Answers To Your Questions
We feel these questions need to be answered.
Matters of Cost and Value
How do I define value when it comes to having my hardwood floor refinished?
How much should I be paying for having the floors refinished?
Does Silver Leaf Refinishing offer competitive rates?
Do I really need a written quote?
How come there is such a great difference between the quotes I have gathered?
Why do repairs cost so much?
Is it really worth it to pay for a higher quality finish? Is there that much difference?
Saving Money and the Environment
Why can I not simply buff and recoat my floors without having to sand them?
Do you think that I can refinish my own hardwood floors?
How much dust will be generated?
How thick are my hardwood floors? How many sandings can they sustain?
Will hardwood floors really help if I suffer from allergies?
How can I be environmentally conscious and still have my hardwood floors refinished?
Identifying and Choosing Competence
Floor Finish Properties
What type of finish should I choose?
Is there a visual difference between the ceramic finish and conventional finishes?
What is the most resistant site-applied finish available?
How many coats of finish does a good system include?
How does site applied finish compare to prefinished?
What finish will prevent my floors from denting?
Can I have applied a finish that will not show scratches?
Aren’t water based finishes weak and subject to premature wear?
Why doesn’t anyone wax their floors anymore?
What is the difference between “stain” and “floor finish”?
Are water based finishes healthier when applied compared to oil based finishes?
How do I define value when it comes to having my hardwood floor refinished?
How is real value defined? Two main areas. Price is not forcibly one of them! The quality of the finishing or sanding itself and the quality of the coatings applied to preserve the finished floor.
The quality of the refinishing itself.
A finely sanded floor will bring out the rich colors, grain patterns and natural characteristics of the wood species. The finer the sanding grit used the richer the final appearance. Query the floor refinisher you are seeking to engage and ask him to what grit level the floor will be sanded. A 100 to 120 grit abrasive will enhance the natural beauty of the wood more so than the more common 80 grit level most will bring a floor to.
The corners, in and around finished mill work, door casings and thresholds are most often the most neglected of areas when it comes to fine finishing. These areas need to be done in large part by hand and require extensive time to bring up to the level of the rest of the floor surface.
The quality of the finish coatings applied.
By the application of high quality finishes with sufficient coatings one ensures that the work and expenditure invested to sand the floor is preserved and maintained for a good length of time. A good quality finish will maintain the rich beautiful appearance of the hardwood and this for many a year. A quality finish system can be subjected to many years of foot traffic and still not be worn down to the bare wood in the high traffic areas. Only after years of use does true value become evident and enduring.
For further information on this subject see: How You Can Choose a Hardwood Floor Professional, Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System, and Why Choose Us?
How much should I be paying for having the floors refinished?
See the two following articles: In the “Answers to Your Questions” the question - How come there is such a great difference between the quotes I have gathered? and, How Much Does it Cost?
You will find a wealth of information that will enable you to become well educated and well on your way to making a good choice of a flooring professional.
Does Silver Leaf Refinishing offer competitive rates?
The answer is twofold. No we do not and yes we do! What do we mean by that? See the article: How Much Will it Cost?
Do I really need a written quote?
Yes, conventional wisdom calls for a detailed written quote outlining all aspects of the restoration process. This becomes a document that remains unchanged when memories fail. Verbal agreements are subject to change, misunderstandings and are a shaky foundation at best.
Often we find that a verbal agreement with the contractor in behalf of the homeowner fails miserably. Perceptions as to finished appearance vary considerably.
It may be seen as an initial sign of competence and professionalism when a detailed quote is submitted. Expect anywhere from five to ten pages of information outlining your project. All aspects should be covered. Limitations of the floor refinisher and his crew should be outlined. Limitations of the finished appearance and performance of the floor too should be clear and concise.
Written, detailed quotes provide protection not only for you the homeowner but the hardwood floor professional as well. In addition, if you are wisely gathering more than one quote, detail will enable you to compare quotes far more easily. Anything vague or unexplained will prevent you from coming to a confident resolve. The detailed informative quote becomes a valuable tool for you the homeowner.
How come there is such a great difference between the quotes I have gathered?
You will find two basic differences. The first of content and detail and the other of price.
Basically you get what you pay for. The most competent of flooring professionals are highly sought after for their experience and consistent results. Their investment in not only materials but training has a price attached to it. In addition the experience acquired over the years is deemed very valuable.
