Warning: First some venting....then a request for some professional advice...

I posted in this forum many weeks ago regarding my dilemma concerning my nice new hardwood floors that got wrecked because my GC didn't think it was necessary to protect them from damage after they were installed in my new home.
http://www.hardwoodinstaller.com/hardwo ... 0225#10225

The floor is literally riddled with chips, scratches and dents. His solution is to replace the really bad boards and recoat the whole thing to deal with the rest of the blemishes (no sanding).
So yesterday, they replaced the boards that were the most damaged. This surgery was performed by a guy that did a lousy job of matching the height of the new boards to that of the old. So now I've got some boards that have a raised sharp edge that is just waiting for someone to back a chair over it or catch a heel on it and chip it. Not to mention the "Liquid Nails" that he got all over the surface and in the grooves between boards. Overall, a real hack job. Could've done a better job myself.

So now my GC knows that I'm displeased with the above workmanship. And he is very much annoyed with the whole thing (me) and says that he'll have the whole floor sanded and refinished...a huge expense that he'll have to absorb. How nice of him.

Did I mention that we were supposed to move in tomorrow?

Now he wants me to put off my move for another week so he'll have ALL of next week to sand and refinish the floors. This he hopes will finally solve the problem (shut me up).

So now I'm ready for some advice here.

Is this alum oxide stuff sandable and refinishable?

Should they use an water or an oil based finish.

How many coats?
How long until furniture can be put on it?

I've tried to trust him when he's said that he'd take care of the floor problems but now it's clear that he doesn't know what he's doing....that's why I've come to the experts. I don't want his next solution to be his next fiasco.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

John

It sounds like a nightmare! When will general contractors learn to hire QUALITY subcontractors instead of whomever is the cheapest? As a subcontractor myself to lots of generals, they KNOW I am not the cheapest (sometimes the most expensive) BUT I take care of them. The work is done in a timely fashion, I'm there when I say I will be there, I'm done when I say I will be done, I accomadate their crazy schedules whenever I can, I am as flexable as I can be and most importantly, my work is second to none. The experienced generals know how valuble this type of sub is to them. The "git her done" contractors have yet to learn.

Now we both got to vent a little. As to your situation at hand. Are these solid wood floors or engineered wood floors? The wear surface matters in attempting to resand. Also, some types of floors lend themselves to being resanded better than others. The aluminum oxide finish? It will be a bear to sand off; I know because I have done it. Some are easier than others but none are easy. And the only finish I know that will come close to comparing in durability is Bona Traffic. And even that will not be as durable as the factory finish. I will tell you, ANY finisher will be hard pressed to duplicate the quality of a factory finish. On site finishing and factory finishing are two different things and there is no comparison. It's like comparing a body shop door repair to the factory finished paint job. They are never the same. That is not to say finish in place can't be good OR is not as good; it is just "different." I do not know what your expectations are. I often can turn a botched job by others into a success but I need to know all the particulars and see the job first before I can make a recommendation. Last month I salvaged a prefinished install by recoating with Bona Traffic. The customers are happy campers now. But sanding to raw wood, restaining and refinishing takes a great deal of knowledge, experience and skil. I predict, in the end, you will not be happy with the results. Therefore, my recommendation, complete removal and a new floor installed by a highly qualified installer.

This is an engineered floor and I'm really nervous that they're just going to make a bad situation worse. And now, after hearing your opinion, I'm even more skeptical.
Oh, if only they had just protected it in the first place!!!

Let them sand it!!!!!

What is the brand and style of this flooring, so we can see what the usable wear layer is. Chances are it is thin, and they will burn through the wear layer, Especially the lipped boards and you will be getting a new floor, at his cost anyway.

You will no longer have a factory finish warranty, and nothing applied on-site, compares in durability then factory aluminum oxide finish. Ask then to put the same finish warranty on the new top coats as the manufacture has on their finish, and have him put it in writing, or don't accept a sand and finish.

Yep, that builder is going to want to attempt to salvage his mistakes by sanding the floors but given his track record, I predict you will not be happy/satisfied with the results and he will end up having to replace the flooring after all ( after wasting more time and money on attempting to refinish the floors) And consider this, even IF the refinish job is FLAWLESS and you are happy with the results, you just lost half the life from your floors because your general had them sanded now instead of you doing it 5 to 10 years down the road. Now there is LESS wood for another resand, if you even have enough for another resand. Many engineered floors can only be done once.

Hi All,

I spoke to the guy that runs the company that is going to do the sand and refinish to get a "feel" for their level of expertise.
I got a good sense that this guy knows what he's doing.
He said that this floor is not a veneer, it is solid oak.
He used your exact words when he said that taking off the alum oxide finish "is a bear" but he expained that he's using sandpaper that has a grit made with zirconium oxide after he gave me a technical breakdown about the different types of grits from diamond on down to the softer grits.
He'll be using an oil based urethane, applying at least 3 coats.
He clearly expained the whole aluminum oxide factory finish process.
He also said, and I agree, that these engineered floors cannot compete asthetically with an unfinished floor that is put down and then sanded smooth and finished. With this engineered floor there are beveled edges and some inconsistancies regarding board height. This prefinished stuff is kind of a cross between a laminate floor and a "real" oak floor...it almost looks fake. He said that what we'll end up with is something that more closely matches the hardwood floors that were put down in the "olden days".

So I guess only time will tell.
They start tomorrow and will be working on it throughout the week.
Wish me luck.

John

Well John,

You can't have an engineered and a solid oak floor. It is either an engineered (veneered) floor or it is a solid wood floor (non-veneered). Perhaps you are getting your terminology mixed up a bit here and that's ok, we're all here to learn. I think what you are trying to refer to is a factory PREFINISHED floor, not engineered. An ENGINEERED floor refers to a wood floor that has at least two cross plys with the top being the hardwood wear layer. Sort of like plywood. FYI, you can have an UNFINISHED engineered wood floor, a factory PREFINISHED engineered floor, a factory PREFINISHED solid wood floor and an unfinished solid wood floor. It sounds like now, you have the third choice, a factory PREFINISHED solid wood floor. I guess your finisher will attempt to grind all the micro bevels out to duplicate the look of a square-edged, finished in place oak floor. Hope it turns out well for you!

Gary,
I guess I AM mixed up with my terminology.
I do have the third choice, a factory PREFINISHED solid wood floor.
Thanks for setting me straight on that.
And again, thanks for all the help!

John