Winter Is Coming - Protect Your Hardwood Floors

Winters can be brutal in the Midwest. Don't let old man winter be the demise of your hardwood floors. Specifically, the salt that we use to break up tough ice can really damage floors. Read on to see what you can do in order to keep your floors safe this winter.

Salt can leave some serious damage on any hardwood floor if you don't take any particular care. The first line of protection is asking everyone that enters your home to take off their boots and shoes. Tracking salt throughout a house can get out of control very quickly. Stop the problem at its source. Very heavy rugs and mats at your doorways will ensure that the salt doesn't have an opportunity to ruin your precious hardwood floors. Waterproof mats work best as the snow melting off of boots and shoes is going to become a nuisance. We find that even having a bin out of sight works great as well. You can periodically dump the melted snow that has salt in it. This is your first line of defense, so use it!

The next best thing you can do it vacuum your floors. Yes, we know it sounds a bit strange, but vacuuming your floors can help make sure that some of the larger salt particles don't stay on your floors too long. The rough edges of salt can scratch up hardwood floors fairly easily. Vacuum those salt particles often in order to ensure your floors stay scratch free. While we're at it, sand can do some wicked damage too. If you live in an area where sand can get tracked throughout your home, it's going to be worth it to invest in a heavy duty mat for your front door and a great vacuum.

We will cover what to do with salt stains in a future article, so stay tuned for that if you'd like to know what to do. Subscribe to our monthly newsletter if you'd like tips like these delivered right to your inbox as well as special member only discount codes.

A Good Review Goes A Long Way

Plus Hardwood Flooring is a small business. Like any small business, the little things add up to create something truly special. Great customer reviews are worth a ton to us. If you own your own service-type business, you know just how important a great review is. Yelp reviews and Google reviews are the fuel that keeps this business going in a hyper-competitive market.

A single Yelp Review can lead to a massive influx of business for us. We always have customers to tell us they were impressed with how man great Yelp reviews we have. We're lucky that we have a perfect score on Yelp and Google, but we're always striving for more.

We want this to be a message to you the consumer. Your voice matters. If you want to show true appreciation for a business, leave them a great review. They are worth more than most people understand. Bad reviews can be a dark mark on any business. We've been fortunate enough that we've had reasonable customers that resolve any issues with us behind the scenes. We're always willing to make things right. You'll find that most business operate the same way. Great business are run by people who care about their reputation. We stand by our product and service.

At the time of this writing, Plus Hardwood Flooring has 5 stars on Yelp with 14 reviews and 5 stars on Google with 6 reviews. We worked hard for every single one of these and we're proud to talk about them. Each review was a relationship with a customer. They enjoyed our work so much that they were willing to take time out of their busy schedule to leave us a review. We truly appreciate it.

We're also proud that all of these reviews are real customers. You'll find that a lot of reviews on the internet aren't exactly honest. There have been cases of business paying for Yelp reviews and Amazon Reviews. We take business ethics seriously and would never resort to something so low. All we're saying is be careful out there. Everyone isn't as honest as they seem. What makes us so great then? We're willing to give you the names of people whop are willing to vouch for us. That's how much we believe in our products and services.

A Little Time-Lapse Fun

Technology is really an amazing thing sometimes isn't it? We decided to have some fun at one of our floor projects recently. We took a time-lapse video so we can show just a little bit of the magic that our customers don't typically see. The average person doesn't exactly know what goes into a hardwood flooring project. The finished product is always breathtaking, but there are a lot of steps that go into it.

This is a typical refinishing job. We have to make multiple passes with this big machine called a drum sander. The drum sander is the most important tool we use. It's powerful and fully capable. It makes quick work of old floors with worn finishes. 

"The drum sander is the most important tool we use."

Stay tuned for more videos like this! Customer response is positive and to be honest, we like making these in our spare time.

Introducing Package Pricing

Plus Hardwood Flooring is a company that prides itself in pushing things forward. We do things that other floor companies don't want to do because it hasn't been done that way before. We'd be fools to assume that things are always going to stay the same, so that's why we're always trying new a different methods in our work. Sometimes it doesn't work out, but it's so fulfilling when it does. Today we are introducing an easier way for our customers to figure out which floor treatment is right for them. Our Plus and Elite Packages make customizing your new hardwood floors really easy. It's really fantastic, and we think you're going to love it.