If your quote is not detailed outlining the entire scope of the work needed please be wary. There should be a number of pages of “Qualifications” or “Cautions” that explain not only the limitations of the flooring contractor himself, but also of the products they are using. We find that our near ten page quotes enable us to cover to the satisfaction of the client virtually all aspects of the proposed project.
There is a wide range of work quality and product quality within this industry that few are aware of unless they are experienced. The average homeowner will have difficulty determining a high quality refinishing job which may have taken ten hours from one that took an additional five hours on the same given floor. Both to their ‘eye’ look fine. Experienced professionals can. Herein lies the reason for the varied pricings offered to do the same job.
The very nature of the work makes that virtually all steps of the process are done by hand. Granted machines are used but they need to be skilfully guided in a precise manner to render a pleasing product or end result. Many, many factors come into play that easily can affect the final outcome. Most everyone has a story of a failed attempt to have a hardwood floor restored. Simply put this is not an easy trade. To become extremely good one must really set one’s self to the challenge of learning it over a period of years.
Professionals have mastered the craft and will charge more for their services. If you have a wide range of prices from the quotes you have gathered it is likely that you have not yet come across comparable professionals. Often their price tells you what they feel they are worth.
Take your time in the gathering of quotes. Consider this an investment and a necessary step to finding the ideal flooring professional. See: How Much Will it Cost?
Why do repairs cost so much?
Professionally repairing hardwood floors requires skill and experience. Frequently we see that the flooring introduced to repair an area does not fully match the existing floor species and grading. This is due to the inexperience of the one doing the repair. Not all contractors have sufficient experience in repairing hardwood floors. Most will readily admit this and call in a flooring professional.
The repair may be well done yet is visible looking like a patched area. The tones of the wood, grain patterns and lengths of boards are all critical to a successful repair. Repairs should be barely if not at all visible when examined.
Specialty tools are needed for near seamless repairs. Repairs are compared to “floor surgery”. Not everyone is a surgeon.
Repairs can take a tremendous amount of time, exceeding often the refinishing process itself. Hasty repairs often are a waste of resources. Consider this an investment towards the preservation of your already valuable hardwood floors. You are paying for competence and a job well done.
Is it really worth it to pay for a higher quality finish? Is there that much difference?
Absolutely. Generally speaking most all finish systems offered by your hardwood floor professional are of good to excellent quality. Yet there is a range of abilities within these finishes to withstand foot traffic or wear. In the end this is the most valuable asset you have. It is the finish you will be walking on that will have to perform for you day in and day out and this over the coming years.
The initial investment, disruption and inconvenience to have your hardwood floors refinished will be substantial. Therefore you wish to preserve this value by choosing a long lasting quality finish. Otherwise after a number of years you will have to repeat the process and undoubtedly pay more for this same process to be repeated. Why? Simply because the finish has worn through to the wood in the high traffic areas.
Higher quality finish systems are where the real value resides. See: WearMax Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System
Why can I not simply buff and recoat my floors without having to sand them?
Honestly, this cannot often be done successfully. Why so? There are two primary reasons.
First, adhesion is the biggest problem. Your floor has been exposed not only to traffic but spills, a variety of cleaning agents and who knows what else. These all must be successfully removed to enable the new finish to adhere. Aggressive scrubbing with cleaners specially designed for this purpose does not always guarantee complete removal of residual trace elements. Even after careful preparation and cleaning the newly applied finish may bubble or not properly flow out in some areas causing an unsightly patch.
The rate of failure is very high when this is attempted with older floors. You may not know the history of the floor, how it was treated and with what. How it was cleaned and what exactly was spilled on it and not fully removed leaving invisible trace amounts of contaminants. Buffing with a screen will not remove residual traces of chemicals, cleaners or wax applied to a floor surface. For this reason a light sanding down to the bare wood is often the recommended method to ensure adhesion.
Most professionals will not attempt a recoat unless qualifying in writing the risks and possibility of failure. Most will refuse even if the homeowner is insistent and is willing to accept full responsibility. We know better, have attempted such in years past and have learned valuable lessons. Trust your flooring professional.
