Refinishing & Staining FAQ’s

• All other trades should have completed their work, and no other floor traffic is allowed on-site during the sanding and finishing process.
• AC, Heating, and ventilation systems should be working with extra air filters on hand. 
• The temperature and relative humidity should be at “normal living conditions.”
• Owner will remove all furniture off hardwoods areas, closets, clothes, artwork, valuables, & appliances prior to starting the project.

• There will be noise, trace dust, and vapor/fumes during the process.
• During prep we do our best to hang plastic, seal off all work areas, valuable items, etc. Our machines have bags that collect most of the dust. However, dust from the sanding process can infiltrate other areas of the house.
• We take ever effort to contain as much dust as possible. Customer may want to hire a professional cleaning service to remove any migrating dust from high walls, light fixtures, upper door casings, or other areas that might be required. 
• Access to a live 220 volt outlet for the floor sanding machine is necessary.
• Because of polyurethane vapors and odors emitted from the finishes: home-owners, kids, and pets can not live in the residence during the refinishing process for the wellbeing of their health and safety. 
• Duration of the sanding/finishing process depends on many factors: size of the job, type of polyurethane finish (oil-base vs water-base) stain option, drying time, edging required, etc. 
• A typical 1,000 sq. foot refinishing job takes approximately 4-6 days. If stain is applied, typically on 3rd or 4th day. Finish is then applied on 4th, 5th, and 6th days.
• You can NOT walk on the floors while the finish and stain are wet. Allow 7-8 hours min for these finishes to properly dry. If other trades or home-owners walk on the floor during this process, additional charges may be incurred. 
• Arrival to your jobsite each day may vary due to other jobs in the finishing stages. You will be informed of our approximate arrival time each day. 
• Although finishes may appear dry, they are not completely cured. The normal cure time is 15-30 days and we suggest you not replace rugs for atleast two weeks. Typically furniture may be gently placed (no dragging) and floors walked on after a minimum 24-hour drying time from the last coat and is up to the owners discretion. 

HARDWOOD STAINING FAQ

• We use premium DuraSeal Stain products specifically designed for hardwood flooring. Here is a useful link to most popular stain colors.  https://www.duraseal.com/stain-gallery/
• Wood is a product of nature. Each and every board will have different character and variation in appearance. No two boards are ever the same.
• Different species of hardwood obtain various characteristics as they age over time with UV exposure and traffic. 
• Stain will appear deeper on some boards, and lighter on other boards.
• Stain will NOT hide or remove damages or prior stains to the flooring.
• New wood typically appears lighter to aged wood. If newer wood is installed, do not expect it to look exactly like existing flooring. Over time, it will age.
• Stain requires time to dry, this will add time to the overall finishing project timeline. Darker pigment stains often take longer to dry.
• Certain species of hardwoods do not take stain well. Oils and chemicals can build up over time within the wood and may prevent the even absorption of stain. This may result as “splotchy” appearance. This is not a defect in our workmanship. 
• Traffic on the floor should be avoided till the finishing process is complete. Any oils, liquids, dust from shoes, feet, hands, or other traffic can “pull” the color or prevent bonding to the finishing coats.
• Stain may appear dry: however corners, closets areas, wall lines may not be completely dry. Sealer/Finish can not be applied till the stain is completely dry. 

We service Charleston, Mt. Pleasant, James Island, John’s Island, Daniel Island, Kiawah Island, Sullivan’s Island, Isle of Palms, West Ashley, North Mount Pleasant for all Hardwood Refinishing Needs.