Before you replace it
Most "hopeless" floors aren't.
Hardwood is remarkably resilient. Floors damaged by years of wear, water marks or plain neglect can usually be sanded to bare wood, repaired, stained and refinished — and come out looking like the day they were laid. We've taken on floors so distressed that carpet seemed like the only option, and had them looking beautiful when we were done.
Whether you have a whole house of wood floors or a couple of rooms, we'll take a look and give you a professional opinion, so whatever you decide is based on reliable information — not a sales pitch.
What refinishing involves
- Assessment — how much wear layer is left, what the boards can take, what finish suits the use.
- Repairs first — replacing damaged boards, fixing squeaks, leveling where the structure needs it.
- Sanding to bare wood — flat, even, into the corners.
- Stain & finish — the colour you want, sealed with a finish matched to the traffic it will see.
Antique & heritage floors
We do floor restorations, repairs and leveling even on pre-war and Victorian-era antique flooring. Old floors were milled from wood you can't buy anymore — restoring one preserves something replacement never can. It's careful, patient work, and it's some of the work we're proudest of.
Common questions
How do I know if my floor can be refinished?
Mostly it comes down to how much wood is left above the tongue-and-groove. We can usually tell from a heating vent or a doorway threshold — it takes minutes to check during a visit.
Can you match new boards into an old floor?
Yes — patching in board replacements and blending them through sanding and stain is a normal part of restoration work.
Refinish or replace — how do you decide?
We look at the wood's condition, what you want the room to be, and the numbers for both paths. Then we tell you what we'd do if it were our floor.
Before you rip it out