THE BASICS

OUR PROCESS 

Floor sanding is something of an art form and many professional flooring companies have developed their own methods.  Proper Sanding procedures being somewhat subjective, and dependant on species and condition of wood, we follow The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) and Bona® recommendations when installing, sanding, and finishing a hardwood floor.  These guidelines, coupled with our years of experience and constant training, help ensure that your floor will look beautiful and be done correctly!

CHOOSING A HARDWOOD

Each species of tree produces a wood with its own unique grain, color, and veining. The most popular species are oak and maple, followed by beech, cherry, walnut, white ash and yellow birch. Exotic woods, such as brazilian cherry, which are very warm in color and extremely solid, are also widely available.  No matter the species, one thing is consistent – they are all organic materials.  As such, they produce specific characteristics and quirks, respond to their environment differently, and change over time.  For us, knowing these properties ensures our installations and finishes are done correctly.  For you, our customer, it means setting realistic expectations of how the product will perform and look BEFORE IT’S INSTALLED!

Grading is a means of rating boards and groups flooring with similar qualities, bringing a degree of consistency to products from different mills.  It takes into account variations in wood’s natural color, surface characteristics, required lengths and milling tolerances, and sets our minimum expectations.   For example, “Select & Better” grade woods are more uniform in color than “#1 common” grade, which present greater, more pronounced natural color variation.  For a rustic more “cottage feel” to a room, “#2 common” grade may be required with wider grains and even greater color variations, knot holes, and random lengths throughout the run of wood. 

Boards come in a number of sizes. Standard widths that are generally available include 2 1/4”, 3 1/4″, and 4”. Widths of 5″ and greater are becoming increasingly popular and your choice will depend on the effect you want to create. Thinner boards make a room look longer, while wider boards make it appear shorter. Remember, however, that wood is affected by its surroundings. For instance, a tight grained wood (such as maple) expands with moisture and humidity, which may make thinner boards preferable in some instances.

Many different factors, from the nature of the living tree (species), the way the lumber is sawed (grading), to the width of each board affect the way the finished floor will look.   Hardwood floors are incredible diverse and with over fifty handmade sample boards, six species, and thirty plus stains and finishes in our showroom to view, we can walk you through the selection process with knowledge and confidence.       

SANDING 

Traditional hardwood floor sanding is typically an extremely dusty process – a dust-storm in the home, a clean-up headache that never ends, and a potential health risk to you. With Bona’s dust-free sanding those days are gone.  If you haven’t already noticed, you’ll soon start seeing their floor cleaning products in likes of Home Depot®, Kroger®, and many more as they catch on to what we’ve known and been using for years.   Like Floormax, Bona® is a company driven by innovation and continuous improvement.    The first to introduce waterborne finishes,   they provide us with sanding machines, dustless containment systems, stain, finishes , and floor care products that work perfectly together; “a complete system of products to bring out the best in wood”!   

STAIN

Coating over stain that hasn’t completely dried is one of the major causes of problems on a job. Bona’s breakthrough advancement in oil-modified stain technology assures adhesion of the finish, with unprecedented speed. Bona DriFast® Stain is premium, fast-drying and compatible with all Bona waterborne systems and all other Bona finish systems. Available in 14 wood tones and white, Bona DriFast Stain provides high performance for hardwood floor finishing professionals.  There are an unlimited number of custom wood tone colors that can be achieved using Bona DriFast Stain®  and we can create one just for you by  blending Bona DriFast Stain base colors together. 

FINISH

Whether you are looking for shine, color, slip resistance or durability, Bona® and Floormax can provide a solution for you.  There are two basic types of finishes used today, oil modified and water based. 
Oil-modified wood floor finishes are formulated for interior use on residential and commercial wood floors. They provide a tough, protective coat with a slight amber color which enhances the natural color of wood. 
Bona’s industry-leading waterborne finishes and sealers have always been VOC-compliant, are healthier for people and the environment than most other finishes, and dry in half the time compared to oil modified finishes.
Your project needs will dictate to us which finish to recommend and will be best suited for the environment in which it will be used. 

SHEEN

Both oil and water based finishes come in three different levels of sheen: Gloss, Semi gloss, and Satin. When selecting gloss, consider the following. A very bright finish reflects the most light and that means bright finishes also highlight scuffs, scratches, scrapes and other marks. Matte or satin finishes absorb more light, and reflect a more subdued radiance. Since marks are less noticeable, their life is longer-lasting. Their sedate sheen also makes them more aesthetically malleable.

REFINISHING YOUR EXISTING HARDWOODS

How do I know if my floors need re sanding or just recoating, and what’s the difference?  Call us for a free, no obligation inspection and we’ll evaluate the condition of your floors and provide you with our expert recommendations.  In general, if the finish is worn to the point that the color of the wood is not uniform, or it has structural imperfections, resanding and finishing is necessary.  If the wear is not that severe a recoating, either with or without abrasives, is an option.   

RESANDING

Sanding and Refinishing restores floors to a new condition and the days of hanging plastic, covering every surface, and vacating your home for a dusty nightmare are over.  Bona’s innovative dust free sander, the Bona Atomic DCS, connects a powerful vacuum motor to the sanding equipment and this combination virtually eliminates airborne dust generated while sanding.  It typically takes two to four days to sand, stain, seal the floor and apply multiple coats of finish. Once the final finish coat has been applied, you should wait four to 24 hours before subjecting your floor to light foot traffic, and 72 hours for heavy traffic.

RECOATING

There are two basic recoat methods:  a screen and recoat and a prep and recoat system.  A screen and recoat involves lightly abrading the top surface of the finish with a screen or abrasive pad, and then applying another coat.  Using Bona Prep® we condition and prepare the floor to accept a new coat of finish.  Which procedure is right for you will depend on expectations, budget, and the condition of your wood and finish.  It is typically a one-day process (for up to 1,000 square feet of flooring).

MAINTANENCE

Bona has been trusted by professionals since 1919. We recommend and use their complete line of  cleaners because they have no dulling residue and are also non-toxic and Greengaurd certified.
Cleaning as often as you can helps minimize the dirt and dust on your floors that can act like sandpaper and wear the finish down.  Bona’s line of specially-formulated polishes can be used multiple times per year. Frequency of use depends entirely on the amount of traffic your floor sees, but typical homeowner floor maintenance is every two to four months.
 Bona Polish provides a protective layer and evens out the sheen. It is an incredibly simple DIY project and no special equipment is needed. Simply remove furniture and rugs, then sweep, vacuum or dust mop your floor, and give it a wet cleaning with Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Then squirt Bona Polish onto the floor, spread it with an applicator and allow it to dry. Let it dry one hour before you walk on it, and 24 hours before subjecting it to heavy traffic.