Yes there are recoating systems developed and employed not only by us but by other professionals that are designed to clean and chemically prepare the surface of the hardwood floor to accept a newly applied coating of finish. If one can do this then savings are to be had. An additional wear layer is applied and one preserves the floor and avoids the inconvenience of a full sanding. Not all floors are qualifying candidates for this procedure though. How can you know if your floor qualifies? Before we answer this, let’s look at the second reason preventing many floors from simply being recoated.
Second, the newly applied coating most often does not do what most anticipate it will. If the floor has exposed areas of bare wood due to excessive wear, dents, scratches or discoloration these will not disappear when recoated. Remember the floor finish is clear. Any bare exposed areas must first be sanded, then sealed then coated. Virtually all that you see on the floor will remain but simply buried beneath a clear coating of finish. Often the newly applied finish will highlight damaged areas more so, not mask or hide them, especially those of exposed and worn wood.
Over the years we have found that almost invariably the client is not fully satisfied with the final result or visual appearance of the recoated floor.
Let’s recap the above. Adhesion is the challenge when applying another top coat to a floor previously finished. Either mechanical adhesion or chemical adhesion must be ensured for the finish to stick and not peel, crack or bubble. Mechanical adhesion requires the abrading of the surface with a screen or buffing pad. Chemical adhesion calls for the application of a product which will abrade the surface chemically allowing the subsequent layer of finish to stick to the old finish layer.
The process is risky, prone to failure and frustration. How then can one determine if their floor is a candidate for a successful recoat?
In short this is best decided by the hardwood flooring professional. He will look at the condition of the floor, and query you the homeowner on how the floor was maintained and with which products. The age of the floor and overall condition is critical. Even though you may maintain your floors weekly the products you are using to clean the floors may in themselves have disqualified your floor from becoming a candidate for recoating. Use only recommended cleaning products that will not prevent a recoating. Your flooring professional too will advise you on such.
Do you think that I can refinish my own hardwood floors?
You probably could but... See the 1st Myth in the article: 9 Common Hardwood Floor Myths
How much dust will be generated?
A comprehensive answer can be found in the article: 107% Dustless Guarantee we offer.
How thick are my hardwood floors? How many sandings can they sustain?
The short answer is: up to four or five sandings. Yet, each floor is different and has unique characteristics. In addition, we are talking of solid nail down flooring only in this context. We are not speaking of laminate (which is not wood at all) nor floating or engineered flooring. Consult your flooring professional regarding the above.
It would be good to note, that regardless of the original thickness of your hardwood floor, that there is only a maximum of 5/16 of an inch of wood that can be sanded. Even solid ¾” tongue and groove oak flooring is manufactured to provide only 5/16’ of workable top surface. The remaining 7/16” is the base. Following the installation of any new floor in times past, it was automatically refinished as the product did not come prefinished. Approximately 1/16” was removed leaving a near ¼” before one would be down to the nails. Now this suffices and virtually all of these floors can last almost 100 years if properly kept and carefully refinished. And this is precisely the point.
Consider the traditional 5/16” oak top nail strip flooring that is often accompanied by feature strip and most cases the nails holding the flooring to the subfloor are only 1/8” below the surface. Few are aware of this fact.
Now let us assume that your floor has been refinished at least once since the original installation and sanding. That makes two sandings total. How much workable floor surface do you think you now have? Most likely less than a quarter of an inch.
In fact many floors have much less than that. In an average refinishing job, one could expect that along with the old finish, another 1/32 to 1/16 of the actual wood would be sanded off. Some floor sanders would sand more than that, and greatly diminish the life of your floors for the sake of speed, or because of lack of experience.
Consider for example the refinishing of an antique piece of furniture. The professional restoration of the item does not involve removing all signs of wear and age. Rather this is preserved and valued. Any aggressive sanding, grinding or stripping will reduce it almost instantly to a worthless piece of wood. How many times have you or I seen on the “Antiques Road Show” someone bring in a potential “find” only to have the appraiser tell them that the piece would have been worth tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars more had they not stripped and sanded it?
Who would want to leave them in the hands of just anyone who owns (or rents) a floor sander? Does it not make sense to wisely choose a professional floor finisher who not only fully appreciates all of the above but will seek to preserve and lengthen the life of your floors?
Many take for granted that hardwood flooring simply needs to be refinished every so often. Regular refinishing every five, ten or fifteen years is simply the cost of having rich beautiful hardwood floors is what many believe. Not so anymore. Curious? See: Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System.