The Plus Package is what made us successful. It is an oil based finish that will leave warm amber tones on your new floors for years to come. Oil based finishes have been used for years all across the United States. You can't go wrong with this.

The Elite Package is for our customers that want to do something truly unique and special with their floors. Water based finishes are all the rage these days, so we wanted to offer that option to our customers. Water based finishes are eco friendly and offer tones that an oil based finish can't.

You can't go wrong with either, but we wanted to give our customers a choice. Our hardwood flooring men will explain this if you choose to ask us for an estimate, so don't worry if you have questions. We've known for a while that the average person doesn't know much about hardwood floors, so we wanted to break things down in an easy-to-synthesize format. We hope this helps people realize the differences in the materials we use.

 "Everyone deserves to have a great experience with their next hardwood flooring project..."

We pride ourselves on using some of the best materials in the business. We want our customers to know that quality exists in all aspects of our business. Our materials, our workers, and our service are simply a cut above the rest. Everyone deserves to have a great experience with their next hardwood flooring project, and we think package pricing is going to make the experience that much better.

Introducing The Plus Hardwood Flooring Newsletter

We've been working on this for a while and we're finally happy to get the ball rolling. We'd like to announce the Plus Hardwood Flooring Newsletter. We're still working on the finishing touches to our newsletter, but we hope to provide valuable information to our loyalest customers from time to time. We'd like to make it very clear that this newsletter is not going to be spam. We are going to use it to keep in touch with any customer that wants to maintain contact with us. Expect there to be special offers exclusive to our mailing list subscribers. So what are you waiting for? It's free and we promise to never sell your information. You have nothing to lose!

"We want to offer special offers and incentives to our subscribers as a way to say thank you for following us." 

We're still working on the finer details, but we don't want this to be spam. The Plus Hardwood Flooring Newsletter is going to be our way of offering that personal touch to anyone that wants to establish a relationship with a local hardwood flooring company. We want to offer special offers and incentives to our subscribers as a way to say thank you for following us. A well-done newsletter is definitely not something that you're going to find a lot of in our industry, but that's the kind of company we are. We aren't afraid of technology and we aren't afraid to try new things. We expect our first subscribers to be past customers as they know our work better than anyone. It only makes sense to keep in touch with satisfied customers, so we thought this would be a great way to do it.

We've actually had customers tell us that they wish there was some kind of passive way for them to follow us. Business cards used to be great for this kind of stuff, but we live in a different age. People want to be casually reminded digitally, and we feel that this newsletter is going to be a great way to do that. It's a non-invasive way to say hi! 

"We want to leverage technology so that we can better communicate with out customers."

We built this company with technology in mind. We want to leverage technology so that we can better communicate with out customers. We feel that having a list of our best customers is going to allow us to truly say thanks down the road. We said it before, but we feel that we need to say it again. We hate spam and we value our own privacy. We are going to treat this mailing list as a sacred list. We respect everyone we do business with, and we would do nothing to violate that trust. 

"We hate spam and we value our own privacy." 

If you have any questions about this newsletter, feel free to contact us!

Say Hello To Our Little Friend

Advertising is a big part of the hardwood flooring business. We have to make sure that our brand is something people remember when they have to do their next hardwood flooring project. Building a brand entails everything from having a slick website to making sure that you do something as simply as answering emails in a timely fashion. We recently have a new addition to our company that we'd like to share with everyone. Read on to see what we're excited about.

We recently wrapped our van so that customers in the Chicago are will be able to identify us with ease. We're very happy with how everything turned out and we wanted to share it with you here.

Looks great doesn't it? We hope that this will help build our brand in a way that makes us memorable to potential customers in the Chicago area. Early reactions from our customer have been positive, so we hope to continue this trend. 

"We believe that having well thought out vinyl wrapping and nice uniforms sends a message to everyone that we care." 

