Floor Sanding and Polishing Service

Sanding Hardwood Floors

The first step in the hardwood floor refinishing process is the actual flooring sanding. This is done with a big 8" belt sander and edgers for closer to the wall. The belt sander we use has excellent built-in dust containment. The edgers are the real dust creators of floor sanding, so we hook ours up to a big cyclone vacuum so that dust does not go airborne. We start with a rougher grit and work up to 100 grit (industry standard) on all machines. The floor sanding machines cannot get into the corners, so these have to be hand scraped and sanded. We finish our sanding with a multi-disc sanding machine. These machines are a newer technology that removes the opportunity for many sanding mistakes that can occur only using a belt sander. The difference is beautiful and leaves you with a perfectly flat floor. (A good question when vetting hardwood floor contractors is if they have and use these multi-disc machines.)

Staining Hardwood Floors
- Generally is an optional step in the process if you'd like to change the color of your wood flooring. A stain is a color pigment that is suspended in an oil. A floor that is going to be stained has to be sanded very well because that pigment will settle into any crevices left by a lousy sand job and highlight them. That is why the people staining your floor need to know what they are doing. We also use a process called water popping (light stains will not need to be water popped) which opens the grain of your wood and allows the staining to take more evenly. (See our blog post What is water popping?) Due to water popping and staining itself, this will usually add two days to the job. If you are interested in staining, you can check out the color chart, pick a few colors you like, and we will show you those colors on your floor.

Not every floor needs to be thoroughly sanded to raw wood and refinished. If your floor only shows some surface wear, we can come in and buff the floor and give you a new topcoat. It is considerably less invasive and less expensive than complete sand and refinishes, so don't let your floors get too bad of shape. It should be a part of everyone's floor maintenance routine every 3-5 years, depending on use.

Good for getting the ground-in dirt out of your hardwood flooring. We come in with a power scrubbing machine filled with a light cleaning detergent and give your wood floors a thorough deep clean. There is no downtime. It helps extend the life of your investment and is the most cost-effective option. It can be used to clean before buffing and recoating to give you more bang for the buck. You'll be shocked at the amount of dirt on your floors!