Will hardwood floors really help if I suffer from allergies?
The promotion and preservation of hardwood floors addresses another significant concern. That of allergies. Hardwood floors are classic preferred home flooring elements that are easy to clean and that do not promote nor harbour allergens as do carpets. Of course regular cleanings are a must as any floor collects dust. Yet the surface can be cleaned and sterilized if one so wishes. This simply cannot be done with carpeting.
We do not “believe in” wall to wall carpet. We have over the years removed and disposed of thousands of square yards of old carpet. Most often when doing so we are required to wear masks and gloves. Why? During removal, the mould, dust and mites retained within a carpet cause an almost immediate allergic reaction. Carpet truly has its own ecosystem.
Even carpets that are regularly steam cleaned will invariably retain and promote allergens. Conscious pet lovers recognize that having hardwood floors greatly contributes to a far healthier home setting. “Wall to wall carpeting is out and allergies are in”.
Not only that but carpeting installed in the ‘70’s’ that is now being removed is a major contributor to our landfills. We are endeavouring to do our part. Please do not misunderstand, we do favour area rugs that are easy to clean and truly provide comfort and beauty to any home.
How can I be environmentally conscious and still have my hardwood floors refinished?
We are in the recycling business – this is the very essence of our work. We work with the most natural of elements, hardwood flooring. The preservation of timeless and classic vintage floors is our passion.
We readily acknowledge an increased consciousness in relation to the environment and for good reason. We feel that responding to this shows we too are willing to accept responsibility for the environment that we all share. How then do we demonstrate this commitment?
ELIMINATING DUST
It has been proven that wood dust can be carcinogenic. In most people’s minds the refinishing of hardwood floors is synonymous with clouds of dust. By employing a “dustless” system which eliminates 99.5% all airborne dust created throughout the sanding process, we tackle this problem at the very source. We carefully collect dust which is then properly disposed of. This is our first line of offence. Yet we go beyond this. See the videos: Methods and Machines and Our dustless system
In addition we have partnered with “Aspen Clean” an environmentally conscious professional home cleaning company. ‘Aspen Clean’ puts great emphasis on ‘healthy living’ using only safe and non-toxic methods and cleaning solutions. After our departure from a jobsite or home setting ‘Aspen Clean’ brings in their qualified cleaning team. They clean not only the nearly invisible percentage of dust (.5%) we may have left behind, but the homeowner’s dust that was there prior to our arrival. In this way we bring a job setting to a cleaner and healthier state than before it’s that simple! See our amazing 107% Dustless Guarantee.
USING RECYCLED WOOD
To the fullest extent possible we use recycled wood. A common practice is to remove vintage hardwood from homes that are being destroyed for new constructions. In fact in many cases this is the only element worth saving in an old home. This attests to the enduring quality of hardwood floors and their ability to be resalvaged.
We are frequently called upon to repair, restore and extend existing vintage hardwood floors. Nothing matches better the original flooring than flooring of the same era. In the event of flood, fire or renovations most often the existing flooring can be repaired and restored.
NEW FLOORING A SUSTAINABLE MANAGED RESOURCE
Of great concern to discerning homeowners is the sustainability of new hardwood that they may wish to put into an existing or new home. Rest assured that virtually all new hardwood today comes from managed sustainable forests. Government regulations govern the age, quantity and quality of trees being cut to furnish the hardwood flooring industry. You can ask your hardwood floor professional to provide documentation that the new flooring he may be introducing into your home comes from regulated forests.
USING WATER BASED FINISH COATINGS
The releasing of ‘Volatile Organic Compounds” of floor finishes as they dry has drawn the attention of government agencies. The development of quality water based floor finishes has been the response of the flooring industry. Floor finishes have been developed making water the main vehicle carrying the resins that become your floor coating once dry. The alcohols and solvents released by finishes traditionally used have been modified as well to reduce VOCs. Yes there are alternative choices to the strong smelling, floor finishes applied for decades with little regard for health or the environment.
