Refinishing Hardwood Floors Dustless
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Refinishing Hardwood floors 99% dust free
Dustless wood floor refinishing is here to stay. The most common fear of having your hardwood floors refinished is all that dust! Dustless floor refinishing is no joke and has big pluses attached to it. Hardwood floor refinishing with a DCS (Dust containment system) produces cleaner air vs. other methods of refinishing hardwood floors. Refinishing wood is 99% dust free when you hire Naitional floors for your hardwood floor refinishing. Hardwood types available for sanding include: solid hardwood, engineered hardwood, bamboo flooring and even parquet hardwood flooring. Refinishing hardwood floors without sanding is one method, but when you want the best results or "like new wood floors", you must always create a new surface. Our dustless floor sander belt machines along with a powerful dust containment system at no extra charge to you when National floors provides the best hardwood floor refinishing process out there. Dustless hardwood floors refinishing is achieved by the use of our strong vacuums that are triple filtered and attach directly to our dustless sanding machines to eliminate the dust so you don’t feel like you were just punished by your hardwood floor contractors.· We keep over 99% of the dust out of your home by using very experienced contractors and a dust containment system from beginning to the end of the project.When the D.C.S. is used to refinish hardwood floors, you are left with not only a cleaner home, but the end result of the project is going to be far superior because those who do not use a D.C.S. can suspend dust in your air (for up to 2 weeks!) that will eventually settle onto your floor and walls for a less than desirable final appearance.
Professional results from wood expert C-15 contractors
Refinishing old hardwood floors is common place for National floors. Being one of the top wood refinishing companies in the Bay Area, National floors will be able to take your worn out tired hardwood floors that needs resurfacing and make them flat and gorgeous without all that dust. Our contractors have the best combination of quality craftsmanship and efficiency to get you back into your home asap so you can get back to your life. Every moment counts and we know this and since our contractors only take on one job at a time, we are able to stick to a planned schedule to make the deadline as promised. This not only essential but vital for customer satisfaction.
On the other hand, it's not uncommon to shop for the best deal out there and assume you did everything right only to find that's it's too late and your stuck with the worst guy for the job with the worst looking floors on the block. There is a reason why they are the cheapest. Not only can we promise you inferior results by going with the low bid, but a longer time line will follow as well.
When you choose the cheapest hardwood floor refinisher, you can bet that you are paying for:
- The cheapest and most inferior polyurethane products, stains and sealers. This is how most contractors will compensate for lowering their overall cost. We use Fabulon polyurethane, it's the best.
- The non-use of a DCS (dust containment system or dustless floor sanding) We use DCS vacuums on every job that leaves the home cleaner for superior results.
- Low skill level. Stop marks and swirls are indentations left in the wood floor by an inexperienced operator of the floor sanding machines. We make sure your floors are flat! If a handyman or laborer was highly skilled, they would be licensed in this trade and therefore demand higher pay. If you hire just anyone, expect waves in your floors.
- Non-insured, non-licensed and non-bonded labor is typical in this economy. Going this route will leave you with no recourse when things go south and they probably will.
- Unsuspecting back charges. Don't be surprised when you hear those words, "I need more money for more materials". A professionally licensed contractor won't and can't do that by law. Now you are paying probably more than it would have cost you for a pro to start off with.
Your wood floors are quite an investment and should not be left in the hands of the inexperienced. Our refinishing hardwood floors cost is so affordable, most wouldn't believe it's actually cheaper than getting new carpet in your home. We are so confident you will be happy when restoring your hardwood floors, we ask for nothing up front and get paid on the back end when the wood refinishing job is complete and approved by you.
