Frequently Asked Questions

1. How long does it take refinish hardwood floors?
2. Will I be able to stay in the house during the process?
3. Does refinishing hardwood create a lot of dust?
4. What types of finishes are used on hardwood?
5. Are there any smells or fumes associated with refinishing hardwood?
6. Can a hardwood floor be recoated without sanding?
7. Can you repair hardwood floors that have been water damaged?
8. Can you restore any hardwood floor? What if my hardwood floor needs repairs first?
9. Can deep scratches in hardwood floors be fixed?
10. Can the gaps between my floorboards be filled?
11. Will hardwood change color over time?
12. Can the color of my hardwood floor be changed?
13. Can you refinish engineered hardwood floors?
14. How soon can you walk on hardwood floors after refinishing?
15. How should hardwood floors be maintained and cleaned?
16. What guarantee do you offer?
17. What payment options do you offer?
18. What insurance coverage do you have?
19. What areas of the lower mainland do we work in?
20. What are your hours of operation and do you work weekends?
21. What about access?
22. How soon can I have my floor refinished?
23. What about the furniture?
24. What if my hardwood is under carpeting? Will I have to remove the carpeting?
25. Do you have to remove baseboards and baseshoe mouldings before refinishing?
26. Do you install new flooring as well?
27. What about paint?

1. How long does it take refinish hardwood floors?
An average size floor of approximately 600-800 sq ft will typically take 3-5 days to complete. If the floor is in need of repair or being stained, this will add time to the job. If water based finish is being used this may make it possible to finish the job a day sooner as we can put two coats of finish on in one day as opposed to oil based finish which can only have one coat per day applied.

2. Will I be able to stay in the house during the process?
There will be noise and vapors during the sanding and finishing process. Whether or not you can live in your house during refinishing depends on whether you will need to walk on the floors being sanded and whether or not you are sensitive to the odours from the finish. Even if you choose a water base finish, the first coat is typically an oil based sealer which does have an odour. This also applies to stain which is oil based. Generally, you should not walk on the floors during the sanding and coating process as it may adversely affect the finish product. It’s a good idea to have a contingency plan for living/sleeping elsewhere if the odours are causing discomfort. This may depend on where the bedrooms are situated in relation to the floor. Refinishing is best done when you can plan to be away for a few days.

3. Does refinishing hardwood create a lot of dust?
Yes. Refinishing hardwood floors creates and extraordinary amount of dust, the question is whether this dust is left behind on your furniture and walls. If the company you’re hiring employs a dust containment system this should not be an issue. We are employing the latest in dust containment methods and equipment to ensure that virtually 99 percent of dust is contained during sanding. We also put up plastic and if possible use fans to exhaust what little dust may be present from the work site. When all sanding is completed, we wipe down all horizontal surfaces within the working area as a final measure to ensure “dust free” refinishing. The end result is “night and day” compared to sanders without dust containment. Dust free refinishing does not apply to the cutting of wood required for repairs or new floors. We do attach vacuums to these saws when possible, to limit the amount of sawdust created by these tools. Dust containment is also limited when refinishing stairs, which is another reason we hang plastic to contain dust.

4. What types of finishes are used on hardwood?
There are many different types of finished that can be applied to hardwood floors. Some finishes are extremely toxic, i.e. Glitsa or Moisture Cure. Other finishes such as penetrating oil or wax finishes require the homeowner to apply maintenance coats annually. With this in mind we recommend oil or water based polyurethanes. With the water-based finishes being low in voc’s and high in durability, we believe they are your best choice. Maintenance coats are typically recommended every 5-10 years making them almost maintenance free.

5. Are there any smells or fumes associated with refinishing hardwood?
Yes. There are always some fumes or smells associated with the coating of hardwood floors. If you choose to alter your floors appearance with stain, these are oil based and therefore do have a smell to them. Even when using water based Poly Urethanes, the first coat is usually an oil-based sealer. This gives the wood a richer look and serves to seal the grain from subsequent coats of water-based finish, which can raise the grain, giving the floor a slightly rough texture. I would compare it to having your residence painted with either an oil or water based paint. There is an initial smell that soon dissipates over time.

6. Can a hardwood floor be recoated without sanding?
Yes. There is what’s called a screen and recoat for hardwood floors. This is designed as a maintenance coat and will increase the longevity of your hardwood floors, protecting your investment. The process involves lightly abrading or screening the floors and then applying a compatible finish, preferably the same finish that’s on the floors already. While screening and recoating the floors will remove some surface scratches in the finish, it does not remove dents or scratches that are in the wood. The only way to eliminate these it to have the floors refinished.

7. Can you repair hardwood floors that have been water damaged?
Yes. Hardwood floors that have been water damaged can be refinished and or repaired back to their original condition. First the water must evaporate from the floor; this usually takes 1-3 weeks depending on the relative humidity and ambient temperature. Employing a de-humidifier and fans can help extract the water from the wood, reducing the time frame. Next the wood has to be tested with a moisture meter at various locations and depths. If the readings are normal, then refinishing can begin. If the water damage has left dark stains on the boards (typical if a plant has been watered in the same spot) then these boards will need to be replaced with a like species and grade of wood first before refinishing.

8. Can you restore any hardwood floor? What if my hardwood floor needs repairs first?
We can restore nearly every hardwood floor. If repairs are necessary, after our inspection we will find either recycled or new wood to repair it before we start the finish restoration.

9. Can deep scratches in hardwood floors be fixed?
During refinishing, approximately a 1/16th of an inch of wood is uniformly removed from the floor. Dents or scratches deeper than the amount of wood being sanded off the floor will be filled with wood filler, the colour of which will resemble the colour of your floor. We will inform you if replacing damaged boards is aesthetically a better option than filling them. It is not recommended to sand heavily in isolated areas in an attempt to remove the damage, as the floor would then be uneven and unsightly to the eye.

