Q: We are thinking of replacing our old hardwood with luxury vinyl tile. Is this a good idea?
A: The value of your home is no doubt important. Hardwood floors are considered an upgrade and improve the value of your home. Replacing your hardwood with "Luxury vinyl tile" is a downgrade and will lessen the value of your home. The short answer is, "No way"! Besides that, refinishing your hardwood floors is more economical and will cost less than new material and installation.
Q: We just bought a home and would like to have multiple contractors working while the floors are being done. Is this possible?
A: We highly recommend having your floors done last if multiple projects are going on. We understand the urgency to complete your remodel, but once we start sanding your hardwood floors, the floors are incredibly susceptible to damage due to the protective coating being removed. Our motto is, "Prevention is better than the cure". In short, if another contractor damages your floors while we are working on them, that contractor is liable.
Q: We have a scratch going across a few boards. Can you touch this up or fix this?
A: Sorry, we don't perform "Spot refinishing or touch up". The attempt to spot repair/refinish will create an eye sore. For professional results, the entire room must be coated.
Q: Is Engineered hardwood floor and laminate floor the same?
A: No, they are 2 different animals. Laminate floor is a cheap imitation of hardwood floor. It's high density card board with a "Picture" of hardwood on top of it. Laminate contains NO wood whatsoever. The Engineered floor has a veneer/ wear layer of Real Hardwood on the top that measures 3-5 mm thick. Under the wear layer is multiple layers of plywood (The base of the floor) to protect your floor from the moisture found in the concrete slab.
Q: The cost of refinishing hardwood floors vs new floors
A: The cost of refinishing hardwood floors vs. new floors is ALWAYS fractional in comparison. Refinishing hardwood floor cost is at least 50% of what new floors will cost. New floor installation consists of: New floors, demolition of old floors, installation cost, base board and trim pieces.
Q: My floors scratch easy. Am I doing something wrong?
A: It's very possible. All furniture should have protective pads on the feet to prevent from scratching. It is "Always" best to lift and place furniture when you have to move it. Dragging furniture is almost a guarantee something bad, like a gouge will follow.
Q: Will polyurethane prevent my floor from denting or gauging?
A: No! Polyurethane is a protective coating intended to protect from the moderate downward force of a person walking. Polyurethane does not protect against heavy or sharp impact. Regardless of what some may claim, every hard surface floor can be dented, gouged or cracked.
Q: Do hardwood floors dent?
A: Yes! Though some hardwoods are denser than others, no hardwood floor is impervious to denting or gouging. When enough force is applied, any hardwood floor will dent.
Q: Is there such a thing as "Scratch proof" hardwood floors?
A: No, there is no such thing as a scratch proof hardwood floor. Scratch proof floor does not exist.
Q: Why are my hardwood floors dull?
A: 9 times out of 10 it is because you are using a cleaner that contains chelates or leaves a film behind. Chelates are acidic that slowly dull your floor. All floor cleaners should be PH neutral for hardwood floors to avoid this. Another possibility is the cleaner you are using is leaving a film behind and that film effects the sheen. The last reason is micro scratches that occur after years of usage.
Q: How do I get my hardwood floors to shine again?
A: Cleaning more or scrubbing harder will not revive your hardwood floors original sheen. If there is some sort of soapy film on them, removing the film will work. On the other hand, once the floors are damaged from wear (dullness or fine scratches) a viable option would be to recoat (new coat of polyurethane) How to clean hardwood floors
Q: I'm going to paint my house, should I put craft paper and painters tape on my hardwood floors to protect them?
A: The simple answer is NO! Putting paper on the floor is okay, but when you apply painters tape to hold it down, you have a very good chance of harming the floors by pulling the finish off the hardwood floors once the tape is removed. Hardwood floor polyurethane finish is designed to withstand downward force, not have it's adhesion qualities tested in an upwards direction. There are a few times a month when we get calls because a homeowner or less experienced professional painters is naive to this rule and will experience lifting the finish off the hardwood floors with painters tape. It can be fixed, sometimes. Other times it may require the complete room to be either recoated or completely refinished. Be careful.
Q: Are some hardwood floors more resistant to denting or gouging than others?
A: Yes. Hardwood floors are density rated with the Janka scale. This scale identifies which hardwood is the softest to hardest hardwood based on its density. If you were to compare Douglas fir to Brazilian cherry, the Brazilian cherry is 4 times denser or harder. Therefore it would take much greater force to damage Brazilian cherry vs. Douglas fir. Ultimately, given the right amount of force, any hardwood floor will dent.
