sanding and refinishing? Generally with a process like sand and refinishing there are many questions that you as the customer has. You've come to the right place! We sat down with our master technician to get some answers to some of the most common wood refinishing questions!
Q1: When we tore out the carpet in our house we realized there was hardwood floors underneath. We're thinking about refinishing them, but there are some stains in the wood. Can they be fixed?
A1: They can be fixed, but it may not be by sanding alone. In some cases they can be sanded our completely or at the least to the point they are acceptable to the customer. Sanding and staining alone cannot make the stains go away, but an alternative option would be to replace the stained boards with new boards of the same spices of wood.
Q2: Will sanding the floors create a lot of dust? Will I need to have the entire house cleaned after the process is finished?
A2: Anytime you do work in a house you create a little dust. However here a Cloister Flooring we use a true dust free system to sand and refinish floors. All our sanding equipment is hooked up to our trailer that houses a vacuum powered by a 31 horsepower engine. Any sanding or board replacement will however make some dust, but at the end of the Job there should be no extra cleaning involved. We pride ourselves on making the dust as minimal as possible.
Q3: Will I need to move our during the refinishing process?
A3: That may depend on the size of the area that we are refinishing. To do an entire house you would probably need to make arrangements to stay somewhere else until the job is finished. However we are usually very effective at working with your schedule. We can cover the floor for you to walk over while sanding. Plus our stains and finishes dry very quickly to permit access through areas at least in the evenings. If it is your kitchen or bathroom you may need to make other arrangements.
Q4: What about the smell?
A4: Our products produce a very low odor and very low V.O.C.'s. We use a water based finish which is less toxic than an oil based polyurethane and dries faster, which will allow you to get back on your floors sooner.
Q5: How long will the process take?
A5: It will take no less than 3 days because of dry time of the stain and finish. Most jobs are done within 1 week (5days) unless the job needs to be done in phases.
Q6: How long until I can move my furniture back?
A6: You will need to wait a minimum of 48 hours after the final coat of finish to move your furniture back in.
Q7: Can you match the color of the hardwood floors I have now?
A7: It is extremely difficult to match exactly to the color of your hardwood floors you have. There are many reasons why. If your floors are older we may not be able to find the same products that were used originally. If we can find the products chances are your floor has aged and changed color since the original installation. That being said we can get very close but you should expect a slight color variation.
Q8: My hardwood floor is showing some wear but is in overall good shape. What can I do to maintain it?
A8: We have a system called prep & recoat. Basically we are adding 1 or 2 coats of finish to the floor you have to restore some of the luster and protect it from wear. However if you have large scratches, deep scratches, or wear areas that have the finish and stain worn off then a complete sand and refinish could be a better option.
Q9: Can you refinish steps?
A9: Yes we do. Like floors there are several different ways to go about it. If your treads and risers are in overall good shape we may be able to prep and recoat them to bring out the luster and add wear protection. If need we can do a full sand and refinish of your treads and risers with stain and finish to match the hardwood floors.
Q:10 My steps have carpet on them, can I remove the carpet and have them sand and refinished?
A10: There are several variables that come into play in this situation. Depending on the type of wood your steps are made out of they can be sanded and refinished. Certain types of woods don't sand and finish very nice, but in most cases we can install new treads and risers over your existing steps that are stained and finished to match existing hardwoods.
Q11: I have a large dog(s) will they scratch or damage my hardwood floors?
A11: Unfortunately they probably will. If you want your floors to be perfect then a hardwood floor is probably not for you. If you are willing to put up with a few scratches, then you may be ok.
Q12: How can I protect my newly finished floors from furniture?
A12: All furniture should have felt protectors under the legs or base. The hard plastic ones that are typically on furniture will more often than not scratch the floor.
