Choosing a Woodfloor Refinishing Company

Deciding on the right company to refinish your hardwood floors can be a nerve racking experience, but it doesn’t have to be. With the proper knowledge, you have a better chance of picking the right company for the job, ensuring a quality finish and saving money over the life of your floor. Many homeowners get a few bids and pick the lowest estimate. This is a recipe for disaster, as some of the most important factors in deciding which refinishing company is best, sometimes raise the initial cost of the job.

One of the most important factors in determining who should refinish your hardwood floors is the company's experience and prior customer satisfaction. How long has the company been refinishing floors? Can the company provide you with references of people you can contact? Will the owner of the company or an experienced employee be actively participating in the project? These are great questions to start off with when making initial contact with a refinishing company. Experienced and well established companies will be able to give an accurate time frame of how long the job will take and how much it will cost. It’s not uncommon for a good company to be booked several weeks in advance, so don’t be dismayed if you have to be scheduled in advance. A floor refinishing company that is experienced and does quality work will also have insurance and include a written guarantee. Wood floor refinishing is a highly skilled craft that takes years to perfect. It’s best to go with a seasoned professional that really knows the craft and art of refinishing.

Another factor to consider before deciding on a refinishing company is how they deal with the dust that is created during the process of refinishing your floors. Unfortunately, there is an incredible amount of dust that comes from the sanding and buffing of hardwood floors. This dust can settle for weeks and even get into the air handling system. Aside from being a nuisance, the dust can cause health problems and should be avoided. An experienced refinishing company is knowledgeable in dust control practices and should have advanced equipment to filter the dust before it ever gets into the air. New advances in finishing equipment can provide a virtually dust free job. However, the advanced dust reduction equipment is costly and is usually limited to more established contractors. The advantages of limiting dust during the job are not limited to aesthetics, convenience, and health. A dust free environment also provides a better quality job, particularly when finish coats are applied to a clean floor.

Once you have an estimate, make sure everything you discussed is in writing. The estimate should clearly state the materials that will be used, the time frame, the guarantee, and the price. If you don’t see an item included in the estimate, ask for it to be included in writing. Remember to compare apples to apples when looking at the estimates, keeping in mind experience, cleanliness, quality of materials, guarantee, and previous customer satisfaction. Keep in mind that most times, you get what you pay for.

Getting your hardwood floors refinished does not have to be an intimidating stressful ordeal. Educating yourself as a homeowner gives you the assurance of getting a qualified refinishing contractor who gets the job done beautifully, cleanly, and in a timely manner.

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