Recommendations for floor refinishing companies?

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

Andy, thanks so much for that information! By the way, the "bad rep" Huntington-based company is not the one you mentioned.

I didn't know about the screening option. Is that something that my nephew should specifically ask for, or do you think it best that he just calls people in for estimates and then after he gets that quote say "And how much would it be if you just screened it and put on 3 coats of poly?"

Just out of curiosity: So the screening process doesn't take off the sealer coat? Because these floors aren't stained, they're just the natural usual oak color. Is the sealer used only because normally the sanding process goes down into the wood like you described?

I'd actually thought of asking my nephew if he just wanted to have the floors re-coated but I don't know if the floor companies even do just that. It would surely be less mess and less expensive. He called one company yesterday and gave them the list of room sizes and they ballparked it at between $3000 and $4000 which he was kind of shocked about. So was I, to be honest, but then I haven't had it done in so long that I had no real comparison. He said that adding up the room sizes that have the oak floors comes to 1275 sq ft plus the stairs going up to the second floor (treads only).

One of the people who bashed the place in Huntington from 4 years ago said she paid $4000 to have less than 1000 sq ft, plus the stair treads, refinished using the so-called "dustless" method. But she was really vehement that she thought they were a bunch of crooks.

Stair treads do add a lot to the cost. Most charge by the step unless they're horrendous.
The prices you got seem steep but I haven't seen them (your floors)so....and maybe the people you called didn't either which makes things worse (too high). Call Intercounty in Huntington and be sure to tell them that I sent you b/c they've done an awful lot of floors for me and if they give out super high numbers it's just gonna pizz me off...and they wouldn't wanna do that....lol.
Tell him I'm the contractor that lives in that red historic house in Cold Spring Harbor and I started using them before his dad retired. He should remember me...if you can't find them PM me and I'lll give you their number...or if you want I'll have him call you.

Sealer by the way is basically the stain. Some companies will mislead you and have you thinking it's yet another step.
I'd also avoid using water bourne poly bcause oil is way better although water based HAS come a long way and I'm not bad mouthing it. It's just that oil is better IMO and probably a bit more money. Water based you can do more then one coat in a day which is why dloor companies like using it.

Just tell them you want it "screened"...not sanded. The screening looks like a black rough screen you see on your storm windows. It's round and fits on a buffing machine. I don't recomment a HO doing it unless you're good with buffing machines. Buffing machines can really get away from you when you turn em' on and start slamming into walls. You can give it a try. Eventually you'll get the knack of how to control em'. Hold the handle tight to your waist and .....nahhhhhh,,,have them do it....lol. They're gonna make it look so easy you'll wish you did it but thats what people say when they watch me do renovations.........till they try it...lol.

Screening only makes white dust...which is the old poly and it usually doesn't fly into the air like saw dust does.
Below ares ome phots of the parlor in my home that i persoanlly finished (circa:1680) Intercounty did several of the other rooms for me.
Edit: I didn't know I posted this yet...popped up before I clicked save so BELOW this post are large photos I started posting b/4 I realized this post was even here...

[andybuildz]

Floors I filled with wood putty first in my own home (circa:1680)

The buffing machine with screening on the bottom of it to just get out the scratches

Floors finished with 3 coats of oil poly

Voila' : )

[tulanegrad23]

I recommend Jose (owner) from Fine Wood Floors. He is based in Nassau, but works in Suffolk all the time as well. He did an EXCELLENT job in the time he estimated the job would take. He and his crew were always on time, and the 1 day he ran 15 minutes late, he called to let me know (better than most crews in the respect and clean up areas as well). He also cost a good bit less than the other 7 estimates I got. When he did come for the estimate, he brought a book with pictures of his work on other homes... all sorts of woods, houses big and small, inlays, and moldings. Here's his site: www.finewoodflooring.com.

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by tulanegrad23

I recommend Jose (owner) from Fine Wood Floors. He is based in Nassau, but works in Suffolk all the time as well. He did an EXCELLENT job in the time he estimated the job would take. He and his crew were always on time, and the 1 day he ran 15 minutes late, he called to let me know (better than most crews in the respect and clean up areas as well). He also cost a good bit less than the other 7 estimates I got. When he did come for the estimate, he brought a book with pictures of his work on other homes... all sorts of woods, houses big and small, inlays, and moldings. Here's his site: www.finewoodflooring.com.

Gee...I never knew we were allowed to post links to our web sites...maybe I should start doing that with mine....hmmm

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by andybuildz

Gee...I never knew we were allowed to post links to our web sites...maybe I should start doing that with mine....hmmm

LOL
The way I understand it (correctly??), we can recommend others, but not advertise for ourselves...

BTW, you did an awesome job on your house! Passed by there many, many times to and from the library (before it moved to it's new location) and saw it coming together over time...

[andybuildz]

Originally Posted by Elke Mariotti

LOL
The way I understand it (correctly??), we can recommend others, but not advertise for ourselves...

BTW, you did an awesome job on your house! Passed by there many, many times to and from the library (before it moved to it's new location) and saw it coming together over time...

Thanks....stop in sometime. I'm used to that. Plus you might know my wife being yer an agent (katrina).
going on the market the end of March...unless someone decides to walk in my door now. My next door neighbor hadn't even had hers listed yet and sold it for 1.8 just a few months ago....whewww.How lucky is that!!??

[Elke Mariotti]

Originally Posted by andybuildz

Thanks....stop in sometime. I'm used to that. Plus you might know my wife being yer an agent (katrina).
going on the market the end of March...unless someone decides to walk in my door now. My next door neighbor hadn't even had hers listed yet and sold it for 1.8 just a few months ago....whewww.How lucky is that!!??

