Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Correctly refinishing a hardwood floor takes patience and skill.  We recognize that working in a customer's home requires trust.  As part of our dedication to excellence, Ray Case Floors will...
 

• Implement dust mitigation techniques that are reasonable for the area being worked on.

• Clear away all project related debris and ensure the premises are left in a clean condition.

• Conduct the specified tasks during regular business hours whenever feasible.

• Minimize loud, disruptive activities in the early mornings and late evenings whenever possible.

• When we leave, ensure that our equipment is stored in an organized and safe manner on the job site.

 

As part of our goal in setting proper expectations for the refinishing process, it is important to understand the following points, ensuring our team can bring you the finest experience possible.

​

• All rooms must be entirely cleared before work begins and remain empty throughout the duration of the project, unless otherwise specified in your project estimate.
   

• Should Ray Case Floors personnel need to move furniture to initiate or continue work, customer will incur an additional charge per hour for each staff member required to assist with the furniture relocation.
   

• Ray Case Floors is not responsible for any damage or loss of furniture or personal belongings if our staff is required to move them.
   

• Customer has arranged to be away from the house for up to 72 hours during the coating and drying process.
   

• All pets will be secured while work is conducted at the site, and arrangements have been made to keep them away for 72 hours during the coating and drying process.
   

• Once customer confirms their choice of stain color and the staining begins, that decision is final. If customer requests a color change after the stain has been applied, a billable change order fee will be incurred.
   

• If floors need to be re-sanded and re-stained because of an incorrect color choice made by customer, an additional charge per hour for each staff member involved in re-sanding and re-staining, along with the cost of new stain will be incurred.
   

• Every effort will be made to carefully remove old shoe molding, but some baseboard repainting may be necessary. This service is not included and is not a service that Ray Case Floors provides.
   

• If customer is not prepared when Ray Case Floors staff arrive to begin work:

  • No work will commence, and a travel fee will be charged to the customer.

  • The customer's project will be placed at the end of the work queue and will need to be re-scheduled.

 

Our process is outlined below.

 

Step One:

We start the refinishing process by sealing off the area with blue masking tape and plastic film. Unfortunately, some materials like stucco and wallpaper cannot be taped. We limit the dust as much as possible with vacuum dust collection attached to the machines, but a little should be expected.

 

Step Two:

We need to locate a 240-volt power source. This can be a stove plug, dryer plug, or panel box. The sanding equipment we use requires this type of power.

 

Step Three:

We begin sanding.  This usually starts with a course cut from a Hummel, which is a large belt sander. The course grit will remove most stains and flatten the boards. All but a six-inch border will be sanded by the Hummel. The perimeter will get sanded with an “edger” which uses a spinning disk of sandpaper to get close to the walls.

​

Step Four:

After the first sand the floor is then inspected for holes, cracks, and gaps. A wood filler is then applied to those areas. The wood filler takes about an hour to dry before it can be walked on. The floor will be sanded a second time with finer grit sandpaper to ensure a smooth finish. Anything left behind will be removed by hand with a scraper and lots of elbow grease. Lastly, the floor will be buffed to remove any marks left behind by the other machines. Now it is ready for cleanup and should no longer be walked on. The wood will darken when finish is applied. Stains come in a wide range of colors, and we are happy to show you samples.

​

Step Five:

Finally, we coat the floor with three coats of finish with a light sanding in between coats. Coating is usually a two-day process, and the floor can receive light traffic the following day. A choice of products is available in many sheens, depending on your needs. 

​