Frequently Asked Questions

Using Fixr's 2025 installed ranges, 1,200 square feet comes to roughly $9,600 to $16,800 for engineered hardwood and $10,800 to $27,600 for solid hardwood, before removing old flooring or subfloor repairs. Refinishing an existing floor of the same size at $3 to $8 per square foot runs about $3,600 to $9,600. Your written estimate sets the actual price.

There is no single official rule; the phrase gets used for a few different rules of thumb. The most useful are to get at least three written quotes for comparison, and to look at samples in three places (near a window, in a dim corner and under your own lighting) before choosing a color. Some designers also suggest keeping a house to about three flooring types so rooms flow together.

Often, yes. Solid oak strip floors in older ranch homes can usually be sanded again, as long as enough wood remains above the tongue and the boards are not badly cupped or rotted. We check by lifting a corner of carpet in a closet and looking at thickness, fastening and stains before quoting.

The City of Fremont's list of work exempt from building permits includes painting, tiling, carpeting and similar finish work. Flooring is not named separately, and structural subfloor or joist repairs are a different matter, so for anything beyond replacing the finish floor, confirm with the Building Division at 510-494-4460. Condos also need HOA approval, which is separate from any city permit.

Engineered hardwood is more stable as humidity changes and can be glued or floated over concrete slabs, which suits many condos and ground floors. Solid hardwood can be sanded more times over its life and is the usual match for existing oak in older houses. We recommend one or the other based on your subfloor and the rooms involved.

It depends on the finish. Water-based finishes usually allow light foot traffic sooner, often within a day, while oil-modified finishes take longer to dry. Rugs and heavy furniture wait longer still while the finish cures. We give you the manufacturer's times for the product we use.

Fixr notes that a two-person crew typically needs about one to three days for areas under 1,500 square feet. Removal, subfloor repairs and site finishing add time. We give you a schedule with the quote.

Engineered hardwood can be glued or floated over concrete once the slab is tested for moisture and is flat. Solid hardwood usually needs a wood subfloor over the slab, which raises floor height. We test the slab before recommending either.

Prefinished boards arrive with a factory finish, so there is no sanding dust or drying time in the house. Site-finished boards are sanded and coated after installation, which gives a smooth, flat surface and lets you pick any stain. Site finishing suits matching existing oak.

Usually not for prefinished or engineered floors, though the rooms being worked on are off limits. Site-finished floors need the area empty while finish dries, so some people plan around a weekend away.

Solid 3/4-inch hardwood can usually be sanded several times over its life, because each sanding removes only a small amount of wood. Engineered floors depend on the wear layer; thin ones may take one sanding or none. We check before quoting.

Surface stains usually sand out. Dark urine stains often go deep into the wood and remain after sanding; those boards are better replaced and woven in before the finish goes on.

It depends on the product. Water-based finishes typically allow socks-only foot traffic sooner than oil-modified ones. Rugs and heavy furniture wait longer while the finish cures. We give you the manufacturer's times in writing.

Many people do, staying out of the rooms being worked on. With oil-modified finishes or if the job covers the main living areas and hallways, a few nights elsewhere can be easier.

Yes. The surface you walk on is a layer of real hardwood; the core underneath is plywood or another wood-based material. It looks like solid wood once installed.

If the wear layer is thick enough, it can be sanded and refinished. Thin wear layers can only be screened and recoated. We list the wear layer for every product we quote.

It handles normal kitchen humidity better than solid wood, but standing water from a leak will still damage it. Wipe up spills quickly and fix appliance leaks early.

Most associations require an acoustic underlayment with a stated sound rating. Ask your management company for the flooring rules and we will match a product to them.

Yes. Damaged boards are cut out and new ones are woven in with staggered joints. The color match is closest when the room is refinished afterward.

Slightly cupped boards sometimes flatten once the leak is fixed and the floor dries. Blackened, split or delaminated boards do not recover and need replacing.

Soft spots, a musty smell and high moisture readings around the damaged area are warning signs. Once the boards are up, we can see and test the subfloor directly.

That depends on your policy and the cause. Sudden leaks are treated differently from long, slow ones. Check with your insurer; we can give you a written, itemized estimate for your claim.

The carpet comes off first. Then the old treads are either replaced or cut flush and capped with new hardwood treads. Which way depends on how the stairs are built.

A typical straight staircase usually takes a few days including finishing, since stain and finish need drying time between coats. Prefinished treads shorten that.

More so than carpet. A matte or satin finish helps, and a runner adds grip and quiets footsteps.

Either works. White risers with stained treads are a common look and hide scuffs less; stained risers give a more uniform wood look.

A screen and recoat lightly abrades the existing finish and adds a new coat; no wood is removed. Refinishing sands down to bare wood and builds a new finish, which removes deeper damage and allows a color change.

Sometimes. Some factory finishes resist new coats and need a manufacturer-approved system. We test adhesion before quoting.

It hides fine surface scratches in the finish. Scratches that go into the wood or through the color will still show.

Usually in socks within the day for water-based finishes, with longer before rugs and heavy furniture. We give you the times for the product used.