I love discussing types of wood, colors, and finishes and how beautifully they’ll complement your cabinets and home décor. During the wood floor estimate appointment, I’ll explain more than you’ll ever want to hear about hardwood flooring products and processes. Homeowners text me images they like and I give directions to NWFA Certified Professional crew leads.
Once we’re on-site and starting the project, we operate as efficiently as we possibly can to ensure that we stay on schedule while achieving the look you love. Prior to the start of your project, we want your help with the following to help us stay on track:
It’s best if all wall hangings are removed, especially if we are installing, but even our large sanding machines can cause vibrations that have knocked pictures off of mantles and art off of walls. If you are worried the wall hanging might not be well-attached, follow your intuition and remove it. If the wall hanging means a lot to you (emotionally or financially), follow your intuition and remove it.
Remove all toe-kicks/kick plates on refrigerators and dishwashers and remove the bottom drawer of your freestanding stove.
One week prior to the start of the project, you will receive a reminder email asking about access to your home. Even if you plan to be home for the majority of the work, it still helps us to have an access code or a key to enter. We will always respect your privacy by knocking and calling out first!
Our equipment and machinery uses power and it’s helpful on day one or in advance of the project to know the location of your breaker box, so we’re not wandering around in your basement when we could be sanding your floor.
The Materials Delivery
If we are installing flooring (or stairs), we will require you to have those materials delivered inside your home two weeks prior to the project start date. Please have the delivery driver place materials on the existing wood floor so that we don’t have to move all of the flooring materials to remove the existing floor covering and start the installation.
The Installation Process
Our installation process includes sourcing appropriate wood flooring materials and storing them in Denver-area facilities, transporting them in an appropriate manner and timeframe, and installation only begins when the materials are at an equilibrium state with your home environment (measured, tested, and documented by our qualified technicians). We use industry-approved methods and materials, which include stapling patterns, glue-assist methods, expansion and contraction calculations.
Our Sanding Process
Our sanding process includes six to seven sandings, using technologically superior German machines that provide a flat final product, ready for colorant. Our dust containment machines are portable, so we don’t have to leave your door open for the wind to blow dust into or around your home, and our machines have the highest lift rates in the industry for minimal impact on our health and yours. We are happy to leave our hepa filters running during our downtime (evenings, and weekends) if that is of interest to you. Please let our technicians know if you are interested so they can show you how the units work.
Colorants & Finishes
We apply a wide range of colorants, some known and others that are proprietary, to achieve colors, hues, and effects that are NOT simply stained from a can. We ask that you have a discussion with our technicians about the color you are interested in. They will apply 3-4 labeled, complimentary samples to your floors (with the finish applied) for your consideration. If you are interested in seeing more than the 4 colors we apply, please contact Joe for pricing for additional colors applied at an hourly rate.
Our colorants and finishes are safe and either low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) or no-VOC. We follow our finish manufacturers' recommended application methods and always use a two-component, commercial grade waterborne polyurethane, a catalyzed penetrating oil or a hybrid hard wax oil as our final coat, so you don’t have to repeat the sanding process in a few years.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, we clean and control the environment throughout the finishing process. By doing so, we facilitate drying and a faster cure rate, so the finishes are dry and available for traffic in the evenings (usually after 5 pm) for film-forming finishes, and after 24-48 hours for penetrating oils and hybrid hard wax oils.
After completion, we ask that you adhere to the initial terms of our mutual agreement. Baby your new floor for the first three to five days so it can achieve full cure/hardness without any damage. This means you may carefully place furniture the following day (24 hours) after the final coat. No rugs, pets, or cleaning for three to five days, and socks only, please! We also ask that you use the cleaner we recommend, which was made by our finish manufacturer specifically for wood floors. Just like an automobile warranty, any warrantable flooring issues will be expedited if a proper cleaner is used to maintain your floor’s appearance over time.
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