10. Can the gaps between my floorboards be filled?
Yes. As part of the refinishing process, wood filler that resembles your floors colour will be applied to the entire floor. This filler is pushed into the gaps between the boards. There is no guarantee that the wood filler will adhere within the crack or gap. The final sanding of the floor may vibrate it out; as debris and other build up within the gap makes it difficult for the filler to adhere. Also, the hardwood floors move seasonally. In summer when the humidity is higher, the wood expands and the gaps contract. Filler in these gaps would then be forced out with the movement of the boards.

11. Will hardwood change color over time?
Yes. The tone and extent of the change is determined by the wood species, finish and light conditions. Hardwood floor finishes tend to take on an amber hue over time. The oil based finishes will do this sooner and more noticeably than the water based finishes which will hardly change at all. Direct sunlight will lighten the floor. Many of the exotic species and Cherry floors will change greatly over time, darkening with age.

12. Can the color of my hardwood floor be changed?
Yes. Oil based stains, which contain pigments that produce colours from light pastels to dark browns can be used to change the color of your floor. These are penetrating stains that seal the floor and give it the appearance of more depth. Staining a floor takes a great amount of expertise and can be a challenge even for an experienced floor sander. A methodical process must be adhered to in order to produce consistent results. Wood accepts stain differently according to species and even within the same species. A stained floor will have a greater variation of colour, as opposed to a “natural” floor that is clear coated without staining. Every floor has different grain densities, therefore the pigment in the stains are absorbed differently. The variation of colour should be viewed as one of the natural and beautiful characteristics of wood.

13. Can you refinish engineered hardwood floors?
That depends on the thickness of the “wear layer” or the top layer of wood. This may vary from 1/16 th to 3/8th of an inch. We cannot sand a floor with less than 1/8th of an inch of wear layer. To determine the thickness of this layer, the floor must be inspected from the side. If this is not possible, we will not be able to proceed with an estimate.

14. How soon can you walk on hardwood floors after refinishing?
After the final coat of finish is applied, light to normal foot traffic may resume in 24 hours (lighter is better for the first few days). We recommend waiting 48 hours (if possible) before replacing furniture. Although the finish may appear dry, it will not be fully cured for 2 weeks, after which area rugs can be replaced on the floor and regular cleaning/maintenance can begin. Be sure to use felt pads under chairs or other furniture to prevent scratching.

15. How should hardwood floors be maintained and cleaned?
Maintaining your hardwood floors today fortunately requires little effort. Wood floors are an investment that, if properly maintained, should last the lifetime of the home. There’s both preventative and routine maintenance. Preventative maintenance entails making sure there are floor protector pads installed on the bottom of furniture legs. Area rugs should be placed at entrances and even in front of the kitchen sink. Routine maintenance entails vacuuming and/or dust mopping to remove debris followed by light damp mopping. We provide our customers with a hardwood floor maintenance kit. Oils and waxes should not be used as they may prevent adhesion of the maintenance recoat, which will be required in time.

16. What guarantee do you offer?
See Restoration Hardwood Guarantee

17. What payment options do you offer?
We accept all forms of payment including all major credit cards.

18. What insurance coverage do you have?
We are insured for 2 million in liability insurance. We include a copy of this with all our estimates.

19. What areas of the lower mainland do we work in?
We work predominantly in Vancouver, the North Shore, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody and Coquitlam.

20. What are your hours of operation and do you work weekends?
Our typical work hours are from 7:30-4:30, Monday-Friday. We may work on Saturdays, but only for coating.

21. What about access?
We use lockbox’s to store you key in for the duration of the job. This way your key never leaves your house or goes missing and is always in a secure place accessible to you. If possible, the lockbox and lawn sign (with your permission) are dropped off when picking the signed estimate sheet and the deposit.

22. How soon can I have my floor refinished?
We usually need two to four weeks lead time to schedule a job. Contact us as soon as you know when you would like the work done, and we will do all we can to schedule your floors on your preferred dates. We rarely have to postpone a promised start-date for a job. However life happens and unforeseen circumstances may require last minute minor re-scheduling. In the event of a change we will always give as much notice as possible and re-schedule as close to the original dates.

23. What about the furniture?
Furniture, appliances (in some cases but not always), window coverings and hanging pictures should be removed from the work area. It’s also recommended that shelving and mantles be cleared of breakables as vibrations from machinery or the putting up and taking down of plastic can snag on these items, causing them to fall and break. We do not remove furniture but can recommend movers and storage solutions to aid you in this process.

24. What if my hardwood is under carpeting? Will I have to remove the carpeting?
Customers should consider removing carpet themselves but if not we can include this as part of the estimate. Our customers should be aware that floors that are covered at the time of the estimate may require additional work that may not have been apparent to our estimator. We do not remove linoleum or tile.

25. Do you have to remove baseboards and baseshoe mouldings before refinishing?
If you plan to have new Baseboards/Baseshoe installed, then it is recommended that the existing mouldings be removed before sanding takes place. If not, it is not necessary to remove the existing mouldings.

26. Do you install new flooring as well?
Yes, we will install new hardwood flooring. Typically we install custom, site sanded floors. These floors are installed bare or unfinished, then sanded (and stained if required) and finished in your home.

27. What about paint?
Our customers should be prepared to do some touch-up painting after our work is completed. We strive to be as careful as possible during our work, but some touch-up painting may be necessary. This is especially the case with painted mouldings that contact the floor, you may have to repaint them after sanding. This is easier than removing and replacing them.