Planning for Hardwood Flooring Project

Planning for your next flooring project

Planning to replace your flooring can be a big job. Estimating the time and cost of a hardwood floor installation, repair, re-coat or remodel will require an in-person consultation and evaluation. Some big considerations include what flooring will have to be removed or replaced prior to the hardwood installation. This includes tearing out of the existing flooring, flooring preparation including a sub-floor evaluation, and installation of vapor barrier to protect your floors from moisture.

Top planning tips before your project begins

To help you prepare for your next flooring project, here are the actions you can take to ensure you get the best possible results from your new flooring removal and installation:

Before we can start the project, all furniture, plants, rugs, and other items will have to be removed from the space.
Although you don’t need to vacate your house entirely, we recommend you plan alternative foot traffic routes to avoid any floor areas that are being worked on.
If your project includes a front entryway or kitchen- this may mean using your back door for a few days and eating out for a few meals.
Pets: As much as we love our furry animals, it’s important to plan and keep them outside of any rooms where we are working to install or refinish floors.
Dust: We use a dustless system.
Dry Time: We use a 3-coat system. This typically consists of 1 coat of sealer or stain, followed by 2 coats of finish.
A safe standard is to assume floors should stay clear of any foot traffic for at least four (4) hours after. Even after four (4) hours the only foot traffic your floors should see is what we call stocking feet- keep your socks on.
Furniture: Keep furniture clear of your floors at least three (3) days after the last finish coat.
Rugs: Keep rugs clear of your floors at least ten (10) days after the last finish coat.
Protecting your floors: After your floors are complete we recommend place felt furniture pads on the bottoms of any furniture legs or surfaces that may scuff your floor! This includes rug mats- avoid placing any rugs on your floor that have exposed plastic weaving on the underside.
If you are sensitive to chemicals, or, you have pets, please mention this when you talk with us so we can discuss the options available to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of service do you need?

If you are not certain about which type of hardwood service you need, just call us. We can talk with you initially, then will schedule a consultation where we can review the surface in person and provide you with an accurate quote. Common requests include:

Replacement of non-hardwood flooring
Repair to existing hardwood damage
Requesting a fresh coat to add luster to the surface
Extending hardwoods into a new space
Installation of new hardwoods
Remodeling a room to include removal of current flooring

How much is this going to cost?

It depends entirely on what service you need! Services vary from a simple re-coat, to a full tear-out and install, and sometimes you run into unexpected hurdles. Therefore, base costs can vary anywhere between $3.00/sq ft – $12.00/sq ft.

We provide free estimates and an initial consultation. Once we confirm the service needed and complete an in-person survey of your floors, we will provide a project cost that we promise to stick to. We’ve been in this industry for over 30 years and take pride in keeping our word and never surprising our clients with unexpected costs.

How long will everything take?

It depends on the services needed. Jobs can take anywhere from 2 to 10 days. Even the type of finish you choose can effect cure time. Example: If you choose to finish your floors with an oil based finish, we recommend you remain out of your home for 3 days or more, after the final coat because the floor cures and off-gasses. Within one week the finish has a 90% cure rate. Within 10 days you can place your area rugs on the finished floors. The off-gassing of the finish typically occurs between 30-90 days depending on the environment within and without.

Every project is unique. For instance, for a new installation of hardwood in a 350 square foot room, we performed a tear-out of carpet and particle board, which left a gap between the floor and the molding. This added more time to the project because we had to add base shoe connectors to compensate for the gap. An oil based finished was applied, which required two coats, resulted in completion in five days. On average, these types of projects can fluctuate between four and five days for completion.