Need wood floor advice

me? I would leave it be until you get new floors - unless you just like spending short-term money... I like the bathroom tile.

why are the prices per sq foot so low in this building?

Do the floors before you move in is my advice. New A/C should not be a problem. Congratulations. That first floor unit was on the market forever, so there were some significant price chops.

BTW, I just had my floors replaced. Had to move 85% of my apartment out for a week because I live in a small home. In larger homes, I do think the floor guys can pile furniture in different rooms, but it is a hassle to do once occupied.

Apt_Boy, one reason may be the maintenance of $2.32 psf, a bit on the high side.

Thanks for the comments -- but does anyone have any more specific advice on the floor?

Mr Sutton -- We thought about waiting, but I think it needs to be done. I believe it should be around $4/sq ft for sanding, staining and refinishing so $4,000 total. I think this is a sufficient band aid for a few years before we do a larger reno.

Apt_Boy -- not sure its low. You have to factor out the two commercial units listed for sale at 2400 sq ft each and just under $1MM. This might be skewing the price/sq ft a bit.

PMG -- I have heard that once we move the walls as planned on our future reno the patchwork and leveling will be difficult if we redo the floors now. We definitely can't afford a full reno now. I am also concerned with the very old AC units potentially leaking, this is why I want to replace it.

PMG -- It wasn't on the market very long. They went into contract at the higher price but the deal fell through because the couple buying broke up. The doctor selling is ill and retired and wanted to move it quickly so he dropped the price. Was only back on the market a few days.

PMG, how is 1,225 sf with $1,871 maintenance $2.32 psf?...my math says $1.53 psf

Apt_Boy, you are correct. And actually the apartment is closer to 1425 sf because the owner just got the private entry/mud room to be part of the apt -- cleared with the city and coop board. Kicker is that maintenance stays the same so $1.31 psf maintenance.

I am not talking average...actual unit sales less than $1ksf, for example:

55 East 9th Street #5F @ 850 sold for $795k with $1,311 monthlies or $1.54sf

I thought it was the ground floor unit that the same broker has on the market in the same building. That GF apt has a $6030 maintenance, and SE indicated the statistics I quoted. Obviously the GF former doctors office has a higher maintenance load.

SO... how about the floors? What color? What finish?

v. nice unit. leave it for the big reno. like the darker stain.

I'd go for big parquet, sanded but unstained, with a water-based poly for the lightest possible look without tipping too far into that disgusting "pickled" range.

Very dark floors and furniture are like vessel sinks.

apt look under renovation there are varios discussion about sanding versus replacement and advice from some contractors like premier05

Thank you

Ask about "screening" rather than sanding.

Screening is fine unless you want to go dark then sanding is better. Most of my designers seem to like a 50-50 mix of Jacobean and ebony and it is very beautiful

"does anyone have any more specific advice on the floor?"

Cover it with rugs.

Refinishing best way to go. Restores wood floor to like new condition and wood floors are in in NY. We used nyMasterpiece.com, who also installed molding and painted our apt. Good work, good price and attentive!

I did "water treating" when i went for a darker finish.
Basically it soaks the floor before putting on the stain,
the stain absorbs better.
I've seen parquet floors stained dark and I love it.
It's a bit more money, but worth it.

50% jacobean
50% ebony

I've done it in 3 renovations...it"s stunning!

Gee TOMOL, sounds like you ARE nyMasterpiece.com...hmmm....??? How many different wood floor threads are you going to revive with the same pitch?

Hi, I hope this isn't too late. Isabel4444 ratio would be stunning, my favorite and I know I am very detailed orienatated is 1/3 jacobean, 1/3 ebony and 1/3 walnut, I probably did 25 samples. The only hesitation I have with this color for you, is without the walnut it is even darker and the darker it is the less you will be able to see the wood cuts or grains.

I also favor a matt finish, and still I like the extra durability of the semi gloss (a little harder), so I do the first 2 coats in semigloss and finish with a coat of matt. I would be insisting on 3 coats at $4 foot instead of some firms trying to get away with 2 coats, you will definitely see the difference and it is hardly and extra cost in product or time.

I also like to water treat and this should also be included in the above price, only important to check with some of these older floors that the wood hasn't started to splinter in places or it can be a sign that the wood is already compromised from numerous sandings and may not stand up to the water soaking.

Also write the ratio on the can, or in your renovation book as it is easy to forget down the track what color ratio you went for when you finally get new floors.

I agree it makes a big difference, good luck.
Gabrielle

Gabrielle,

I agree with most of what you are saying but you cannot just add items that will cost the contractor time and money. If a contractor price is $4.00 to sand stain and poly (2 coats) then you cannot expect him/her to waterpop and add an additional coat of poly for free.