The way we present ourselves to the outside world is important to us. We believe that having well thought out vinyl wrapping and nice uniforms sends a message to everyone that we care. It's really that simple. Caring about these kinds of things sets a tone that permeates throughout the entire company. Our employees have the same attitude and we think it affects the work that we do. Customers seem to agree. You can look at our Yelp page if you don't believe us. We care about our image, so something seemingly superfluous like a vinyl wrap on a work van means a lot to us. 

Wave if you see us driving around the Chicago area! 

A Sad Day In Hardwood Flooring Land

From time to time, we hear about some disaster in our industry. It can range from a house fire, or simple negligence. The saddest stories we hear revolve around DIY. While doing it yourself can be extremely rewarding, there are risks that you undertake when you take on a project as massive and involved as hardwood floor refinishing. Read on if you want to hear this story so you might learn a thing or two.

The individual that we're examining today had beautiful oak floors installed. These floors should easily last decades if taken care of properly. Whether it was hubris or ignorance, this individual wanted to sand the floors himself. How hard could it possibly be? Now before we move on, we just want to make it clear that we've seen hundreds of DIY projects that turned out ok. A professional is always going to be able to do a better job than any amateur, but above average work is certainly possible. 

What we are about to show you may scare you. Whenever we see gorgeous new wood, it just kills us. you've been warned.

It's sad, but it happens. We don'e even know where to begin with something like this. The floors are completely totaled. Jesus Himself would not be able to perform a miracle on these floors. The deep cuts in the wood would make it nearly impossible to get an even sand without sanding through the entire floor.

Let this serve as life advice. Learn from other's mistakes. If you need help with something, let someone know. There are always going to be risks with a full hardwood flooring install, but you'd be hard pressed to find a hardwood flooring professional that would mess up your floors this badly.

Hot Flooring Trends

Fashion is a fickle industry. What in style today won't necessarily be in style tomorrow. Some fashion trends are timeless, while some are simply fads. The same things apply to hardwood flooring. Stain colors come and go with each passing year. Wood choices fluctuate almost endlessly. We'd like to keep you informed as to what is currently in style as well as keeping you up to date with the latest hot wood flooring trends.

Wide Plank Flooring

"Not too long ago, these wide floor planks were seen as gaudy and simple."

Wide plank flooring is something that you'd normally find in old farm houses. What's old is new again, and we're staring to see a lot of our customers decide to go with these gorgeous wide floors planks. Not too long ago, these wide floor planks were seen as gaudy and simple. Now, people appreciate the simple aesthetic that these wide planks bring to any space. 

Gorgeous Wide Plank Flooring

Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood is going to give every space a very rustic feel. We joke a lot about "character" in hardwood floors, but there is no better way to get "character" out of a floor than for that floors to have a rich and deep history. We've done a few floors with reclaimed wood in the past six months. We're always impressed with how different it turns out. It is truly impossible to know what the floors are going to look like until we put that wood down. If you're the adventurous type, then reclaimed wood may be the path for you.

"If you're the adventurous type, then reclaimed wood may be the path for you."

Dark Stains

When it comes to stains, dark is definitely popular these days. We're personally natural finish people, but we can see the appeal of dark hardwood floors. We've done dark stain after dark stain this year, and it doesn't look like it's slowing down anytime soon. These things usually operate in waves, so it won't be long before lighter colored floors are popular again. 

If you'd like our advice on current hardwood flooring fashions, don't hesitate to call us for a free consultation. 

Start Planning For Next Year Today

It's going to start getting cold soon in Chicago. It's unfortunate, but it's just the price we pay for living in this part of the country. Cold weather usually means that home construction projects hibernate until the weather gets warm again. Most people don't even think about it, but if you've been considering a major home construction project, now is the time to get serious. Planning these types of things takes time. It doesn't hurt to start figuring out what you want done when Spring rolls around. 

"It doesn't hurt to start figuring out what you want done when Spring rolls around." 

The winter is our down season. It just goes with the nature of the hardwood flooring business. Major home construction projects are usually much easier when there isn't snow on the ground. That's not to say that we can't do hardwood floors when it's cold, it just doesn't happen as often as it does during the summer. It makes sense when you think about it. We tend to be more active during the summer so we like to give our homes a work out. 

