Frequently Asked Flooring Questions

Question 1: Why do my wood floors gap in the winter time?

Answer: Winter air has a low moisture content which causes wood to lose moisture and shrink. An April Air or Honeywell humidifier attached to your furnace will help maintain the moisture content levels reducing gapping in your floors.

Question 2: How often should I refinish my floors and how many times can a wood floor be refinished?

Answer: If your floors are about ¾ “ thick or more they can be refinished 4-6 times and depending on the type of finish on the floor may only need to be refinished every 7-10 years.

Question 3: How many coats of Polyurethane are required to adequately protect the floor?

Answer: I recommend three coats of polyurethane.  Some refinishers will offer two coats at a lower price but the result is that you have to refinish your floors more often.

Question 4: How long does the floor refinishing process take?

Answer: Depending on square footage, most flooring restorations take three days to complete.  If you apply a custom stain, it will add an additional day.

Question 5: When can I walk on the floors after the polyurethane dries?

Answer: It is generally recommended that you stay off of the floors for 24 hours.  Do not place area rugs on the floor for two weeks.

Question 6: How do you remove pet stains from the hardwood floor?

Answer: There are products on the market that claim to remove pet stains but often they are inadequate to completely remove the stain.  First we try to sand the stain out and if it is not removed we will recommend replacing the boards.

Question 7: What type of wood flooring would you recommend for a family with young children and pets?

Answer:  I have found that White Oak, Red Oak, and Maple are very good products for families with small children.

Question 8: Do I need to take my shoes off before I walk on hardwood flooring.

Answer: I recommend taking off your shoes shoes.  Most hard sole shoes have the potential to damage the floor because they carry in debris from outside.  High heel shoes are the most damaging to floors because they can have an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch.

Question 9: How long does it typically take to install new pre-finished wood floor?

Answer: If you have a two person crew a new wood floor can be completed in as few as two to three days.  Multiple rooms and transitions will require more time.

Question 10: Is there an advantage to narrow plank flooring over wide plank flooring?

Answer:  Narrow plank floors are easy to maintain and tend to be less expensive than wide plank flooring.  Wide plank flooring is more expensive, requires daily maintenance and is more susceptible to gapping.

Question 11: Is it possible to change stain colors from a dark to light stain?

Answer:  Yes.  When the floor is sanded it returns to its natural state.  At this time a different color stain can be applied.