Ripout, Install, and Refinish Wood Floors- Nashua, NH

This job had it all: ripout, install and refinish. So I'm really excited to share some details of this project!








The customer's foyer and hallway had a tile they wanted gone. They wanted to update the areas and blend it into the existing kitchen,  which had prefinished wood flooring installed; this they wanted to keep.

Here you can see the tile material in the foyer and into the hallway.

Ripout Phase

We removed the tile and prepared the area to install a new prefinished wood flooring. This part if very important. Not only do we need to be very careful not to damage anything besides what is being removed, this also gives us a chance to look for any trouble area in the subfloor. This is where having an expert installer comes in especially handy.

Install Phase

After the tile was removed from the foyer and hallway, we were ready to install the new prefinished wood flooring.

The customer chose a Bruce 2-1/4"prefinished red oak wood flooring material.

Refinish Phase

Now that that prefinished wood flooring was installed, it was time to tackle the existing kitchen floor. The kitchen floor was actually a prefinished floor as well. Some may not know this, but a prefinished floor can typically be sanded and refinished to extend its life.

TIP: Prefinished floors can be typically be refinished to extend the life of the floors!

As you can from the pictures taken before the floor was refinished, there were clear signs of wear-and-tear. You can see areas of discoloration and build-up from years of foot traffic.

But these oak floors came back to life! Notice how dark the area in the corner appears in the "before" photos above compares to how clean that refinished floors came out.


We sanded the floors using our Bona Dust Containment System and then applied Bona Woodline oil-modified polyurethane finish with a semi-gloss sheen.

This creates a nice warn, amber-toned finish that blends well with the newly installed prefinished flooring in the hallway and foyer.

Resources:

• Bruce flooring
• Bona Woodline polyurethane
• Bona Dust Containment Systems

Ripout and Install Prefinished Wood Floors- Londonderry, NH

This prefinished wood floor was installed as an upgrade and to add continuity between multiple rooms.

But first, we had to remove the existing flooring!







We were called to inspect this 3 1/4" prefinished Bruce Armstrong Gunstock floor that was purchased and installed by a local "big box" home improvement store about 10 years ago. These big box stores generally subcontract services such as flooring installations.

It was easy to notice many gaps between the rows of flooring, so it was obvious something went wrong with the installation.

EverWood Flooring to the rescue!

The homeowner elected to remove this dining room floor and install a new floor to extend into the family room.

Warning: we're about to get a little technical!

Once we began to remove the floor we quickly realized it was nailed backwards into the grooves instead of the tongue of the hardwood.

The installer had used an excessive amount of nails to trying to force the tongues into the grooves. It's obvious the installer was having trouble with the staples blocking the the tongues from setting completely into the grooves.

Now, the fun part!

The customer chose a 3 1/4" Bruce Armstrong Dundee hardwood product, which carries a generous 50-year warranty. This is one of Armstrong's most prestigious lines of oak flooring.

TIP:  When planning your installation, consider ordering extra flooring so you have an exact match if you need a small repair in the future! 

We had about a half a bundle of wood left for the customer. These individual prefinished boards can be used to repair the floor one board at a time or a small section. 

Things happen in life, such as water that overflowing from a plant or a new puppy peeing on a wood floor- things like this can cause permanent damage. We can use these leftover boards and replace damaged areas with no need to sand and refinish! 

Repairing the floor without the need to sand/finish the entire room is one of the greatest benefits to prefinished flooring!

Resources:

• Bruce Armstrong Dundee wood flooring products

Prefinished Bamboo Installation- Hudson, NH

This was a very unique project because a previous contractor had improperly installed flooring, so we had to undo the damage and then re-install the flooring to meet other existing floor surfaces, ensuring smooth transitions throughout the first and second floors. 

So the first phase of this project was removing the flooring that had been improperly installed. The previous contractor had actually installed the materials backwards!!




When the previous contractor installed the flooring backwards they had a very difficult time finishing the last few pieces against the wall. Pry-bars and screw drivers were used to get the last row together and, as you can imagine, this left the baseboards very damaged.

Using shims to prepare the transitions where the bamboo flooring will meet the existing tile is a way to ensure the two surfaces are level and flush.

The green underlayment is a padding used between the subfloor and the bamboo. This helps soften the floor and quiets noise levels caused by foot traffic.

The transition between bamboo and tile will be smooth due to proper preparation

Here is another smooth transition between newly installed bamboo and existing tile

We took off approximately 1/8" of the baseboards to remove the damage using flush-cut saws and Hepa vacuums to maintain air quality. 

This was all done without having to remove the baseboard from the walls, which was glued and screwed with trim screws. 

We then leveled the subfloor, repaired the damaged baseboards, and installed the prefinished bamboo in the first floor entry way and second floor hallway.

Prefinished Oak Install with Custom Border- Hollis, NH

This customer recently purchased a home in Hollis, NH that had carpet in their open-concept family room. There was existing prefinished Bruce hardwood throughout the home already, and the home owner wanted to continue the wood flooring into the family room, but still have the room stand out as its own entity.

We decided that adding a 3-board border around the perimeter of the family room would fully define the space and make the statement they were looking for.

To create the perimeter, a natural oak was used for the outside and inside rows of the border. Using a red oak stained in a cherry color for the "inlay," or middle row of the border, really made the border around the room pop. The middle of the floor was filled in with this darker cherry color as well.