 "One thing leads to another and before you know it, you have construction guys in your home all summer."

We suggest figuring out whether your hardwood floors are going to be needing any type of major work over the next few months. You can even begin looking at a possible stain for your future hardwood floors. We've had customers tell us time and time again about how much of a hassle it is when you begin doing home construction. One thing leads to another and before you know it, you have construction guys in your home all summer. It's easy to mitigate this as long as you take the time to plan things out. Have multiple projects going on at the same time if you're worried about a state of constant home repair. 

We're more than happy to get the ball rolling with any hardwood floor projects you have in mind. Give us a call or send us an email if you have any questions!

What Is The NWFA?

Hardwood flooring is just like any other industry in that there are good and bad actors. Most professionals will be honest with you about their work, but occasionally there is a bad actor that is going to make it difficult for the customer to know if they are getting the short end of the straw. This is where the National Wood Flooring Association comes into play. The NWFA serves as a great resource for anyone to use if they want to educate themselves about hardwood floors.

"They've got a lot of great little tips and tricks that we haven't covered here yet."

If you ever have a technical question or a dispute with a flooring professional, the great people at the NWFA can help make sense out of a situation. They've got a lot of great little tips and tricks that we haven't covered here yet. We particularly enjoyed their "Top 10 hardwood Flooring Myths".

Source. The NWFA know their stuff.

It's terrific to have a resource as thorough and professional as the NWFA so that we can better communicate with our potential clients. We use a lot of the communication pieces that The NWFA offers when we talk to our clients simply because a lot of their explanations are very down to earth. For example, we like to let our customers know what to expect ahead of time so there are no surprises. You can find what The NWFA says about that here.

"The NWFA is a fantastic resource for any hardwood flooring question you have."

All in all, The NWFA is a fantastic resource for any hardwood flooring question you have. They are an industry standard that can help fill in the gaps when something comes up that isn't immediately understandable or obvious. We do our best as professionals to help our clients understand why certain things happen. There is sometimes a misunderstanding when something goes wrong with a  project. It's rare, but thing go wrong. It's a comforting feeling knowing that we have The NWFA to back us up if we need them. We like to think of them as an expert witness that can be called upon when things get a little frazzled.

How To Choose The Right Hardwood Flooring Color

The color of your hardwood floors can make a big difference when it comes to the "feel" of your home. It can be stressful for the average homeowner to decide if they want to go light or dark. A natural finish can be gorgeous under the right circumstances, the darker floors are in style these days. We'd like to offer you some tips when it comes to picking the right shade of stain for your hardwood floors.

"The benefit of a lighter hardwood floor is that it makes any space look larger than it is."

Over the past few years, we've noticed darker stains really coming into style. We admit that it looks great, but we think a light shade to a floor can really make a statement as well. The benefit of a lighter hardwood floor is that it makes any space look larger than it is. We also find that it adds a very palpable optimistic vibe to the air that a darker hardwood floor cannot. 

Darker floors are very elegant, and customers are really letting us know through their choices. Customers that are attracted to "urban  or hipster" lifestyles are finding that dark hardwood floors add character to pretty much any space. Don't forget that these fads operate in waves. It probably won't be very long until lighter hardwood floors start to become popular again. You may find yourself in the position of deciding whether you want to be a trend setter or a follower.

"Low ceilings are almost always going to need a light hardwood floor to battle the natural constraints that a low ceiling creates."

The actual shape of your space is a very important factor to consider when contemplating what color you want your hardwood floors to be. Low ceilings are almost always going to need a light hardwood floor to battle the natural constraints that a low ceiling creates. An open floor plan will often be complimented with darker hardwood floors. Realize that a darker hardwood floor is going to make a space look a bit smaller, but with that, it adds a warmth and elegance that  lighter shade simply cannot.

Every space is different, and we realize that there are many factors to consider when deciding what the color of your hardwood floors are going to be. Visit our stain page to see some of the stains that our customers have been choosing over the past few months. Remember that a lot of displays are not going be accurate in terms of color reproduction. It is always better to see these colors in person and in natural light.