If you are looking for professional results, you need to hire a professional C-15 hardwood contractor
"Before and After" examples of Hardwood floors refinishing by National Floors"
Above are a few examples of hardwood floors restoration or refinishing by our C-15 hardwood floor contractor at National Floors. Hardwood floor refinishing results can be extreme as you can see from the photos above. When you chose to refinish hardwood floors, you can expect these types of results with National floors. All three hardwood flooring examples are original construction in the homes and are 40-60 years old.· After National floors takes your hardwood floors through our wood floor refinishing process, you can expect your hardwood floors to be restored back into the 90% plus of their original appearance.··
Today's standard for hardwood flooring refinishing
Dustless floor refinishing has changed a lot in the last 10 years or so.· The dustless floor sander or machine have improved, the sand paper has improved and so has the polyurethane finish.· One of the biggest changes is the high level of dust control methods on the market today.· As a result of all these changes, hardwood flooring contractors have also been required to improve upon their skills.· National Floors hardwood flooring contractors are updated regularly with the newest technology along with the newest and most improved materials so our customers can benefit with the best hardwood floor restoration process available today. When we sand your floors, your hardwood floors will be flat! The finish will be even in sheen and the stain color just right.
Hardwood floor refinish species
Sometimes it's not obvious if you are a candidate for refinishing wood floors. Not all floors can be go through the refinishing process.
Here is a list of the types of floors you can refinish:
- Solid hardwood flooring: Red Oak, white oak, birch, maple, santos mahogany, Brazilian cherry, cumaru, hickory, douglas fir,
- parquet hardwood flooring
- engineered hardwood floors
- bamboo flooring both solid and engineered
Laminate floors cannot be sanded. Laminate is a picture of hardwood and therefore is a one time type of flooring. In other words, when the floor is worn, it is unsalvageable.
Wood flooring polyurethane refinishing materials used:
The products that we use are low in V.O.C. (volatile organic compounds).· This means less stink in the air and a safer environment for your children and animals.· These products, called polyurethane, are commercial grade (professional use only products not sold over the counter) and last much longer than over the counter products sold to the public. These are the same products that we use in malls, churches and commercial type establishments.· What does this mean?· Simple, heavy duty for longer lasting wearability and beauty.· If you get a bid and it seems much cheaper than ours, there is a good chance the competition skimped on the quality of the finish.· This means you’ll save a few bucks now, but you will have to have your floors refinished in just a few years and go through the process again at an additional expense. There are basically two types of finish: water bourne or oil based polyurethane.
How to refinish hardwood floors- National Floor's process for refinishing hardwood floor:
- 1. We "Rough" your hardwood floors.· This is the first and most aggressive sanding intended to flatten your floor and remove the old finish. It also reveals any real stains or damage.
- 2. Nails are set and wood putty is applied to fill in cracks, holes and imperfections that need filling.·
- 3. The floor is then sanded an additional 3 more times so we have a smooth surface.· It sounds like we take the floor way down, but in fact we typically take off about 1/32 of an inch.··
- 4. Corners are then hand-scraped were machines can't reach. They are then hand sanded to match the rest of the floor.
- 5. The Stain or sealer is applied for color. Another purpose for the stain or sealer is to prevent the polyurthane from soaking into the hardwood. Keeping the polyurethane on top of the hardwood were it is intended to work best is crucial for a long lasting floor.
- 6. Finally, your hardwood floor is top coated with multiple times with Commercial Grade Polyurethane. We use Fabulon polyurethane finish, which most contractors consider to be the best in the industry.
- 7. National floors also abrades inbetween coats for the smoothest final appearance possible.
On average, National floors will remove about 1/32" when refinishing your hardwood floors. This of course is entirely dependent on the current condition of your wood floors. Most solid wood flooring refinishing can be done multiple times without sanding past the wear layer. Engineered hardwood floors can be a challenge because of the quality and thickness of the wear layer.
How to refinish hardwood floors
The process of sanding hardwood floors has many names; redoing hardwood floors, refurbishing hardwood floors, resurfacing hardwood floors, hardwood floor restoration, finishing hardwood floors, sanding wood floors and the list goes on.·
Do it yourself refinishing hardwood floors is by no means an easy task.
You should know what you are getting into before you take on the task of refinishing your hardwood floors.
- First, you should know that it is very time consuming
- It's labor intensive, especially if you are not accustomed to manual labor
- On the degree of difficulty, sanding a hardwood floor corectly requires a very high skill level only possessed by a hardwood floor contractor who has sanded at least 25-50 floors.
