Sanding FAQs

Move these items into another part of the house and cover with plastic. We will put plastic in any door-less entryways to contain the areas we're sanding. If we're sanding your kitchen, you should clear the counters and put blue painter’s tape to seal the cabinet doors if they do not shut flush.

This depends on the particular stain. For instance, if watermarks or animal stains are very dark, they probably will not be removed completely by hardwood floor sanding. These boards may need to be replaced. You can make that determination after we sand so you can see what they look like. Please bring any repairs to the attention of the salesperson prior to your scheduled date, if possible. We do not replace boards without the customer's permission.

We recommend that you have hardwood floor sanding done after major or messy construction, such as window installation or wall demo, but towards the beginning of your remodeling, before painting. Even with extreme care, the sanding or installation machines or coating brushes, etc. may sometimes leave marks on walls or woodwork that require some repair or touch-ups.

Yes. When sanding large areas with care, touch-ups are sometimes required.

Yes. Inform us how we can enter the house (e.g. key with neighbor, hidden key, etc.). Make sure you communicate any information well in advance with our office.

Depending on whether we need to finish the prior day’s job, this can vary. We will call you the day before with an approximate arrival time and schedule update. If you need further information regarding your job, call (610) 895-4410 around 9:30 am.

Time frame is approximate. It is impossible to know precisely how long your job will take or with the prior customer. Sometimes we can complete the work faster than anticipated. Sometimes it takes longer. We will make every attempt to stay on schedule. Keep in mind that we cannot be responsible to unforeseen circumstances or acts of God (e.g. snow, employees’ illness, difficulty with the previous job, etc.). We do schedule with these situations  and normally remain on schedule. If you ask, we can call you ½ hour before arriving at your house.

If boards run parallel to a door frame where the sanding is divided and we can stop on the edge of a board, the floor is uniform. If  the boards run lengthwise into the two sanded areas and we must stop in the middle of the boards, we will blend the two areas.

Yes, hardwood floor sanding can be done as long as the floors are solid wood. With the precision of our German machines, even most veneers can be sanded. However, we assume that all floors are solid wood unless you have specifically advised our salesperson otherwise.

Hardwood flooring can take 10 to 12 complete sanding and refinishing jobs during its lifetime. Engineered wood flooring can be refinished once or twice, depending on the thickness of the hardwood veneer (per DIY Network). We would be happy to address any specific inquiries regarding your floors.

Our hardwood floor sanding machines, the German Laagler Hummels, are the finest on the market. The manufacturers bill them as dustless, but of course, sanding cannot be done without some dust. The dust from this machine is very minimal for the industry.

Yes. If you have parquet floors, pine or if you are having the floors stained, there will be more dust because more sanding and buffing will be required.

We will sweep and bag all of your debris and carry it to your trash site, unless other arrangements are made.

Yes. The best time to determine if boards need to be replaced is after the first sanding. There is an additional charge for board replacement.

No. If nails are protruding from the surface and will contact our sandpaper, we will punch those nails. We will not punch down nails that are already subset from the surface of the floor. Be aware that on a top nail floor the nails sometimes “bleed” into the wood leaving small rust stains, which will more likely happen in areas with more moisture. These “bleeding” marks show through the stain. They are part of your floor which is considered to be normal.

No. If it is only a small area, we take care of it if we feel it is appropriate at no additional charge. We prefer not to use filler and to stay with the natural wood look with a natural imperfection. Filler is a solid color without any grain and may not appear attractive. Wood also expands and contracts with the dry winter and humid summer seasons where wood does not. Another reason we do not suggest filling every crack is because after a few years, the wood and filler have different physical properties. The filler may begin to pop out of its crevice and it will need attention to match the rest of the fillings.

All changes and additions must go through the office. Call the office to discuss changes or additions for pricing. This will allow us to inform and properly equip the mechanics.

No. There is an additional charge for moving furniture. We do not assume liability for this. If you would like this service, we ask any that smaller personal items like dishes in a china cabinet be moved before we arrive.

Yes. We run a 240V cable from the main panel box to the area being sanded. All other machines use standard 120V electric. Ample service and wiring needs to be available.

No. If you feel that an outstanding job was done, a tip would be appreciated.

The most obvious difference is that polyurethane has a light brown/amber color, while water-borne finishes are much lighter and clearer. Polyurethane is a strong engineering plastic with outstanding toughness and mechanical properties, making it an unparalleled coating for a dynamic surface like wood. Its success lies in its unique molecular phase separation between hard and soft polymer segments during the curing process. 

Most water-borne finishes are acrylate-based, due to the difficulty of dispersing polymer finishes in water. Acrylate is almost as strong as polyurethane but more brittle. Most water-borne finishes are mechanically inferior to polyurethane but are more ecological since no volatile solvents are used in the finish. The water-borne finish we use contains a patented alumina nanoparticle suspension; this combination actually surpasses conventional polyurethane finishes in mechanical properties. However, the water-borne finish we offer is more expensive than the polyurethane. Most of our customers choose polyurethane because of the color and the price.

Please contact us with any other hardwood floor sanding questions you may have!