If you have any further questions, don't be afraid to contact us.

Be Wary of DIY

Occasionally, a customer will share a wonderful piece of social media with us that has to do with DIY. We always get a kick out of any type of video or photo gallery detailing the struggle of an individual that decided to refinish his or her hardwood floors on their own. We'd like to say that it can definitely be done on your own, but it's going to be a lot more work than most people bargain for. With plenty of research and preparation, anyone can do their own hardwood floors. Unfortunately, the internet has spawned a type attitude that affirms the idea that all professionals in any trade are trying to rip you off. Hardwood floor professionals are charging astronomical prices simply because they can. It simply isn't true, but it's nearly impossible to tell these people otherwise. We've compiled a list of our favorite DIY projects that went terribly.

Staining Wood Floors

This video is a bit long, but we think it perfectly illustrates what happens when someone refuses to do any proper preparation before undergoing a project as involved as sanding and refinishing your own hardwood floors. This individual did a ton of things wrong, but seemed happy with the final results. We can say with 100% confidence that if we did something like that to a customer's floor, we'd be out of business. A common theme with DIY people is that their failures add "character". The deep scratches and the completely uneven sanding is only making your home worth less. 

How Not To Refinish Hardwood Floors

This individual at least had the self awareness to understand that he did not know what he was doing. The post tile makes it very clear that he made many mistakes along the way. It's sad to see beautiful floors destroyed like this. We charge what it costs to make beautiful hardwood floors. This notion that professionals overcharge is simply ridiculous and exaggerated. 

"It really is an art form that we love sharing with our customers."  

If you want to do your own hardwood floors, we say go for it. It's something we love doing. But please realize that it is not easy. It requires skill and hard work. Working with hardwood floors requires patience and years of experience if you want to do it well. It really is an art form that we love sharing with our customers.  

Look at all of that "character".

Shallow Scratches, Deep Scratches, And Everything In Between

Scratches can happen to nearly every hardwood floor. It is inevitable with even the hardest of hardwood floors. What many customers don't realize is that is a scratch is deep enough, the entire floor is going to have to be sanded down and refinished. This is a very long and expensive process, so naturally other solutions have become possible. Things like wood filler and buffing a floor can make it so that most scratches are not noticeable anymore. Read on to see if any of these solutions might interest you.

Very minor scratches can be taken care of by using a floor cleaner and protective finish. Simply cleaning the minor scratches with the floor finish and covering it with a protective coat such as a shellac can make those minor scratches fade away. Be aware that we really do mean minor scratches. Anything that catches the finger nail is going to need a little bit more work.

"Anything that catches the finger nail is going to need a little bit more work."

Repair small scratches that catch the finger nail by buffing them away. We use a heavy duty buffer to get the whole floor fairly quickly, but a small area can achieve the same effect by using some metal wool. Clean the affected area with wood cleaner and wipe dry. Rub the affected area with wire wool and make sure that you are going in the same direction as the grain. Use the wire tool to very carefully blend in the surrounding area to the area you just buffed. Use a wax stick to cover the scratch and let the wax harden for 10 minutes. 

Occasionally, we'll run into a situation that involves very old wood splintering after we sand it. Something this drastic needs wood filler. The only other solution would be to redo the entire floor, but this would probably fail. Old wood splinters very easily. The best solution would be to get entire new floors, and this is a very expensive proposition. Wood filler blends in with the color of the wood and can even be stained to match the color even better. This really is the best solution for most noticeable splintering as the alternative can cost thousands of dollars.

"Old wood splinters very easily."

As always, let us know if you have any questions in regards to anything above. We try to make it short and sweet and sometimes gloss over some of the nit picky details. Happy sanding!

Honesty Is Our Policy

Great businesses have values. We take those values to heart as we believe that it permeates throughout an entire organization. Honesty is something we hold dear, and we think it shows in our words and actions. From providing our potential customers with honest estimates, to telling the hard facts other business will never share with you, we bring an integrity to this line of work that we wish our competitors would steal from us. 

"We believe a customer can immediately tell when someone is lying to them..."

