FAQ

How long does the estimate take?

The estimate can take anywhere from 15-30 minutes depending on the size of the job, and any questions or concerns you may have.

What is included in the quote that I receive?

For refinishing or installations jobs the quote includes labor associated with installation, sanding, staining, buffing, and sealing the hardwood floors. The base price does not include shoe molding, stairs (these are calculated separately), risers and thresholds (oak moldings). These are all optional “accessories” and thus come at an additional price. Additionally, boards needing to be repaired/replaced will come at an additional cost (communicated to you at the time we begin the job).

Do you accept credit cards? How do I arrange payment?

AG Floors Inc. does accept credit card as a form of payment. The payment process goes as follows:

First payment: We collect ⅓ of the total of the payment along with a signed proposal when the job is scheduled. You can send a check in the mail or pay via Visa, Mastercard.

The second payment (⅓ of total) is to be paid on the day we begin the job. If you are paying via check, please make sure you either leave a check at home for our crew to pick up or mail it in ahead of time. Please be advised, that if you pay via credit card, we will use the card on file (for the first third) and run it for the second third the day the job begins.

The last payment is collected once the job is completed. This can be done again via check (left for our work crew to pick up, or sent to our office address) or via credit card on file.

How soon can you start the work once I decide to move forward with the job?

Once you feel ready to proceed with scheduling your work, give our office a call and let them know the dates you have in mind.They will try to accommodate your dates and depending on availability you may be able to schedule the job within 1-3 weeks and sometimes sooner if we have any cancellations.

Do you move my furniture?

AG Floors, Inc. charges a fee for having your furniture moved out of the work area. Please be advised: we do not dismantle any type of furniture (example: bed, two piece dressers, entertainment centers, etc.) we only move it. We do ask that you set a time when you will be home so the furniture may be placed where you want it.

NOTE: We recommend you place felt tips on the legs of furniture so the floors do not get scratched (especially during the curing process) if you accidentally drag or push a piece of furniture once the floor refinishing is finished (this will leave scratches).

Do we have to be home while the job is being completed?

You do not have to be home while the job is being completed. In fact, depending on the area size, you may not have access to your entire home or specific parts of your house.

Note: For a refinishing job, you will not have access to the entire area being worked on for the duration of the job.

Do I do my floors before or after painting the walls?

This is really a chicken or the egg scenario. Often times the painters will recommend you do the floors after the painting (this is so they don’t have to be careful or worry about getting paint on the floor or scratching the wood). We do like to let our customers know that sanding hardwood floors leads to wood dust and while we vacuum and get rid of most of it, there will be residue on the walls. For this reason, many customers have the refinishing job done before and the walls after. We advise that should you decide to have your floors done first, you make sure the painter knows the floors just got refinished and that he be extra careful not to scratch or spill paint on the floors. Their preference will be to do the floors after, but it is important you know the pros and cons of both scenarios.

I am planning on being out of town when I get the work done. How do I make sure ag floors has my key?

Many of our customers decide to leave their key with us while the work is being done. This can be done in a number of ways: 1. Mail your key to our office 2. Give it to our estimator or work crew or 3. Leave it in a safe area outside of your home and let us know where it is (often this can be under a doormat, plantern, or inside a mailbox). Whatever you feel comfortable with will work for us!

What do I need to do to prepare work at my house?

• Disconnect and move all electrical equipment (stereos, speakers, TV’s, computer etc.) when possible. If we are doing work in your kitchen or bathroom, please be aware that we do not disconnect or connect any appliances that are connected to plumbing, gas, or electrical lines.
• Move all small furniture such as floor lamps, small bookcases and plant stands, out the area.
• Remove all small items, such as fragile items from any surface being moved. Clean out china cabinets, drawers, and bookshelves. Remove all artwork and mirrors from wall in the work area(s) as well as in surrounding areas.
• Empty closets of all items. If refinishing an entrance, mail slots will be unavailable to mailman, please make arrangements.
• Remove window treatments as possible, especially long draperies.
• We need access to 220 volt outlet (usually from your dryer). If not available we will use your fuse box.

What are other important facts I should be aware of?

For wood refinishing, Do not place rugs on the new floor until 2 weeks after the floor is refinished. At that time, we recommend using throw rugs and runners in high traffic areas and on the floor in front of the sink.

Gaps within your hardwood floor are natural occurrence. Your house contracts and expands with the change of the seasons and settles over time. The price of refinishing includes random putty work in areas most affected. It is impossible to match putty to the floor surface (you know where putty can be found on the floor, no one else can unless they look for it). Putty is a temporary remedy, over the years it hardens and gradually chips out of the floor. If you want extensive putty work (troweling) there is an extra fee.

How long does the refinishing process take ?

