Before sanding work

What to Do Before the Sanding Work

Certain preparations are necessary in your home before the arrival of our teams, who will sand your hardwood floor. To ensure an effective floor sanding, please read the instructions and information below.

INSTRUCTIONS TO BE FOLLOWED BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL

• Make sure you give us access to your residence: by being present when we arrive, by giving us a key, or by indicating to us where you’ve stored it.
• The surfaces to be sanded must be free of furniture and objects that could get in the way of the work. You can stack your furniture and objects in a part of your house that isn’t affected by the work.
• To perform the sanding work, it’s essential that we have access to a 220-volt electrical outlet, such as a stove or dryer outlet. Please ensure that the passage to this is free so that our workers can easily plug in their equipment.
• Before our arrival, you must have removed the doors located above the surfaces to be sanded to allow us to carry out a quality sanding. Once the work is completed, you can put them back in their place.
• You must remove all the shelves inside the closets at least 24 inches from the floor.
• Remove the pictures and objects attached to the wall. The vibration of the sanders could cause them to fall to the ground.
• Remove or raise the curtains at least six feet off the ground so as not to damage them.
• If you have to paint, we recommend applying the final coat of paint at the very end of the floor finishing work. If you absolutely want to paint before the floor sanding and finishing work, you will have to plan for a few paint touch-ups once the work is finished.
• After the sanding, a few traces of the old varnish may remain on the edges of the quarter rounds. If you want to make sure that we’ve removed every trace of the old varnish from the perimeter of the rooms, you should remove your quarter rounds.
• Turn off all the ventilation devices: central system, hot air hatch, heat pump, air conditioner, and other devices into which dust could penetrate and obstruct the ducts or alter the function.
• Cover or block the ventilation systems intended for air circulation in your house. For example, floor hatches are likely to be contaminated by dust.
• Your presence is required during the staining step: It’s essential that you are on site to approve the colour of the stain. It’s your responsibility to request a colour test from the workers who are handling the staining in your home. Once the colour has been installed, it will be impossible for you to change it without incurring additional costs.
• To the extent possible, you must adjust the temperature and the humidity. A temperature of 22 degrees Celsius ± 3 degrees of deviation and a relative humidity between 40 and 55% must be maintained. The temperature should be similar from one floor to the next inside your house. An excessive variation in temperature could cause the varnish to react and lead to floor stabilization problems. If you leave the premises during the work, you must provide the necessary indications to the team leader so that they can control the temperature in your absence.
• To ensure adequate safety on the worksite, clear the emergency access points and tell us where the gas pipes and supply sources are.

INSPECTION TO BE DONE BEFORE OUR ARRIVAL

• Before our arrival, you must inspect your floor and tell us about any anomalies that you have detected on your floor, such as glue, nails, staples, stains, spaces between the slats, and warping or swelling of the wood.
• Stains: Stains on your floor can be caused by water, calcium, urine or vomit from animals, unsuitable household cleaning products, oil, burns, dirt, etc. It’s possible that sanding won’t be enough to remove these stains. In this case, the solution is to replace the affected slats. If you want us to replace certain slats, you should notify us of this. If you’re uncertain about the condition of your floor, don’t hesitate to send us a photo. We’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
• Repair: Floor repairs are not included in the charges for floor sanding. If you have floor repairs to carry out, you should notify us of this so that we can bring the appropriate equipment to perform the desired repair.
• Glue: Glue on a floor usually comes from linoleum or a carpet that has been removed. If you see glue on your floor, you should notify us of this. Sanding a floor with glue is a very tedious operation.
• Nails and staples in the floor: Nails and staples must be removed or driven in.
• Spaces between the slats: The space that forms between the slats is a natural phenomenon. During the winter season, heaters reduce the relative humidity in your home. This thermal phenomenon causes the wooden slats to shrink, which creates spaces between the slats. Conversely, during the summer season, the slats swell because of the humidity, and the spaces become less pronounced. Generally, we don’t fill the spaces between the wooden slats because the filler tends to crack over time and make it harder to clean the floor. If you want to use filler between your slats, you should inform us of this.
• *To the best of our knowledge, the information contained in this document is accurate. As conditions and product application methods may vary, no guarantee is given on the recommendations or on the final result. It is the responsibility of the owner/user to verify the suitability of the methods and to ensure the proper preservation of the treated areas.