- If sanding is done incorrectly, you could thoroughly damage the floor by gouging the floor with the machine or possibly remove too much floor which will shorten the life of the floor. This leads to expensive hardwood floor reparis.
- The lack of tools and now how are both major concerns that should not be taken lightly. Dustless floor sanding is not an option because you can't rent a dustless floor sander.
- Inferior products (Non-professional grade) purchased over the counter will require your floors to be refinished much sooner
- Improper application of stain is common with the do it your selfer. Expect blotchiness and know that the only way to fix this is to start all over and create a new surface.
- Improper application of polyurethane. The floor has to be coated multiple times correctly or you will see holidays, lap marks, uneveness in sheen, delamination, etc..
Basic questions about hardwood flooring and refinishing
*What kind of hardwood floors can be refinished?· All solid hardwood floors can go through the hardwood floor refinishing process. Bamboo does qualify as hardwood flooring.
*Can Laminate hardwood flooring be sanded?·· No.· People have morphed the definition of the word laminate and have come to think it is hardwood, when in fact· laminate is a picture of hardwood flooring on some sort of mdf backing that is not real hardwood.· Laminate flooring is a one time floor. Once worn, it must be removed and replaced.
*Can engineered hardwood flooring can be sanded?· Yes, but that is purely dependant on the thickness of the wear layer.· Some engineered floors are so thin, you are only a candidate for a recoat process.· Call us if your not sure so we can inspect your hardwood floors at no cost to you.
*What about stained hardwood flooring?· Yes, hardwoods that have been stained can be resurfaced and brought back to Natural in color or we can apply your choice of the same or different stain color depending on the species.
*Can pre-finished hardwood floors be refinished?· Yes, once again, if the floor is solid, no problem.· If the floor is engineered, then it may take some inspecting to come up with the best answer for your circumstances.
*I started sanding my floors, but found it was more of a project than anticipated. Can you take over? Yes we can. Give us a call and we'll assess the situation and put you back on track.
*I found hardwood floors under my carpet. The hardwood floors are very old. Can they be refinished? Yes, we work in cities like Fremont, Newark, Sunnyvale and Castro Valley that have many homes that have original hardwood floors in them. It's almost always cheaper than new carpet.
*Can I stain my hardwood floors? It depends on what species you have. If you have oak hardwood floors, the answer is yes. Other species like maple hardwood floors don't accept stain well and tend to come out blotchy.
*How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors? Even the smallest job will require two days. Anything over 800 square feet will take more time. Adding a stain color will add additional time as well.
*What is V.O.C.? Volatile organic compounds. Water base typically has less voc than oil based polyurethane.
*Should I worry about V.O.C. when having my hardwood floors refinished? The only time we consider it an issue is when you are in the house while the finish is drying. This is when the V.O.C. is being released into the air. Once the floors are dried, the VOC is no longer a threat. Most people are not in their home while their hardwood floors are drying.
*What's better, water based polyurethane or oil based? It depends on the values you have. If you want the lowest VOC out there, water base is the way to go. Water base polyurethane has a higher price tage and typically requires more coats because the product is thinner than oil. Some contractors will boast a quicker time line, but that is just propaganda trying to get the sale. We use oil based polyurethane on over 95% of our projects.
*What kind of results can I expect from having my hardwood floors refinished? If the floors are void from damage like pet stains or water damage, we can usually bring the floors back into the 90% or better.
*Can you repair my hardwood floors if they are damaged? Sure, no problem. We do this kind of thing daily.
Fabulon Heavy-Duty Polyurethane and Woodline Swedish finish
This product is known by professionals and homeowners as one of the finest, long-lasting polyurethanes on the market
It has exceptionally high solid polyurethane resin content that assures maximum durability, excellent body and a long lasting no wax finish. It never needs waxing.
This finish provides an easy-to-care for "coat of protection" on wood floors.
Fabulon Heavy-Duty polyurethane is also available in a low VOC version where required by law.
Fabulon Heavy-Duty Polyurethane is available in three sheens: Super-Gloss, Semi-Gloss & Satin.