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Hardwood Flooring Facts – Washington DC

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How dustless is dustless?
With the Atomic Dust Containment System, the floor sanding procedure is 98% dust free.
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Why go dustless?
The benefits are numerous: no dust, no clean-up, no lingering irritants, no downtime for site protection, and a better finish on your floors. It is the best choice for a cleaner and healthier home.
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How many times can a floor be sanded?
A solid 3/4″ tongue and groove floor should be able to get 5 to 6 professional sandings, provided the sub-floor was somewhat level to begin with. Top-nailed strip should be able to get 3 to 4 professional sandings.
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What is the procedure for refinishing floors?
The floor is sanded with coarse paper to level a new floor or remove old finish. Then, the entire floor area is filled to eliminate cracks and nail holes. The floor is sanded two more times with progressively finer grit sand paper. It is filled between cuts. Finally, 3 coats of finish are applied to the floor.
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How long will it take to sand and re-finish my floors?
About 4 to 5 days to sand and finish a floor approximately 500 square feet in size. The dustless procedure slightly slows down the process. If we take longer than expected, it’s because all floors are different and we don’t cut corners just to get the job done more quickly.
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How long will it take for the finish to dry so that I may walk on the floor?
All finishes have different dry times. However, all finishes can be walked on after 24 hours.
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Do I have to leave my house?
The sanding procedure can be tolerated by the homeowner but some finishes are strong-smelling and intrusive, and alternative sleeping plans should be made. Ask us about our environmentally-friendly waterborne finishes.
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What about my pets?
I would advise keeping your pets out during the finishing procedure.
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What is the best way to clean and maintain my floor?
Vacuum or sweep floor regularly. Remove spills promptly. For easy cleaning, use a high quality hardwood floor cleaner and mop. For more information, please see maintenance.
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What are the differences between solid 3/4″, engineered, and laminate floorings?
Solid 3/4” tongue and groove is usually nailed down to a wood subfloor in areas that have stable moisture content, usually no higher than a 12% moisture level.

Engineered floor can be used in areas with higher moisture content. Usually a moisture vapor barrier is used over concrete or a crawl space. Engineered floors are generally floating, not nailed down.

Laminate floors are composite, not wood. They are not repairable, can not be sanded, and are unreliable. Generally, they are cheaper.
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What are the benefits of site-finished floors versus pre-finished floors?
Site-finished floors have no “V” groove. They are repairable, a custom color can be achieved when finishing them, and better quality finishes can be used on them. Now, site-finished floors can be sanded dustless.

Pre-finished floors have a micro-bevel on its top edge. Their finishes are generally good but not the best available. Repairs to pre-finished floors are more difficult because of the unknown factory stain color and finish used.
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There are boards missing from or damaged in my floor. Can you repair my floor?
Yes. All floors can be repaired or replaced, although some repairs are easier than others. Repairs such as dented or broken boards and patched areas that require a spliced in section are common occurrences in the flooring trade.
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