Honesty is one of this core pillars that really changes the way an interaction with our company feels. We've all experienced the refreshing feeling of talking to a salesperson that tells it to us straight. We believe a customer can immediately tell when someone is lying to them; or at least not telling the full truth. We make it a priority to make sure that the customer feels that we are telling them everything that they need to know. It's a vital belief that informs the rest of our business.

We recently had a customer interaction that left us feeling pretty great about the way that we treat our customers. For reasons that would need an entire separate article to explain, we recent,y had a shortage of workers. Admittedly, it's a great problem to have. We had too much work given that amount of labor we currently have working for us. We had an exchange with a customer that made it abundantly clear that a time frame would have to be met if we were to take on this specific job. 

"The customer sent an email that took us aback."

We informed our customer that we would not be able to fulfill the promise we made due to the circumstances surrounding our worker shortage. The customer sent an email that took us aback. He was shocked that we were so honest with him. Our honesty is something that is hard to find in our line of work because competition can really turn anyone cyclical given enough time. That leads to people binding truths because their values become compromised fairly quickly.

"The whole truth. And nothing but the truth." 

Honesty matters so much to us because this is a family business. This is not some corporate entity that has no face. We support families with our paychecks. We know that our customers are hard working individuals. Interacting with human beings makes it easier to be honest because of how powerful empathy is. At the end of the day, we have to sleep with ourselves, and that's reason enough to tell the truth. The whole truth. And nothing but the truth. 

Quality First. We Mean It.

It's not just a slogan. We care about quality more than anything else. We don't feel comfortable meeting unrealistic deadlines or cutting corners. In fact, we care about quality so much that we're willing to forgo a job completely if it means that we're going to have to do things that are not up to our standard.

From time to time, we run into a situation in which a customer asks us to get things done by a certain deadline. When deadlines are involved, we want to take extra precaution to make sure that we can offer our traditional quality and care within the time frame given. Occasionally we'll run into a situation that doesn't allow for the job to be done the way we like. When this happens, we're honest and let the customer know that we simply can't do a great job in a certain amount of time. The customer will often rebut with letting us know that another floor man is willing to do the job given the time constraints. 

We know our limits because we've been doing this for so long. We know where people cut corners, and we know how to install and finish floors that make customers happy for years to come. Quite simply, if it can't be done in the time frame we're giving a customer, then we seriously question the quality of the work being done. 

"It can be fairly easy to cut corners when the homeowner is not familiar with the process of refinishing floors."

It can be fairly easy to cut corners when the homeowner is not familiar with the process of refinishing floors. After all, that's why you're hiring a floor man in the first place! Anything from not properly edging, to not sanding sufficiently are all things that can be cut out of the process in order to save a little bit of time. 

A quick sanding reveals plywood underneath. Not exactly high quality.

The above picture, for example, is a case of a floor man deciding that simply gluing some hardwood to plywood would add some character to the house. The homeowners we were working for bought the house like this and they had no clue. These are one of this cut corners that we like to talk about here at Plus Hardwood Flooring. This is clearly not the right way to do it, and these homeowners paid the price.

"Incentives are a powerful thing."

Incentives are a powerful thing. If a customer expects unrealistic things, that adds unneeded pressure to a job that can turn into a pleasant experience for both parties. We're comfortable with your abilities, and we aren't exaggerating when we say you'd be hard pressed to find a more professional and hard working flooring company in the Chicago area. When we say "quality first", we mean it.

When Is The Right Time To Refinish Your Hardwood Floors?

If you've been thinking about refinishing your hardwood floors for a while, now is a great time to seriously consider it. We don't say this just to push our services. We say this because the summer months are actually fantastic for home improvement; especially in the Midwest. Read on to see why we think these months can really make a difference in the value in your home. 

"A home that has new hardwood floors immediately stands out from the competition."

If you're planning on selling your home in the coming months, adding hardwood floors to your home can really add some value. A home that has new hardwood floors immediately stands out from the competition. You can't deny the feeling someone gets when they enter a home and it has hardwood floors throughout the entire home. A carpet-covered home simply cannot compete with the feeling wood gives you. 

A hardwood floor is going to fetch you a higher sell price.

