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I recently moved into a new house and need to refinish my hardwood floors. A neighbor recommended someone who did their floors, and it looks like a very good job. The price, which includes sanding/staining/2 coats of finish, is $1/sqft. I'm thinking that's a good deal, but this honestly isn't anything I've had to deal with before so I thought I'd get some second opinions.
What's the average cost for this kind of thing around Westchester? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I wouldn't let that person touch your floors...that is way too low. Besides, you need 3 coats of poly with oil and 4 with water based (which is all most decent places will use nowadays and if you plan on doing it while living there, you have to use water based.)
Average is about $3-4 per square foot. I've heard great things about Savino Brothers. I used someone else, and they totally messed up my floors. They redid them at n/c, but they still aren't perfect and it was a MAJOR headache.
Hmm, you think? I did see their work and it was very good... Also, I checked out oil-based polyurethane at Home Depot, there were big block letters on the can saying "third coat NOT RECOMMENDED"?
If they are using Minwax on your floors, that is another reason to run!
You have to ask yourself why they are charging 2/3 less than anyone else. Are they licensed? Do they have workers comp insurance? Do they have regular employees or are they picking up day laborers? If the answer is yes to all of those and this guy is just too dumb to price to the market, by all means go for it. $3-4/foot is national averages, not even 'Westchester prices.'
But I would avoid oil-based poly. It's very tricky in a humid climate, yellows over time, and that is why most good companies don't use it anymore. It's too much of a headache. Trust me, they tried to lay that on my floor in the summer and it got completely screwed up and hence had to be redone with water-based (the only reason I've learned more than I ever wanted to know about floors!)
That price is very low, too low...I agree. I would call a few other companies that get good recommendations to see what you can find out about the process, etc. before entrusting your floors to someone who may not take due care during the refinishing process. A company that's fantastic, but is not exactly bargain-priced, is William J. Erbe in the Bronx, a company that's pretty high-end, but delivers superb quality. They are the opposite end of the scale from the quoted price of $1/square foot, so you might find someone in the middle ground, unless you're restoring antique flooring, in which case I would call Erbe.
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