When installing a prefinished product, every cut around the border and boards must be routered, considering there will be no need to sand once installed. This makes sure every board stays together by tongue-and-groove, which limits any chance for separation over time. 

This job was completed in a prefinished wood, although border work such as this can also be done with unfinished wood and sanded/finished on-site. For example, we could use a different species for an inlay, such as mahogany between a natural oak, to make the middle row stand out without using stain colors.  

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Prefinished Oak Install with Custom-Stained Stair Treads to Match- Nashua, NH

The home owner wanted new prefinished wood flooring installed in a hallway and a room on their second floor. They had carpet, which we removed along with the padding and tack strips. 

To prepare the surface, the subfloor was screwed down in a few spots to remove some minor squeaks.
 
In addition, the home owner wanted new stair treads installed that matched the new flooring. So we installed a rich “mink” finish Armstrong Ascot prefinished red oak, then custom-stained new stairs treads to match, and then installed the treads. We also reinstalled the spindles and installed new poplar risers (which the home owner painted on their own). 

 

This project involved staining and finishing the stair treads off site. Having treads installed with the finish already applied makes for a more difficult install, but is a faster and cleaner alternative to a site finish. This way, the home owners were able to walk upstairs at night and not have to workaround the sand/stain/finish process in their home. 
 
The process of matching the color of the stair treads with the prefinished flooring was not easy. First we tried Minwax stains, but after many mixed cans and too many attempts, I decided to use a different stain. We ended up with a combination of Saman stains perfectly mixed to match the prefinished floor. Then we sealed the treads with Bona Drifast Sealer and finished with Bona Woodline Oil-based semi-gloss Polyurethane. 

Here’s a great picture the customer posted in an online review they submitted:

Quote from home owner: "Landing and top of stairs...Note that Dustin was able to perfectly match the color of the stairs to the prefinished flooring."

 
The home owner was ecstatic with the outcome, and so was I. Here are a few quotes from an online review they wrote:

"Dustin was great in explaining all of the pros and cons and we decided on a pre-finished flooring. Now, stairs are much more difficult than typical flooring and Dustin went to great lengths to make sure we understood all aspects of what was going to be done.  Originally, we were going to have the flooring installed by a competitor (you can search my profile to find the other review).  They had mentioned they would do it all in one day.  After speaking with Dustin, it was clear that was not only not possible but would have been a disaster."

Craft room installed (photo from home owner)

"We were quoted a 5 day install and that is exactly what it took.  Dustin's team did a fantastic job and Dustin himself spent a huge amount of time to make sure that the stair treads and risers were properly installed. This is a key aspect that you won't find in budget contractors.  The attention to detail was far beyond what we expected (in a very positive way).  By working with Dustin ahead of time we were assured that we understood what was being done and how long each step should take."

"We did not have the risers pre-finished so I completed that after the stairs were done.  Dustin spent a great amount of time making sure the cuts and alignment of each step was perfect.  Although this took extra time, the end result was spectacular.  The stairs are perfectly aligned and show no movement after two months of use.  There is no shifting or noise and the stairs look great. Overall I would highly recommend this company and look forward to using them for future projects."

Risers painted (photo from home owner)

 
What a great project, and well worth all the effort. Seeing the outcome is incredible and hearing such positive feedback from the home owner is even more rewarding. 


Read more about Armstrong's flooring products: http://www.armstrong.com/flooring/products

Read more about Minwax products: http://www.minwax.com/

Read more about Saman products: http://www.samanwoodstain.com/

Read more about Bona's products: http://www.bona.com/en-US/http://www.bona.com/en-US/

Prefinished Birch Wood Flooring Install- Chester, NH

This project involved a kitchen remodel that had a plywood subfloor in the kitchen. The client had prefinished oak in their foyer and dining room, but wanted something unique in their newly remodeled kitchen. 

They chose a 5" Birch Run 3/4"solid wood, color; black. This prefinished product comes in 6 colors, all with gorgeous character. 

Homerwood’s Birch Run products offer a distinct character grade that can instantly affect the look of a room and usually become the focal point. This project came out great, and I am really pleased with the result. The new cabinets were in place and we fit the flooring tight, making perfect cuts without the need of any additional moldings. Baseboard was installed around the rest of the room after the flooring was in place. 

We glued the 5" Birch with Bona R850T adhesive and stapled with Bostitch flooring staples. Important tip: Not all adhesives are created equal! Check out the benefits to using higher quality glue during installation (from the product website): 

Bona R850T is a one-component, moisture curing, water and solvent free, silane-based adhesive for wood floors. Bona R850T provides outstanding adhesion to a variety of surfaces,and allows for the natural movement of wood flooring. 

• Ideal product and application method for wide plank glue assist installations.
• Perfect alternative to face nailing close-out rows, board replacements and trim applications.
• Excellent initial “green grab” means the flooring and molding stay in place. Rapid shear strength development – Flooring is ready for furniture and foot traffic in one day.
• Easy to clean – Will not harm finish on pre-finished floors; will not stain hands.
• Easy to apply – Clean, no waste, ergonomical design GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified®. Very low VOCs – Meets the criteria for LEED EQc 4.1 (v.2.1, 2.2, 3.0)

Everwood uses the best products available to install each and every project.












For more information on Bona R850T, visit:http://www.bona.com/en-US/United-States1/BonaSystem/Adhesives/Bona-R850T/

You can learn more about Homewood’s Birch Run collection here: http://homerwood.com/products/collections.asp?CID=6


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