Hardwood Flooring in San Lorenzo, CA

Hardwood flooring in San Lorenzo often means working with houses that are now around eighty years old. In 1944 the David D. Bohannon Company started building San Lorenzo Village under contract with the U.S. Navy, putting up two- and three-bedroom homes for workers in the East Bay's war industries, and construction continued into the 1950s. These were efficient, compact houses, and many have been lived in hard ever since. That makes repair and refinishing a big part of what we do here.

Built fast, with pre-cut parts

Bohannon used pre-cutting techniques, later called the "California method" and copied by builders such as Levittown in Pennsylvania. Lumber was cut to size in bulk and assembled on site. For floors, what we find in these homes varies by house and by later remodels, so we check rather than assume. On a first visit we look at:

• Whether there is hardwood under carpet, vinyl or laminate
• The direction and width of the boards and whether they run continuously from room to room
• Patched areas from old heater vents, walls that were moved, or plumbing work
• Signs of moisture near kitchens, bathrooms and exterior doors

Busy homes, hard-wearing floors

San Lorenzo households are large. The average household had 3.26 people in the 2020 census, and Census estimates put persons per household at 3.37 for 2020 to 2024. More people in a two- or three-bedroom house means more foot traffic per square foot. When we finish or install floors here, we talk about durability first:

• A finish system with enough coats for heavy traffic
• Lower-sheen finishes, which hide scratches better than gloss
• Rugs and felt pads at entries and under dining chairs
• Planning for a screen and recoat every few years, before traffic paths wear to bare wood

Repairs and board replacement

In older floors, a full replacement is often unnecessary. Pet stains, a burned spot, a section lifted by a leak, or boards cut for a long-gone floor furnace can be fixed by removing the damaged pieces and weaving in new boards of the same species and width. After a repair, the whole room is usually sanded and refinished so the new wood blends with the old.

Generations in the same house

Residents here tend to stay. Census estimates show 94.2% of residents lived in the same house a year earlier, and 67.2% of homes are owner-occupied. Many owners have inherited or bought houses from relatives and want to bring back the original character rather than modernize everything. If you want the floor to look like it did when the Village was new, we can suggest stain colors and finishes that suit the period.

Covenants and the Village Association

San Lorenzo Village was built with covenants governing fencing and exterior colors, enforced by the San Lorenzo Village Association. Interior flooring is generally your own business, but if your project also touches the exterior, such as a new door or entry, it is worth checking with the association.

Get a quote

San Lorenzo is unincorporated and sits between San Leandro and Hayward, a short drive from Fremont. Call (510) 751-0139 or request an estimate and we will inspect the floor and give you a written repair or refinishing plan.

Call (510) 751-0139