Getting Started

WHAT KIND OF FLOOR DO I HAVE?

    Wood floors are divided into 2 kinds: softwood or hardwood. All species of wood floors are generally hard to the touch, but a softwood like Pine is noted for how easily it can be scratched in comparison to a hardwood like Oak. If you shot a steel ball into both floors, the ball would sink much deeper into the Pine than it would into the Oak.  The amount of force it would take to shoot a steel ball equal distance into a wood floor is called the Janka Hardness Test. 

    If you'd like to read more about this test, or see what your wood species ranks, or to research which species to consider buying if you're installing, check out Wikipedia here:  

                 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janka_Wood_Hardness_Rating

    If you bought a house and didn't put the floors in yourself, the chances are great that you have a Pine floor, or a Red/White Oak floor.  Both floors can be refinished very nicely. If you don't think it's either floor, other common species are Maple, Hickory, Cherry, Walnut, Ash, and Bamboo.

WHAT DO I NEED TO DO TO PREPARE FOR MY FLOORING JOB?

Checklist for sanding day:

• Remove everything from the room(s) to be refinished, including window blinds, pictures, plants, and curtains
• Plastic seal off all areas of the house that will not be sanded
• Seal off the bottom of closed rooms with a rolled up towel
• Tape off any cabinets that are exposed to dust
• Tape and seal off vents, ducts, fireplace, plasma tv, overhead fan, etc.
• Remove or disable fire alarms-sanding saw dust registers as smoke!

We often times will plastic tape off any areas the homeowner may have overlooked if we think it will become dusty, but please keep in mind- if it's an important object for you to keep clean, please seal it off or remove it.

HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE?

    It depends greatly on which finish you choose. As little as 2, as many as 5. We can generally accomplish all our sanding in 1 day, and expect to coat on the following days.  An average refinish job of 500-800 sq/ft will generally take up to 4 days with a 48 hour dry time if oil based polyurethane is the coating of choice.  If water based coating is used, the job can be completed in 2 days with a 24 hour dry time. 

 Water based finish is preferable not only for speed but also if the homeowner is planning on staying in the house during refinish as water based polyurethane does not have nauseous vapors.

See Our Methods page to learn more about what goes into a refinish job from Modern Floor.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES IN COATINGS?

    We would like to say we have moved solely to using water based finishes, but the popularity and inexpensiveness of oil has kept it in demand. Although the word is that it is going to be banned in the U.S. due to toxicity, and is already prohibited in Europe. 

    Moving away from the toxicity, messiness, and long dry time of oil is important enough to us at Modern Floor that we have decided to offer a greater price reduction  to customers on our water based finish price in an effort to make water a competitive choice, especially for large square footage, or commercial spaces.  Besides saving our own time and health, we are offering superior product to customers at a similar rate to oil, for an ultimate improvement in home health quality, and for environmental responsibility.  

    We use contractor's finish, for oil and water, which is not the same as finishes you can find in big box stores. Water based finishes have been shown in studies to be much stronger and durable than oil. See the link below for more information about water based finishes.  Besides the strength, they are a much  "greener" choice and much less toxic to your household environment, which are very important factors to us.

               http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwoodinstaller/finishes-water.htm

    Oil does have its charm, and can build up a floor surface in a way that water does not. It is inexpensive and goes on thick. Oil can take up to a month to fully cure, while water based finish is virtually odorless and cures within 7 days. 

    Coatings also come in 4 sheens: Gloss, Semi-Gloss, Satin, and Matte.  While Gloss is an excellent choice in oil -based polyurethane, Satin seems to work best for water-based polyurethane. Semi-Gloss is  popular choice for landlords due its ability to hide scuffing and scratching while still coming off shiny, and we have rarely used Matte for other than practical non-floor surfaces. A good idea is to check out the flooring store since they usually have large sample squares to see first hand.  Panel Town in Columbus has their entire floor done in checkerboard sample woods and finishes.

     A little known fact is that Gloss's other benefit, than looks, is that it is the strongest coating off all the sheens. 

      Water based finish gets 3 coatings plus a sealer to amberize the wood if desired since water goes on crystal clear. Oil based finish gets 3 coatings and naturally amberizes wood.

WHAT IF I WANT TO INSTALL NEW FLOORING?

      New flooring is a fun project that will absolutely change your entire space, but it is crucial to know what kind of floor you are buying for your money. If you plan to invest your money in hardwood floor, you really should do your homework about what kind of wood species and hardness there are, the thicknesses available, and compare solid wood with laminate and engineered floor.  Some very important reasons come to mind-you may have a "creaky" or wobbly sub-flooring that can't take thin, pre-finished woods, you may have to construct a work-around for a fireplace mantle if the new wood is taller than the tile or stone, you may have to get a plumber to reattach a toilet flange if you are flooring the bathroom, etc. 

    There are some significant functional considerations along with aesthetic choices.  A professional can spot such issues and come up with a solution, so it may not be a bad idea to consult with your flooring contractor as you are narrowing down your wood choices.

    If you choose to hire us to install a new floor, we can work with you down the line on selecting a wood.  We have contractor's discounts at local outlets for wood purchases, and have a great package deal for installing and refinishing a very solid, beautiful, and economic hardwood floor.  See our Rustic Wood Package on the Catalogue page of this website.