For evident reasons, the health of the homeowner and that of the flooring contractor we emphasize the use of water borne finishes. Excellent quality water based floor finishes can be applied by your flooring professional with minimal disruption to the home setting. See: WearMax Ceramic – The Ultimate Finish System
PRESERVING AND EXTENDING THE LIFE OF EXISTING FLOORS
Refinishing by its very nature is aggressive and invasive... can this be minimized? Can the impact on people’s lives and home settings be reduced? Can the energy needed to refinish a floor be reduced? We believe it can and have responded to the call to do so. How is that? Three steps:
1) Preserve and restore a hardwood floor even if it is near the end of its life. Rarely if ever will we suggest the removal and disposal of a hardwood floor regardless of the age. Repairs and board replacement with recycled materials are often all that is needed to address the badly damaged areas.
2) Refinishing the floor to the ‘proper degree’ thus preserving it further. We will assess carefully how much wear layer remains and in an effort to preserve an already aged floor sand only what is needed. This will ensure that future sandings will be possible even in 20-50 years time.
3) The use of the highest quality finishes thus virtually eliminating the need to ever refinish the same floor within the lifetime of the homeowner/occupant. Industrial finishes that can preserve and protect floors for anywhere from 20-50 years in normal living conditions. Many people will have their floors refinished every number of years, and this primarily because the finish has worn through to the bare wood. Does it not make far more sense to refinish a floor only once, and apply a finish that will last the lifetime of the floor? Of course it does. See: WearMax Ceramic – The Ultimate Finish System.
Whenever we step onto a floor our first and initial reaction is…”can this be saved and what must we do to preserve and protect this”? Please take a look at our photo gallery and you will see that we often restore floors dating back to the early 20th century with amazing results.
In fact the oldest floors we have refinished to date were those of the “Roedde House Museum” found in downtown Vancouver. Built in 1893! These floors are at present 116 years old and are still being walked on. Check the site www.roeddehouse.org
We don't believe that we need to convince you of the eternal and enduring beauty of natural hardwood floors. Retaining value over the years far beyond that of carpeting and laminate flooring, hardwood is traditional, classic and unique.
We are proud to be part of an industry so closely related to that which is natural. Combined with other natural elements – marble, stone, and granite they complete and provide a rich living environment. We do not know of another trade so personally satisfying and fulfilling than the restoration of vintage hardwood floors. We love our job. Possibly we can restore your hardwood floor and together we can make a small contribution to preserving our environment.
How do I choose a competent hardwood floor specialist?
We have compiled a detailed in depth answer for you and this can be found in the following article: How You Can Choose a Hardwood Floor Professional. For a brief answer please read on.
Diligent research and sourcing out more than one contractor is the beginning. Knowing how to distinguish him from the crowd of those that may offer their services.
When encountered, he should be able to tell you things about your own floor that you never knew. He should be able to point out things regarding your existing floor that you have never noticed. His being able to convincingly answer your questions is a sign of his experience.
All of this should take place even before you decide to use or choose him to do your hardwood floors! Generous offerings of information will distinguish and point to the man you want working on your hardwood floors.
What you want to hear from time to time is: “I am sorry we cannot do this”. “What you are asking cannot successfully be done” “We do not do that” “You will have to find another, I am sorry” “Please do not do this....” Immediately a light should come on and tell you this is who you may want.
This professional knows his limitations. He is modest and acknowledges that the refinishing of hardwood floors is still at best an “inexact science”. He also knows the limitations of your floor and products that will be applied to your hardwood floors. These should be explained in detail.
Admittedly, few of us wish to encounter problems with our trade’s persons. What we are all looking for is competence, a professional approach and an enduring end product. This is how we define value.
In every trade there exist trustworthy experienced tradespersons and this field is no different. They tend to be the minority though. They also tend to be a little more expensive than the average tradesperson. They are also the busiest which makes them harder to find. You may also want to look at the article: Why Choose Us?
What element within a quote or estimate is the most critical?
The quality of the floor finish itself, there is no question. See: WearMax Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System. You will see why this is so. The article: Why Choose Us? complements the above.
What should I be looking for when presented with a guarantee?
Honestly few offer written guarantees. Those that are offered are vague and not extremely detailed. Many are conditional and rightly so but even at that, do not inspire a great measure of confidence. In short, choose the most comprehensive and detailed guarantee.
Appreciate that hardwood floor refinishing is still an inexact science of sorts. Yet this is still no reason not to offer a guarantee. The quote will define the parameters and scope of work and the guarantee will ensure that that which is promised will be delivered. There should be a balance and unity between the two. This way you will know what you are getting.
