FAQ

Yes, any room except a full bath. With the variety of products available and a choice of installation options, hardwood flooring can now be installed in any room of the home. The only consideration is whether the floor will be installed on-, above- or below-grade. For example, because of potential moisture problems, solid hardwood is not recommended for installations below grade, such as in a basement. Engineered products, which are inherently dimensionally stable, are better choices for this area. All types of hardwood can be installed on- or above-grade.

With proper care, hardwood floors can last the lifetime of a home or business. Wood floors are easier to maintain than ever, and they add value to any home.

It all depends on what species of wood you have currently, or what you will want to install, and the square footage of your area that you want to install/refinish. We'd be more than happy to give you a free ballpark quote over the phone, or even come out and do a free in-home estimate and figure out exactly how much it would cost to do.

Carpet traps dirt and allergens. After a few years of use, approximately 35% of the total weight of the carpet is composed of dust, dirt and allergens. Simply sweep, vacuum or tack your wood floors and all these will be gone.

Wood floors in the long run will be much cheaper than carpet. Wood floors will last the life of the structure it was installed in. Carpet normally has a lifespan of 7-1/2 years at the most. Add the costs of having it steamed periodically and it will be very expensive and difficult to maintain.

Bleaching wood is done to lighten wood color. Bleaching is, at its best, unpredictable. Harsh chemicals are involved - the same ones that destroy wood and make wood come apart to produce paper products. To bleach an 18" cabinet door made from one piece of wood is very different from bleaching, let's say an 800 sq. ft. room on Oak flooring that has about 2000 pieces of different individual wood. Bleaching, therefore is rarely recommended.

This is the most common asked question. However, not to worry...WE, at SPARKLE FLOORS & CARPETS do have State of the Art DUST FREE containment equipment and therefore, there will be NO DUST airborne, no need to seal off passageways, or cover chandeliers.

Yes. Wood is a natural material with variations from board to board. Therefore, each plank or strip will take stain differently. Darker stains mask the natural variations in the wood. The lighter the stain, the more prominent the natural characteristics. A white stain shows the most variation from board to board.

Carpet traps dirt and allergens. After a few years of use, approximately 35% of the total weight of the carpet is composed of dust, dirt and allergens. Simply sweep, vacuum or tack your wood floors and all these will be gone.

Wood floors in the long run will be much cheaper than carpet. Wood floors will last the life of the structure it was installed in. Carpet normally has a lifespan of 7-1/2 years at the most. Add the costs of having it steamed periodically and it will be very expensive and difficult to maintain.

Unfinished flooring must be job-site sanded and finished after installation. Prefinished flooring is sanded and finished at the factory. Prefinished flooring may be an especially attractive option for remodeling, since the installation process is faster, simpler and cleaner. Unfinished flooring may provide more options for customizing color.

Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer — usually melamine. The print film layer is either fused or glued to the inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The earlayer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wearlayer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance.

Engineered flooring is produced by bonding three or more layers of wood. The crossing of grain direction within the boards makes this a very dimensionally stable product able to resist nearly all expansion and shrinkage from normal moisture changes. This is one primary feature that makes it suitable for use directly on concrete and below-grade application.

Sanding and refinishing performed to individual specifications. Custom finishing of wood floors is performed in the home on the completely installed new floor, or to refurbish a previously finished floor. Custom finishing permits the owner to select from a full range of stains, sheens and colors.

We use oil-modified polyurethane finish, which comes in gloss, semi-gloss or satin. It’s very durable, very hard.

Yes. You can expect to see shade differences in your floor over time. The cause is usually from exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, whether direct or indirect. This color change will be more noticeable in lighter colors, which will darken over time. In addition, certain species like Brazilian cherry, will naturally darken over the years. These changes are due to the natural characteristics of wood and are not covered by most manufacturers' warranties.

In spite of the term "hardwood", wood flooring will dent under high heel traffic (especially heels in disrepair). The finish that is applied will not prevent dents and scratches if maintained improperly.