Hello,

I have no experience with hardwood flooring and I am seeking some help! I have existing hardwood (oak) under carpeting in nearly the whole house except for the main hallway and a family room (attached to said hallway). From what I've seen so far, it looks to be in good condition. The living room did have some very faint black spots on it in almost a tread-like pattern, maybe from the carpet padding getting wet?

I've had three estimates so far, two were very close in price and the third was a noticeable amount higher. I've narrowed it down to two, the lowest and the highest.

Here are my questions:

1. The main difference in price between the quotes is the refinish cost. One refinish cost is 2.25/sq ft the other is 3.65. This is for sand, stain, and poly. The 3.65 quote is for 3 coats of poly, the 2.25 is 2 coats of "commercial" oil-based poly. What is preferred? There won't be a whole lot of traffic in the house, no pets or children.

2. Should I be asking what name brand products they plan on using, and if so what should I be looking for? I'm planning on having the floors stained as well, so brands of stain and brands of finish?

3. None of the quotes I've received mention a "sealer". Is this the same thing as the poly finish?

4. In the area mentioned where there is no existing wood it appears I have a 1/2" subfloor on top of the existing subfloor. All quotes have included cutting this out so the new wood will match the existing height. Is there anything to watch out for here with the new wood installation? Is it possible the subfloor under the 1/2" subfloor will be inadequate for putting new wood down?

5. I have very old, thin baseboards and it appears the baseboards were installed on-top of the floor. Is it recommended to install base shoe in the whole house, or is it not necessary if existing baseboards are already on top of the wood floors? The new area will be a little tricky where they may have to remove the trim and re-set it on top of the wood.

Sorry for all the questions, any help would be appreciated.

1/2 inch is acceptable subflooring for wood..

2.25 to 3.65 means nothing..quality vs quantity..Juan jumping out a truck and a professional outfit/showroom with over head etc etc.

you need to hire who you feel confident with.yes there are different levels of finish..particularly in water-based applications.,

Last n Last/Bona//etc there are too many to list..but narrowing your list to low and high is a total contradicting thought process..ask each what they will do,what they will use. what warranty is offered and then check the references.

Thanks for the response. I didn't choose the low and the high just based on the numbers, I would agree if that were the case it wouldn't make sense. I chose the lower because they offered a lot more for the price, but that also raised questions a lot of questions for me. I chose the higher because of their reputation in the area.

The firm that quoted me the lower price of 2.25 per square ft is a local flooring company with overhead: brick and mortar showroom, a receptionist, a professionally done website, etc. They have several reviews online and nearly all are positive. The owners are more of the project managers. This group also said they'd thrown in stain-matched t-moldings for the thresholds/transitions and also install base shoe. I inquired about the poly used by the company and they said they buy enough in bulk that their supplier makes them their own batch? As far as I know its "commercial" oil based and two coats would be put down. For stain/seal, they use Duraseal Quick Coat. I think this company does a fair amount of volume, maybe also in the commercial space as well.

The firm that quoted me 3.65 per square is a local hardwood flooring/painting business headed up by the owner who I believe does some of the work along with his crew. No brick and mortar showroom, no fancy website. But this company does have a great reputation/word of mouth within the area. This quote did not include thresholds or base shoe, but did include 3 coats of poly which is why I am assuming the refinish rate per square is higher. I am not sure of the brand name products used and will inquire about this. I believe they do a fair amount of volume for residences.

Both of the guys who came out for each company seemed confident and knowledgeable.

My deciding factors are coming down to 2 coats of poly vs. 3, potentially water vs oil (if the 3.65/sq uses water-based, I will have to find out), and also of course price. The 3.65/sq company obviously had the higher quote and also did not include base-shoe or thresholds yet, which might bring the total cost significantly higher.

Generally speaking , all the good oil modified polyurethanes are "commercial grade" .Lenmar,Duraseal, Fabulon,Bona Woodline ,etc . They should tell you who the manufacturer actually is . I always do for my customers.

As far as coats, I consider two coats of urethane a bare minimum and also consider it to be substandard. The normal standard in our industry is to use a coat of a good sealer and two finish coats of urethane or three coats of urethane.

In the coating process, the lower priced company only has one shot at buffing out the first coat of finish and hoping that it comes out smooth and clean.With the other company, they will or should be buffing between the 1st and 2nd as well as the 2nd and 3rd coats of urethane.

One other note on urethane, make sure whoever you hire isn't using low voc finish and adding paint thinner to it to make it dry. That's very unprofessional and makes for a weaker ,less durable finish.This product is used this way because it cuts operating costs.