In that the guarantee reiterates the quote, this then makes the quote or estimate the more important of the two. Look for an exceptional quote paired with a detailed guarantee. For more information on seeking a quote and how to determine what a quote should contain see: How You Can Choose a Hardwood Floor Professional also we invite you to look at: Our Unique Guarantee.
What type of finish should I choose?
See our full and complete response to this question in the article compiled for your benefit: WearMax Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System.
Is there a visual difference between the ceramic finish and conventional finishes?
Generally speaking the visual appearance is identical. You will find the ceramic option not to have as high a “build” or depth to it compared to say four coats of polyurethane. Yet is it many times more wear resistant. One would have to lay them side by side to understand the difference. Ask us to show you samples of the different types of finish.
What is the most resistant site-applied finish available?
The “Advanced Ceramic WearMax” floor finish is unquestionably the industry leader at this point. They are the only ones to have successfully incorporated advanced ceramic particles into a finish system that can be site applied. See: WearMax Ceramic - The Ultimate Finish System
We heartily recommend that all give serious consideration to this option. The expense, disruption and inconvenience of having one’s hardwood floors restored can now be justified if a quality finish of this nature is applied.
You are invited to peruse the WearMax website for further information. Ask us to demonstrate the durability of this amazing floor finish when we visit for our assessment. Ask us what limitations this finish like all others may have if any. We are extremely proud to be at the leading edge offering the latest products technology can provide. In our eyes, the advanced ceramic option is a clear and logical decision for the discerning homeowner.
How many coats of finish does a good system include?
A minimum of three which may include the sealer coat. Ideally a four coat system (with sealer coat counted as one coating) will give you sufficient protection. Too many coatings of finish can be to the detriment of the floor’s final appearance and performance in the years to follow. There are a number of reasons for this. Your floor professional can easily explain why this is the case.
What is most important is the wear resistant quality of the finish applied. See: Ceramic — The Ultimate Finish System
How does site applied finish compare to prefinished?
See the 2nd Myth in the article: 9 Common Hardwood Floor Myths
What finish will prevent my floors from denting?
See the 3rd Myth in the article: 9 Common Hardwood Floor Myths
Can I have applied a finish that will not show scratches?
This myth is common because of the ‘smart’ marketing of some pre-finished flooring companies. They found out that if they guarantee this, they’ll sell more product and not many consumers will bother with their very limited, qualified (abundant fine print) guarantee. Smart for them? Maybe.
Realistically though… dragging a sharp metal tipped object while applying significant weight across a floor surface will scratch any given finish, no matter how hard the finish. Even a porcelain floor tile will scratch subjected to such pressure. This is not what floors are normally subjected to.
A professionally refinished hardwood floor though should hold up very well under normal foot traffic – even if you’re an active family with pets. Over the years the “high traffic” areas may show a change of sheen but this does not necessarily mean that the finish is near to being worn through.
One will always see in direct sunlight over time what we call ‘micro abrasion’. These are very fine abrasions to the top surface of the finish. Virtually all floors will show signs of this as we live and walk on them no matter the quality of the finish. This is to be expected.
Lifestyles vary. There are home settings where large energetic dogs have free reign to run around. Maybe your family is like this. Others may have a family member who is wheel chair bound or one who uses a walker or crutches. Or maybe your family doesn’t take their shoes off inside your home – and this is fine. Your hardwood floor contractor should query you on your lifestyle prior to recommending a finish so he can match one to properly suit your needs. This is a sure sign of a professional.
In the cases mentioned above wherein a floor is subjected to heavy foot traffic, you would definitely want more than a standard oil based finish. We would strongly recommend investing in either our commercial grade catalyzed waterborne finish system or ultimately our WearMax Advanced Ceramic Finish System ensuring maximum durability and longevity of your floors.
Aren’t water based finishes weak and subject to premature wear?
This is definitely not correct anymore. Years ago, when we were starting in the business, this was the case for a number of waterborne finishes. Especially so those sold at the retail level.
Homeowners and contractors alike wanted finishes that were less offensive to the environment and the home contexts. Basically they didn’t want to have to live with the offensive oil based smells and fumes. Floor refinishers too led the crusade for the quest for a finish that was less hazardous to their health.