We usually estimate 3-4 days for refinishing hardwood floors (sometimes more or sometimes less). The variation can happen due to job size and stain color chosen (some stains take longer to dry than others).

We also advise our customers to please allow access to the home as needed. Though we strive to accommodate the work for early morning, we often arrive to continue work in the afternoon. We do, however, let you know what you can expect in terms of timing should you need more explicit times given.

Is there a way to minimize the wood dust?

Our specialized crew does their best to minimize wood dust, but the pure science of refinishing involves wood sanding which releases dust. The equipment that we use to sand your hardwood floor has a built-in vacuum cleaner for immediate dust removal. However, it is impossible for this equipment to vacuum all dust. In fact, there may be a 10-15% dust factor, most of which will be found on the baseboards and/or surface areas. This can be easily wiped off with a duster.
Note that AG Floors, Inc. is under no obligation to clean the leftover dust. Our work crew will try to contain the dust to the areas the work is being done often separating these areas with plastic. We advise you to wipe down your walls or have someone come clean your house after the work is completed.

What is the difference between oil-based and water-based finish?

There are pros and cons to using both water and oil-based finish. The main pro for Oil-based finish is that it is more durable and resistant. This is great for areas of high-traction, or houses with dogs, or children. The polyurethane oil finish is a strong sealant and can last 8-10 years depending on care. The first drawback to using an oil-based finish is the strong scent left behind when the coat is applied. We do our best to air out the house and advice our customers to do the same while the smell dissipates. The second drawback is the drying time. This finish takes anywhere from 8-12 hours to dry once it is down.

On the contrast, water based finish is less durable, odorless and takes only 2-3 hours to dry. However, most of our customers want to have their floors last as long as possible so they opt for the polyurethane oil-based finish for a lasting effect.

How soon after the last coat of finish goes on can I walk on the floors?

We generally advise at least 12-24 hours with 24 hours being our preferred time frame. Your floor will have reached about 50% of curing after 24 hours of completing the work. The full curing process can last up to 15 days. For this reason we recommend you stay off the floors as much as possible for that period. However, if you must, walking on the floor in socks is preferable.

Can I add more coats of finish for extra protection?

We do offer extra coats of finish for more protection. If this is something you are interested in, please call our office to get an estimate for additional coats.

Will my new stain match my old stain exactly?

AG Floors, Inc. matches stains as close as possible to pre existing hardwood floors. We cannot guarantee an “exact” match.

How do I clean my hardwood floors?

To keep floors their best, we recommend that they be dusted, mopped, or vacuumed at least twice a week; more often on high traffic areas. Regular dusting, mopping or vacuuming is essential for the care of hardwood floors. A good quality dust mop or vacuum attachment is the most effective tool for cleaning dust and dirt off the floor.

Generally, hardwood floors can be cleaned with any water-based product and never oil (even if it says it is for cleaning hardwood floors). A solution such as “Murphy’s Oil” is a big no no for hardwood floors.

Spills and tracked-in dirt can be cleaned by lightly damp-mopping the floor with a household sponge mop. Use clean water for regular sponge mopping. ONLY USE DAMP MOP. If necessary, weekly cleaning with a mild all-purpose cleaner is harmless. The finish manufactures recommend the following cleaning agents:

• Spic & Span Liquid 1/4 cup to a gallon of water

• Mr. Clean 1/4 cup to a gallon of water

• Persons Ammonia Cleaner 1/3 cup to a gallon of water

• Spic & Span Pine Liquid 1/4 cup to a gallon of water

• Pine Sol 1/4 cup to a gallon of water

• Lysol Liquid 1/4 cup to a gallon of water

• Windex, Glass Plus, Glass Works

• Spray glass cleaners on Water Dampened Sponge

* Recommended products (Offered by us):

Polycare hardwood floor cleaning system, contains:

• 20 oz. PolyCare Spray Cleaner

• 52″ telescopic mop handel

• Durable molded plastic mop head

• Machine washable terry cloth cover

• Cleaning guide

Additionally, we sell: Polycare spray, scuff remover, concentrate and terry cloth mop cover (2 per pack).

NOTE: DO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY ON THE FLOOR.

DO NOT USE THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS OR ANY PRODUCT SIMILAR IN NATURE:

– Dishwashing Detergent – Murphy’s Oil Soap

– Powdered All Purpose Cleaners – Formula 409

– Endust, Pledge, or other dusting products. – Paste Wax

– Future, Mop N Glow, Brite, or any other polish. – Fantastic

NOTE: Water and oil-based urethane finishes require little maintenance. For this reason DO NOT WAX SPRAY BUFF!! It is not necessary to wax or polish floor. Waxes or polishes will make the floor harder to clean and will cause problems for future re-coats.