Since 1986 — hardwood only. Yvan and his lead craftsman Oscar on your floor from start to finish. Free in-home estimates.
Most hardwood floors don't need to be replaced — they need a few boards. A water stain under the fridge, a board the dog chewed, a patch where the old wood stove sat. The skill is in the lace-in: weaving new wood into old so the seam disappears, then sanding and blending the whole area to one finish. That's the work other installers turn down, and it's the work we like.
We match species, cut, and grade, and we source boards that will age in alongside your existing floor. A good repair isn't just structurally sound — it should be hard to find. We feather the new wood into the old, sand the field around it, and refinish so the patch reads as part of the original floor.
Quality service is my standard. Whether it's a single damaged board or a larger section that needs weaving in, we treat the repair with the same care as a full install — because a visible patch on a beautiful floor is a failure, and we won't leave one.
Why Choose Us
We weave new boards into old so the seam disappears — matching species, cut, grain and color, then blending the finish across the whole field.
Water damage, pet stains, patched holes, mismatched old repairs — these are the difficult, fiddly jobs we take on and do well.
We source boards that match your floor's species and grade, then stain and finish to blend with the surrounding original wood.
Our Process
01
We identify which boards are compromised and which can be saved. Not every stain needs a new board — some refinish out.
02
We match species, cut and grade so the new boards read as part of the original floor, not an obvious patch.
03
Damaged boards come out and new ones are woven in with staggered joints so the seam disappears into the field.
04
We sand the repair and the surrounding field together, then stain and finish so the patch matches the existing floor.
What's Covered
The full range of repair work we take on — every item handled by the same two craftsmen, start to finish.
Single damaged boards cut out and replaced with matching stock — the smallest repair, done with the same care as a full room.
New boards woven into old with staggered end joints so the seam disappears into the field rather than reading as a patch.
Boards compromised by leaks, spills, or standing water — assessed board by board and replaced only where the wood is truly gone.
Urine-bleached and chewed boards replaced, then blended with the surrounding floor so the repair is hard to find.
Old vent cuts, removed stove footprints, and old patchwork — woven back into the floor and refinished as one surface.
Previous patches that don't match — re-blended with proper species, color, and finish so the floor reads as whole again.
Soft or water-damaged subfloor addressed before new boards go down, so the repair lasts instead of telegraphing back through.
The repaired area and surrounding field sanded and finished together so new and old wood read as one continuous floor.
Before & After
Customer Reviews
"We had to install a new hardwood floor on a small area after we removed a wood stove. Yvan and the other worker did a great job in weaving in the new wood with the old, sanding and refinishing at a great price."
Lew W., Albany, CA
Google + Yelp · 2019
"Yvan and his crew did a wonderful job on my floors. 150 year old hardwoods repaired and restored to a perfect warm and solid Victorian finish. Yvan is lovely. He is punctual and thorough and really conscientious. I would recommend him without hesitation. His price is fair and he spent an hour with us picking out the final color. He is a craftsman and cares deeply about his work."
Wh H., San Rafael, CA
Yelp · 2019
FAQ
Yes — that's the core of the work. We match species, cut and grade, then sand and finish the new wood alongside the old so the repair blends in. A perfect match isn't always possible with very old or rare wood, but we get close.
Often we can feather the finish across the repaired area and the surrounding field so it blends without a full refinish. For larger repairs or a floor that's already tired, a full refinish gives the best result. We'll tell you honestly which makes sense.
Yes. Boards with deep water or urine damage usually need replacement; surface stains often refinish out. We assess each board and only replace what's truly compromised.
It's the technique of cutting out damaged boards and weaving new ones in with staggered end joints so the repair reads as part of the original floor rather than a visible square patch. Done well, it's hard to find the seam.
A small board replacement can be a day; a larger weave-in with refinishing takes a few days plus cure time. We give you a timeline up front.
Our goal is for it not to be. New wood will always age slightly differently than old, but with proper matching, sanding and blending, the repair should be very hard to spot.
Yes — that's exactly the lace-in work we're known for. When a wall comes out or a stove is removed, we weave new boards into the old field with staggered joints so the seam disappears, then sand and refinish the whole area together. One Albany customer had us weave in new wood after removing a wood stove and was pleased with how it blended.
Most of the time, repair and refinish is the right call — especially with old-growth oak and fir you can't buy today. We only recommend replacement when the damage is widespread, the subfloor is compromised, or the wood is too thin to sand again. We'll tell you straight after seeing it.
From our home base in Oakland to Berkeley, Marin, San Francisco and beyond.
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