Hardwood Flooring – What to Expect

Knowing what to expect with a professional flooring company can help save you time, money, and hassle and ensures that a high-quality job is performed properly.

One of the first things you will want to do when you decide to install or refinish hardwood flooring is to remove all furnishings in the room. You might expect the flooring company to perform this task, but many hardwood flooring companies are not insured against damages to furniture or paintings or draperies. In order to sufficiently protect your belongings, it is recommended that you remove these items yourself. For new hardwood flooring installations, the floor will need to acclimate properly, which sometimes means anywhere from two days to two weeks worth of avoidance.

For any sanding, finishing or refinishing jobs customers should be prepared for some noise, disruption and possibly some dust. At Professional Floors of St. Louis we do our best to keep noise and dust levels to a minimum, and we certainly take care to clean up properly after a job, but nothing is 100% effective and so any items that you want to remain dust free should get covered. Also, depending on the type of finish used on the hardwood flooring you may have to stay off the floor for a while, obviously the times will vary based on the different types of hardwood floor surface finishes.

Once the finish on your new hardwood flooring has dried put pads on the bottoms of any furniture to keep scratches, dents and other damage to a minimum.

It is important to keep in mind that floor boards are like snowflakes, in that no two boards will be completely identical. Variations in the appearance of your hardwood flooring are completely normal and expected. Furthermore, as your floor gets older you may notice more color change and this is also normal. This effect can be minimized by limiting the exposure of the floor to direct sunlight and periodically changing the layout of furniture and rugs. Finally, cracks are also normal. At Professional Floors of St. Louis we typically tell customers that anything less than the width of a dime will correct itself as the seasons’ change. Anything more than that though and you should definitely give us a call.

Our last recommendation is to keep your hardwood flooring clean and properly maintained. Use proper cleaning products as recommended to keep your hardwood flooring looks its best. For more information contact Professional Floors of St. Louis today.