I do agree that there should be three coats and that is included in my price but I charge extra for water popping as it costs me more in labor

any picture of jacobean/ebony?

Hi, Primer 05,
I think if you look at the information stated above from NYCAPTHUNTER " I believe it should be around $4/sq ft for sanding, staining and refinishing". I am suggesting they get what they are paying for, and as "refinishing" doesn't specify how many coats, I wanted clarification that it is 3 and not 2. I pay $3.50 foot for a 1000 plus square foot space for 3 coats and water popping(repairs are extra). I acknowledge if the space gets much smaller the price can go up a little per foot.
Plus it would set off alarm bells for me if the wood guy was willing to neglect the quality of a job for perhaps $80 in product and minimum time. These days the guys can have a bedroom coated in 10 minutes, it is not like the old days where they meticulously hand brush it on by skilled craftsman or even use expensive lambswool gloves and hand apply it.
I know it must be frustrating for tradesman with clients wanting to "add" things on for "free" as they go, I am not suggesting that, I like absolute clarity from the start, which is why I put the details and what I expect right from the beginning.
Thanks
Gabrielle

Gabrielle,

I do agree with you in respect to the 3 coats, it should have 3 coats but there are also different qualities from different companies.

When you say you pay $3.50 a ft. what do you mean, are you a gc or have had more then one place done. Does the $3.50 include painting the moldings after staining?

I too like clarity from the start and I tell my clients from the start the different prices (water popping for instance)

Nycapthunter said $4.00 for sanding, staining and finish. That sounds right to me and water popping should be additional. It is an extra trip for the men, that costs money.

I'm going to be redoing my floors. The room faces north and has very little light since it's on a low floor. Should I go with a light stain or a dark stain. Help!!

You should go with no stain, and a water-based (non-amber, non-yellowing) polyurethane finish.

They are parquet floors. Does that make a difference re no stain.

No, why would it? It might make sanding a challenge, depending on what kind of parquet. If it appears too be 6-inch squares, that is.

Alan,

You keep telling people not to stain without really saying why. Do you think it is more aesthetically pleasing?

I have to tell you, I probably have refinished 100 floors and I find that stained floors look much nicer, but thats just my opinion.

Yes, I think allowing the natural wood to shine through is more aesthetically pleasing. Additionally, isn't there something creepy about trying to get things to be what they're not? Why stain one wood with something named for another wood? Is it that so many people really set on wanting chestnut floors, but foiled in their deep desire for chestnut wood, they have to settle for oak and fake the chestnut look?

Most of all, I don't get this suburban assumption that floors must be stained. Stains add no functional value.

In this particular case, though, the poster wants a solution for a dark space, and stains by definition darken, and dark surfaces absorb light.

By the way, tangentially related to staining, I once lived in a building with an entry door cleverly and artistically painted to look just like really low-grade pine. Near the hinges, where they subsequently need to plane so the door would close, you could make out the underlying wood: beautiful mahogany! I guess whoever did that likes a lighter aesthetic in the sunny outdoors.

People stain for many reasons,

Some of the nicest apartments I have done( with architects and designers that are from different firms) always look better with the floors stained. If the apartment didnt have alot of light it was made up by going with light colors on the walls, even Super White.

Particularly in light challenged spaces, some wood floors look better with a natural finish which reflects light rather than absorbing it. White oak and maple are two very attractive pale woods for these conditions. However, other woods like red oak require at least a golden stain to look their best.

When we bought our apartment the herringbone floors, which the architect said are chestnut (don't really know for sure) were very, very dark. We really didn't like the color, as it almost obscured the grain. The architect advised us that as were were going to be refinishing the floors, we should not stain them, as they would go very dark again, due to the nature of the wood. So, we just did the sanding and polyurethaning, and they came out a very beautiful color - not very light, not very dark.

The bottom line is this: Just like everything else, it is what you like thats important. Look at other peoples homes, look at pictures. One person will like super white walls another might want Pink

I would have the floor guy give you some samples, not just wood samples, have them stain the floors in a 2' x 2' area. Dont go crazy, just ask him for 2 or three different colors.

I like both unstained and stained floors. Depends on the circumstances.

IN GENERAL, newly laid floors look better stained because of the lower quality of modern-day flooring & the inability of today's flooring people to get a "no-seam" look. While I gravitate towards darker floors, a lighter, less opaque look may suit some spaces more. I've seen a natural herringbone white oak floor look stunning in a modern context.

Older prewar rooms often don't need wood stain because the wood has naturally darkened over time, and staining would also obscure (in many cases) beautiful "tiger" oak striping & inlaid patterns.

In case anyone cares - I have 5" rift & quartersawn oak. Minwax (yes, not for the purists), Jacobean in bedrooms, Special Chestnut (!) in living areas.