What we check before quoting a refinish
Board thickness above the tongue decides everything. Too thin and sanding will expose the fastener, at which point replacement is the honest recommendation.
We also look for cupping, which points to a moisture problem that has to be solved first, and for pet stains, which often penetrate deeper than sanding can reach.
Where boards are beyond saving we weave in replacements from a matching species and blend them into the sanding, rather than patching a visible square in the middle of a room.
Sanding, staining and coating
Sanding runs in grit stages, coarse through fine, with edges and corners done separately. Skipping grits leaves scratch marks that the stain then highlights.
Stain gets sampled on your actual floor, in your light, because oak takes stain differently from maple and a chip in a showroom tells you very little.
Then the protective coats. We use the product schedule for drying and cure times rather than guessing, and we give you those times in writing so nobody puts a rug down too early.
Carpet came up and there is hardwood underneath
This is common in Ottawa homes from the 1950s to the 1970s, and it is usually good news. Tack strip holes around the perimeter and staple marks sand out in most cases.
What does not always sand out is adhesive residue from older underlay. We test a patch before quoting so the price reflects what your floor actually needs.
What a refinishing quote includes
- Thickness assessment: whether the floor can take a sand at all.
- Board repairs: how many boards get woven in and from where.
- Sanding schedule: grit stages, edges and corners.
- Stain samples: tested on your floor before you choose.
- Coating system: product named, number of coats stated.
- Cure times: when to walk on it, when furniture returns, when rugs can go down.
Where floor refinishing sits in the bigger job
This work is part of our flooring contractor service, so it can run on its own or as one stage inside a larger project. When it is part of a bigger renovation we sequence it with the other trades rather than treating it as a standalone visit.
Clients booking this often pair it with hardwood floor installation, vinyl plank flooring installation, tile floor installation or laminate floor installation. One contract covers whichever combination you need, with a single schedule and one point of contact.
Floor Refinishing across the Ottawa area
We take this work on throughout the greater Ottawa area. Recent jobs have run through Nepean, Merivale, South Keys, Kanata and the surrounding neighbourhoods. The consultation is free wherever you are in the city.