The real estate market is so much more active than even a few months ago. There is so much activity that if you've been on the fence about selling your home, now is a great time to seriously consider it. In order to get top dollar for your home, it's generally a good idea to make it presentable to prospective buyers. Hardwood floors send a message to anyone that walks into your home. It shouldn't be surprising if you get the full cost of the hardwood floors back in the final selling price of your home.

"Hardwood floors are by and large seen as premium over things like tile and carpet."

It comes down to value. Hardwood floors are by and large seen as premium over things like tile and carpet. If price is an issue, think of it as an investment. With the current real estate market, you will see that money back and possibly more. The average home owner doesn't look forward to home renovations. It's a hassle and takes a lot of time. Any work you do for a prospective buyer is something you can charge for.  

2015 is shaping up to be a great year for real estate. The Illinois Association of Realtors is reporting increases in prices of homes in Chicago. If you want to stand out in your neighborhood amid a sea of new homes entering the market, a beautiful hardwood floor is definitely going to add that wow factor.

Flooring Horror Stories

We consider ourselves professionals. We take great pride in the work we do. We don't cut corners, and our work represents that. We know that we may not always be the cheapest when it comes down to the bids themselves, but there is good reason for that. We give honest pricing so that there are no surprises, but most importantly we want the job to be done well. We want our customers so happy with their floors that they're raving about them to their friends. We recently stumbled upon a case of a floor man cutting corners and literally ruining this individual's hardwood floors. 

As you can see, these floors are completely ruined. At this point, there might not even be a way to save these floors. Some of the grooves in the floors are so deep that we would need to sand down incredibly far just to work some of them out. At that point, the wood could begin to splinter because of how thin it is. 

Notice some of the dark spots on the floor. This is not dust, but rather burn marks. The likely culprit is that the floor man used some of his sandpaper too long to the point of the paper itself heating up and bring the floor. It requires a serious amount of negligence to get to this point. The phrase "you get what you pay for" is used as a cliche, but this particular situation definitely calls for it. 

"The company that committed this atrocity cuts corners in order to save a buck."

Lots of hardwood floor specialists that take their craft seriously would never let something like this happen. The company that committed this atrocity cuts corners in order to save a buck. We're told that the floor man suggested a "light buff" in order to get some of the more egregious impurities out. We can say with authority that this floor is nearly ruined completely. 

At this point, we just want to issue a public service announcement in order to let people know to think twice before they decide to go with the floor guy that offered the best price. There are so many factors that go into a hardwood floor, and it's a decision you need to take seriously. A great hardwood floor can last 100 years. Good materials and good habits require time, energy, and money. Don't let this happen to you. Go with a professional that will take the time to explain why hardwood flooring is more art than work. 

With that, have a nice week!

Carpet Removal Tips

We know that this is a hardwood flooring blog, but you'd be surprised how much we have to know about carpet in our line of work. Removing carpet is something we have to deal with more often that we'd like. Carpet removal can be a mess and sometimes even painful. There's a reason your flooring man is going to charge you for carpet removal. Read on if you'd like to pick up a tip or two if you plan on removing your own carpet this summer. 

"A lot of our customers underestimated how cumbersome removing carpet can be."

Removing carpet from a floor is no easy task. Leave yourself a bit of time if you've never done this before. It really doesn't matter where you start. You're going to want to move systematically from room to room. Our first piece of advice has to do with who you're going to be disposing of the carpet. Rolling the carpet into manageable rolls is going to save you from some headaches down the road. Have some tape handy so that you can keep these rolls together. Trust us, you'll thank us later. 

A great example of how to roll up old carpet.

You may want to wear something to protect your mouth. Very old carpet can be severely deteriorated and produce an incredible amount of dust. You generally don't want to be breathing in a bunch of this stuff, so we recommend a mask. Gloves are also going to be incredibly helpful. The bottom of a carpet can be very coarse. Given enough time, your hands are going to start to really show some wear and tear. 

"When you roll this carpet, be very careful as to not cut yourself."