Thanks for the invite - I might just do that
Yes, I know Katrina (I used to be an agent at Nightingale, now at Signature Prop).
Good luck on selling your home this time...

Interesting about your neighbor--my last house (on Saw Mill Rd) was sold without ever being listed; people would either stop by or send me letters LOL. One of those letters got answered

[longislandmike]

Originally Posted by hotkarl

It's a crapshoot, and at the least will be very frustrating to find a quality AND trustworthy company. The problem is that everyone and their brother "does" floor refinishing. Really do your research, rule of thumb, is if they are willing to put some big bucks in advertising, they should be trustworthy and do a good job.
Not to say there are no quality guys in the Pennysaver or Craigslist, etc...I would just be very, very, careful. Ask around, bang on the neighbors door, the best thing obviously, is to actually see a companies work, but a personal referral from a previous customer is good too.

I do floors on the side for extra money once in a while, and it is not too difficult to learn and handle yourself, if you're a handy type of person. It'll only cost you the machine rental and materials. You can practice on the closet floor, or any area you think will not be seen.

Good luck!

BELIEVE ME...and I DONT CARE WHAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE...YOU WILL FIND THAT THE MOST REPUTABLE COMPANIES "SUBCONTRACT" THE REFINISHING WORK TO 3RD PARTIES WHO DONT SPEAK OR UNDERSTAND ENGLISH.

Usually the crews are "supervised" by an English speaking white guy.

HAVE THE CREW BOSS BE PRESENT FROM WHEN YOU GET THE EVALUATION TO, INCLUDING, WHEN THE WORK IS DONE.

You wouldn't BELIEVE, what a problem this is !

As a result of our puff back, the MANIAC cleaning company ripped up an inch wide top of our pre-fininshed kitchen floor.

IT TOOK TWO COMPANIES TO COMPLETELY DESTROY THE FLOOR, SANDING DOWN TO THE PLYWOOD !

The insurance company had to replace the whole floor !

IT WAS THE MOST FRUSTRATING, AND STUPID EXPERIENCE...and THIS involvled TWO EXPERIENCED COMPANIES !

ALL the problems came down to, the actual work crew, DIDNT UNDERSTAND OR SPEAK ENGLISH !

I don't know WHERE they came from, but they DIDNT UNDERSTAND OR SPEAK ENGLISH.

They KNEW how to use their cell phones...BUT THEY COULDNT COMMUNICATE WITH US, AND WE COULDNT COMMUNICATE WITH THEM !

SOMEWHERE on Long Island, are refinishing people who understand and speak ENGLISH...THIS SHOULD BE YOUR PRIORITY !

We finally found one or two, and when the floor had to be replaced YOU CAN BE SURE, they could speak to us and we could speak to them !

After getting over this hurdle, EVERYTHING is easy !

[longislandmike]

Originally Posted by totallyfrazzled

Andy, thanks so much for that information! By the way, the "bad rep" Huntington-based company is not the one you mentioned.

I didn't know about the screening option. Is that something that my nephew should specifically ask for, or do you think it best that he just calls people in for estimates and then after he gets that quote say "And how much would it be if you just screened it and put on 3 coats of poly?"

Just out of curiosity: So the screening process doesn't take off the sealer coat? Because these floors aren't stained, they're just the natural usual oak color. Is the sealer used only because normally the sanding process goes down into the wood like you described?

I'd actually thought of asking my nephew if he just wanted to have the floors re-coated but I don't know if the floor companies even do just that. It would surely be less mess and less expensive. He called one company yesterday and gave them the list of room sizes and they ballparked it at between $3000 and $4000 which he was kind of shocked about. So was I, to be honest, but then I haven't had it done in so long that I had no real comparison. He said that adding up the room sizes that have the oak floors comes to 1275 sq ft plus the stairs going up to the second floor (treads only).

One of the people who bashed the place in Huntington from 4 years ago said she paid $4000 to have less than 1000 sq ft, plus the stair treads, refinished using the so-called "dustless" method. But she was really vehement that she thought they were a bunch of crooks.

These guys are accustomed to working FOR insurance companies, where there is A LOT of money "floating" around, AND THE MONEY IS NOT THEIRS, so, literally, the bids they give don't have ANY shred of REALITY.

In addition, when they work at the behest of an insurance company, THEY ARE NOT WORKING FOR YOU. It may be your house and your floor, but they don't think that way.

They, in effect, do the work FOR THE INSURANCE COMPANY, because they don't want to end the never-ending flow of money from them, on future work. THEY COULD CARE LESS ABOUT YOU, in treating you like a customer, in a way like you are paying for the job. Also too, the Vendor and the Insurance company TELL YOU how the thing is going to be repaired...SO YOU HAVE TO BE FIRM ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT !

They exercise reckless disregard for your property, so, with that in mind, you should be ALL OVER THEM and the JOB ! They are Predators.

Don't let your guard down ON ANYTHING, about the job ! Do research on what they are doing, AND ASK QUESTIONS FOR THINGS YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND...these Guyz have an arrogant attitude about their job, and YOU ARE JUST ANOTHER JOB.

When ANYONE comes into your home for a job, BE ALL OVER THEM, FOR EVERYTHING....ESPECIALLY, when the job is being done !

They WILL take advantage of you, and if you don't, after, you will pay for it, in heartache. And what hurts is, that you will have to do the job ALL OVER AGAIN, until it's right !