Responding to market demand lines of ‘finish systems’ were introduced at the retail level that were what we call ‘waterborne’ coatings. This means that traditional finishes were modified so that the vehicles carrying the resins were not solvents and alcohols but in this case, simply water.
But… the quality and durability of these ‘new’ finishes offered at the retail level just couldn’t compare with the traditional and extremely durable, “Glitsa” Swedish finishes nor the “moisture cure” lines applied at the professional level.
Makers of professional floor finishes then responded and turned their attention to producing “waterborne” coatings that would match and exceed traditional applications. Well, jump forward a decade or so and now floor finish companies have made amazing advancements in their water based formulas. Companies such as ‘Bona Kemi’ and their ‘Traffic’ line and ‘Basic Coatings’ with their ‘Streetshoe’ finish systems have formulated top-of-the-line two-component finishes that by far surpass your basic oil modified polyurethanes in terms of wear resistance.
If you’re looking for the most durable hardwood floor finishes on the market today AND want the advantage of minimal fumes and smell, then these new finish systems are what you’re looking for.
Why doesn’t anyone wax their floors anymore?
This was the case a long, long time ago.
Quality floor finishes applied by a professional do not need waxing. Doing so can be hazardous because it can make the floor slippery. And if you do wax your floors, you’ll have great difficulty re-coating them if you need to at a future date. The existing wax will prevent the newly applied finish from adhering properly.
What is the difference between “stain” and “floor finish”?
Your average homeowner will often refer to the finish as “stain”. Many believe that you choose the color of floor finish to apply. This is not so. All floor finishes are clear and dry clear. “Stain” on the other hand is a wood dye, or coloring. The two are very distinct and serve different purposes.
Mixing the two is not the recommended way to stain a floor. A floor is properly sanded down to the bare wood, meticulously prepared and then a color of choice is applied. We call this a stain. After that dries and cures, clear top coats seal and protect the floor – we call this floor finish. This is the recommended and approved method of “staining” a floor.
Many years ago products were introduced that enabled one to combine two steps in one, that of staining a floor and top-coating it. An attempt near 12 years back was made by a major industrial finish line to provide a top coat that resembled the look of an aged finish. This was in response to consumer demand who didn’t want to refinish and entire area of the home. Many were looking to fix local damaged areas, possibly only a room or portion that would be adjacent to existing floor areas that were possibly refinished many years prior. The attempt was to duplicate the look of 50 year old floors, an old hazy yellow and aged appearance. It was not successful.
We tried it without success and the line was discontinued. Mixing stain into the finish compromises the integrity of the finish itself and this will most often void the warranty provided by the supplier.
From time to time we still see this attempted even by some professionals. Doing so tends to obliterate the beautiful wood grain, “masking” somewhat its natural beauty. Most often we have found that this becomes a desperate last minute solution for some to mask a poorly refinished hardwood floor.
You may have heard though that this is a common practice in the “cabinetry” industry. Yes it is, and it’s done very successfully with beautiful results. The purposes are different as are the application methods. BUT… remember, you do not walk on cabinetry! Often an inferior grading of wood can be masked to look “high end”. For example maple (which takes stain poorly) can be made to look like “cherry”. “Hevia” or commonly called “rubber wood” can be stained to resemble mahogany.
Are water based finishes healthier when applied compared to oil based finishes?
The releasing of volatile organic compounds of floor finishes as they dry has drawn the attention of government agencies. The development of quality water based floor finishes has been the response of the flooring industry. Floor finishes have been developed making water the main vehicle carrying the resins that become your floor coating once dry. The alcohols and solvents released by finishes traditionally used have been modified as well to reduce VOCs. Yes there are alternative choices to the strong smelling floor finishes applied for decades with little regard for health or the environment.
For evident reasons, the health of the homeowner and that of the flooring contractor we emphasize the use of water borne finishes. Excellent quality water based floor finishes can be applied by your flooring professional with minimal disruption to the home setting.
The “12 Regrets” Guide
12 Things You Should Never Have to Regret When Having Your Hardwood Floors Refinished...
Discover the 12 Regrets107% Dustless Guarantee
How on earth
can we offer
a 107 Percent Dustless Sanding Guarantee?
“How much will it cost?”
We get this question a lot. Our short answer? It depends. Keep reading to find out why.
