Refinishing involves sanding off the existing finish and stain down to the bare wood and then re-staining and/or refinishing the raw wood. Sanding will remove scratches and stains. Many times, homeowners have their floors refinished to make them look new again or to change the color of the stain. Others have torn up carpet and want to refinish the hardwood floors underneath.
The Best Dust Containment Technology in the Industry
Refinishing floors used to be a dust-filled nightmare. Not with Kimminau Floor Company. We use the highly regarded Bona® Dust Collection System. This uses a two-step cyclonic intake system with a hospital grade HEPA filter. It also uses a continuous bag system that eliminates the need to expose the bag to the jobsite when emptying the contents. This dust collection system is also GREENGUARD certified for indoor air quality. Dust collection is extremely important to the refinishing process because it:
- Eliminates dust throughout the home
- Eliminates airborne dust that can settle into the finish
- Creates a healthier working environment for both technician and homeowner
Clean and Coat
Having your hardwood floors refinished will drastically improve their appearance. But there is a way to breathe new life into your wood floor without completely refinishing. We call it the Kimminau Clean & Coat. Basically, we aggressively scrub the flooring to remove any dirt and contaminants. Then we apply a hardwood floor refinisher to restore the sheen. The whole process only takes a couple of hours for a 1,500 sq. ft. area. It is extremely effective at removing surface scratches. Be aware, however, it will not remove deep scratches and dents. If your floors look worn, give us a call and we’ll let you know if you need to have them refinished or if a Clean & Coat treatment will do the trick. We recommend the Clean & Coat every couple of years. Frequent applications will not only protect your floor, but they will lengthen the time before a complete refinish is needed. Clean & Coat is a great alternative and only a fraction of the cost and time of a complete refinish. Click here for more details.
Stain Customization
Many times, our customers are looking for a particular color for their wood floors. Maybe they want to match cabinets or just don’t like the look of the manufacturers’ colors. At Kimminau Floor Company, we take our customer service very seriously. That’s why we offer custom colors. We’ll come to your home and mix stain colors so you can see exactly what it will look like on your floor. When you have your floors site finished (as opposed to buying factory finished planks) not only can you get the exact color you want, but we can also apply the exact finish you desire – from matte to satin to gloss.
Finish Alternatives
We offer several different kinds of surface finishes. These finishes are very durable, water resistant, and require very little maintenance. Some surface finishes are blends of synthetic resins. You may also hear them referred to as urethane’s or polyurethanes. Their main purpose is to provide a protective coating on the surface of the hardwood. Then there is Rubio Monocoat, a plant based oil that bonds on a molecular level with the free wood fibers in the planks. It colors and protects in one layer.
OIL-BASED URETHANE is the most common type of floor finish. It is very easy to apply and is the most affordable finish as well. It dries in about 8 hours. We generally apply three coats. When dried, it has a yellowish tint.
- Economical
- Easy to apply and touch-up
- Moderate odor
- Slow drying time
- Very durable
WATER-BASED URETHANE is a water based finish that dries as the water evaporates. These finishes dry fast and clear. They are more expensive than the oil-based urethanes. We generally apply three coats of this finish as well, however because the drying time is so much faster (2-3 hours) multiple coats can be applied in the same day.
- Expensive
- Clear – resist yellowing over time
- Low odor
- Very quick drying times
- Very durable
RUBIO MONOCOAT is a completely different type of finish that uses new technology. It is an environmentally friendly, plant based oil that protects and colors in one layer. It adheres to the microns of the wood through molecular bonding. Because the wood will stop accepting the oil once all the free wood fibers have bonded, there are no overlaps or color changes where the application stopped or started. Excess product can simply be wiped up. This also makes repairs easy because the new finish will only adhere to the free wood fibers of the repair so the repair area blends seamlessly with the rest of the floor.
Rubio Monocoat is a fantastic option. Unlike so many other finishes, it has no VOC (volatile organic compounds) so it is environmentally friendly and has no strong odor. It only require’s one coat, so it’s fast also. To summarize, it offers:
- Single coat – colors and protects at the same time
- Environmentally friendly-VOC free
- No strong odor
- Economical
- Durable
- Makes repairs easy
- Available in 40 customizable colors
Finish Sheens
The urethane finishes come in a variety of sheens – matte, satin or glossy. Matte will be the dullest of the finishes with less shine and reflectivity. Satin has more shine than matte, but less than glossy. It is a nice middle-of-the-road sheen. Glossy is the brightest, shiniest, most reflective.
We notice that many customers are drawn to the glossier finishes but please keep in mind that the glossier the finish, the more it will show scratches. If you have a low traffic area, a high gloss may be fine, but we don’t recommend them for heavily used areas. Of course, Kimminau Floor Company has samples to help you decide.