One of the most dangerous aspects of removing carpet has to do with the stairs. The way carpet installers lay carpet on stairs involves lots of stapling. The staples are seamless from the surface, but they are incredibly sharp on the other side. When you roll this carpet, be very careful as to not cut yourself. Carpet stables are difficult to see and can easily lead to infection. Be smart about how you're going to remove the carpet. It's best to take your time, especially if this is your first time. 

A lot of our customers underestimated how cumbersome removing carpet can be. We charge for this service, and we just want to make clear why we do this. If you insist on removing your own carpet, follow our tips to ensure that the process is going to be smoother. 

Finished On Site vs. Pre-Finished Hardwood Floors

We like to use this blog as a place where we can answer some questions that our customers have for us. We have customers asking us what the difference is between pre-finished hardwood floors and hardwood floors that are finished on site. Both have their pros and cons, but at the end of the day, and flooring man is going to side with floors that are finished on site. We'd like to put a list together so that you can better make a choice when you're going to be undertaking your next flooring project.

Pre-Finished Hardwood Floors - Pros

• No odor during installation.
• Generally easier to install than traditional wood flooring.
• What you see is what you get  - traditional floors and stains can be misleading. Natural lighting can completely change the way a stain look. Read about that here.
• There is a significant convenience factor.

Pre-Finished Hardwood Floors - Cons

• Gaps between boards can lead to liquids getting down to the subfloor.
• In the event of a board needing to be replaced, it isn't unheard of to have a manufacturer discontinue a particular version of pre-finished hardwood floors.
• Most warranties only cover manufacturer defects and leave you high and dry in the event of an accident.
• Lots of people can tell the difference between real hardwood floors and pre-finished ones due to their "artificial" look.

Notice the gaps.

Finished On Site - Pros

• A proper hardwood floor will be a solid surface that will stop liquids from getting into the subfloor.
• You can be much more creative with what you want your floors to look like.
• A true professional will you your hardwood floors visibly nicer than a pre-finished floor.
• Repairs are feasible as long as that would is still available.
• Traditional hardwood flooring is more of an art than people realize. You get a much deeper connection. 

Finished On Site - Cons

• It is usually more expensive than a pre-finished floor.
• It requires more skill if you want it done right.
• Tiny repairs can sometimes be more trouble than they are worth.

We hope that this gives you a better idea as to difference between a pre-finished hardwood floor and one that is finished on site. Nearly anyone familiar with floors are going to go with the hardwood floors finished on site for their own homes. We realize that there are certain scenarios in which cost is a real factor, and we completely understand. They wouldn't produce it if people weren't buying it.

As always, if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us. We're here to help and hopefully be apart of your next hardwood flooring project.

Summer Hardwood Floor Installation Tips

We're getting a lot of customers getting new hardwood floors, which is typical of the summer months. Our business really kicks into high gear join the summer when people feel more eager to get things done inside of their home. We thought this would be a great time for a refresher in a few tips you follow as you get ready for some new hardwood floors.

Many hardwood floor installers are not in  the business of moving furniture. Make sure that you discuss this with your floor man before hand. If furniture was easy to move, furniture movers would not have jobs. Lots of pieces of furniture can be extremely heavy. It is cumbersome to move and takes time. Time efficiency and management are the difference between a floor man finishing your floor in a couple days vs him taking upwards of a week. 

Moving furniture can be incredibly time consuming.

If you are having new floor being delivered to your home, make sure you give it a couple days to just sit there an acclimate to the new environment that the wood is going to be living in. Every home is different and has different levels of humidity. Moisture can be a hardwood floor's worst enemy. The last thing you want is for the wood you purchased to start bending every which way because you wanted to rush the installation process.

 "A great subfloor can make sure that your floors are going to stay level and squeak-free for years to come."

Installing a new floor gives you the perfect opportunity to inspect the subfloor. A great subfloor can make sure that your floors are going to stay level and squeak-free for years to come. If you notices some speaking on your prior floor, ask your floor man to look at the subfloor and make some recommendations. It makes little sense to get brand new wood and have it diminished by the fact tight you kept a cheap and lackluster subfloor to take the attention away from your brand new hardwood floors.

These are just a couple tips if you plan on having a new floor installed sometime this summer. As always, we're here to help and answer questions, so feel free to contact us.