Q: How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
A: That depends entirely on the total square footage and the color of choice along with any other issues like repairs. Even the smallest job, like one bedroom would take 2 to 3 days due to the dry time of 3 coats of finish being applied.
Q: Do I have to leave my home when you are refinishing my hardwood floors?
A: It is possible to stay in your home. That all depends on the architecture of your home and the scope of work. If you have access to let's say bedrooms while the other areas of the home are being sand and finished, then yes, you can stay in your home
Q: Do you make color suggestions like an interior designer?
A: It is against company policy to make color "Decisions" for our clients.
Q: What is better, water based polyurethane or oil based polyurethane?
A: As a company, we favor oil based finish. The durability has been tested and proven over the years. There are some high quality water base finish out there, but unfortunately you can get the same quality in the high end oil base polyurethane that we typically use for a lesser price. If you are on a budget, we would suggest oil based polyurethane over water based urethane. Ultimately, you are the boss and we use whatever you deem proper.
Q: How long should hardwood floors acclimate in the home before installation?
A: According to the National Wood Floor Association, a minimum of 4-8 days.
Q: What is better, solid hardwood flooring or engineered hardwood flooring?
A: It's not always a matter of which is better, it is a matter of which is correct for your project. Engineered hardwood floor is designed to be installed on top of a concrete slab. Solid hardwood floor is designed to be installed on top of a wooden sub-floor. If you had the same quality of engineered vs. solid hardwood floor, engineered typically cost more but should last as long as solid. So it is not advisable to install engineered on top of a wooden subfloor simply because it's not cost effective.
Q: Which hardwood floor last longer; Engineered or solid hardwood?
A: Solid hardwood will typically outlast engineered floors. The life of engineered hardwood life is based on how thick the wear layer is. If you purchased a low end engineered hardwood floor, then you can bet the life of the floor will be fractional compared to that of a solid hardwood flooring. A high quality engineered floor with a 3/8" wear layer is comprable to solid.
Q: What should I know about gluing down hardwood floor?
A: First choose a glue that doesn't contain isocyanate. That chemical will etch the top coat or finish of your hardwood floors. If your messy with the installation that glue will get everywhere. No amount of cleaning will remove this etch. Secondly, you should first know that it typically cost more to remove glued down floor than it does to install it. Knowing that, make sure you purchase a quality engineered hardwood floor that will last decades.
Q: Is refinishing hardwood floors easy to do?
A: On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the most difficult. It's easy to say that sand and finishing a hardwood floor is a 10. Each month we intercept projects that homeowners attempted to complete and found that they not only had the skill, but lack the work ethic to complete these types of projects. Those DYI shows never show you close ups of the disasters (chatter marks, dips, swirls, stop marks, edger marks, buffer marks, uneven staining, lap marks) the homeowners did to their own hardwood floors.
Q: When shopping for a contractor, should I choose the cheapest guy?
A: Common sense will tell you that if a contractors price is cheap, so is the quality of work. Perhaps the person is not licensed, insured or bonded. All of which is the standard for operating a hardwood floor business to insure your protection. When the cheap guy botches your job, they almost always run and disapear forever. Your ability to recover lost funds is lost. On the contrary, a contractor that is producing high quality work will not work for less because they are in High demand and have the reputation and history to prove it. We can go a step further and say that our company has a "No deposit policy". You don't pay until the work is completed.
Q: What kind of deposit is expected?
A: When you work with National Floors, there is no deposit on services rendered. When the work is completed and you are satisfied, you will pay 100% on the back end. Most contractors won't work like this, but since we specialize in hardwood floors and we are confident in our ability to make your home look amazing.
Q: How long should I expect my refinished hardwood floors to last?
A: That all depends on the occupants and the level of activity your home will experience. Let's say there are only 2 people that live in the home and they never entertain and always take their shoes off when in the house. You might be looking at a 20-40 year life. On the other hand, if you have a family of 4, with young kids, a pet(s) and entertain a few times a year, you can expect a shorter life for your floors due to the increased usage.
Q: How much does it typically cost to refinish my hardwood floors?
A: There is no exact answer because each job is unique in some way. I can give you a hypothetical: A home that has 800 square feet of hardwood floor and the customer wants it stained, the cost is approximately $5.00/square foot. To be certain, have our estimator visit your home. There is no charge or obligation for this visit.
Q: Is it cheaper to refinish hardwood floors or install carpet?
A: Believe it or not, it is almost "Always" cheaper to refinish your existing hardwood floors than it is to install new carpet.