General questions

Why hardwood floors?
Hardwood floors are durable, long lasting and beautiful. The natural coluors and patterns found in natural wood create a comfortable and inviting living environment.

Is it true that hardwood floors provide a cleaner home environment?
Absolutely. Carpeting attracts and holds many allergenic spores, dust-mites, bacteria, fungi, animal dander and other unhealthy microbes. These disturbing irritants are dispersed every time you vacuum.

How long do hardwood floors last?
When properly maintained, hardwood floors can last a lifetime. The average carpet needs to be replaced every 10 to 12 years.

What is the most popular hardwood used in flooring?
American Oak is the most preferred hardwood for use in homes.

Rimu is the number one choice for gymnasiums, basketball courts, dance floors and other commercial applications.

Maintenance questions

How do I clean my floors?
Check our floor care page for floor cleaning details.

I heard humidity levels need to be controlled for hardwood floors, is that true?
Humidity in your home should be kept at approximately 45%. An extremely dry house during the heating season will cause flooring to shrink, which will create linear cracks between the flooring slats. On the other hand too much humidity will cause the flooring to swell and could cause the boards to cup or crown.

My hardwood floors are lacklustre, and look like they need a face-lift. Should I attempt to renovate them myself?
We recommend our professional floor refurbishers. We have all the equipment and experience to do the job efficiently and correctly the first time. Plus, we guarantee the results.

Installation questions

What is the lead time for scheduling a floor refinishing or installation?
Generally from 1 to 3 weeks out. Consult our office for an exact time.

Can older floors with cracks and swellings be repaired?
Older floors with cracks can be trowel filled with the appropriate colour, but if any movement in the floor does take plack the filling will crack.

How long does the sanding/finishing process take?
Normally sanding & finishing is a four day process, but allow five in case the finish isn't dry from one day to the next, depending upon weather conditions.

How much dust is created by the sanding process?
There will be a fine film in the sanded areas. To keep dust from penetrating other areas of your home, we recommend applying plastic to doorways using tape and thin plastic film. The plastic and tape is available at your local hardware or home supply store.

Can I stay in my home during the floor sanding process?
Yes, however access to the floors will be restricted because of the need for a certain amount of drying time each day.

How long does it take for the floor to dry after each surface coat is applied?
A coat of oil base poly takes 8-12 hours to cure — a coat of water base poly takes 4-6 hours to dry.

What temperature should I keep my home during the finishing process?
68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, if your home is too hot or too cold, it could cause the finish to dry incorrectly and delay the job.

When can I move furniture back?
Recommended 72 hours after the final coat is applied (with protective felts under all furniture). Large area rugs need to be kept off the floor for the first 30 days. Use a breathable perforated rubber pad under rugs. We will give you some protective felts; the perforated rubber carpet pads are available at most carpet stores.

Will my floors be shiny?
You have a choice of a satin, semi-gloss or high gloss finish for your floor.

Do you move furniture or appliances?
No, due to liability concerns that is an option left to the homeowner.

What time will the refinishing crews start each day?
Generally most installations or refinishing jobs are started between 8:30 am & 9:00 am in the morning. Smaller jobs are sometimes started in the afternoon.

The application of polyurethane varies from day to day depending on the finishing crew's route, and will be decided at that time.

Do you give estimates?
Yes. We can give you a rough estimate over the phone or we can travel to your site and calculate a free in-home estimate.

Do you offer any warranty?
We offer a one year limited warranty on all our floor refinishing jobs.