Since 1986 — hardwood only. Yvan and his lead craftsman Oscar on your floor from start to finish. Free in-home estimates.
Refinishing is where a tired, scratched, gray-looking floor becomes the thing you fell in love with when you bought the house. The work is in the sanding — a proper grit progression from coarse to fine that removes the old finish and damage without cutting into the wood below — and in the finish schedule that follows. We sand with a dust-containment system, work through the grits, and lay down finish coats with the right cure time between each.
We refinish original old-growth oak and fir floors all over the East Bay — the kind of floors you can't buy anymore and absolutely should not replace. A 150-year-old Victorian floor, sanded and finished right, becomes a warm, solid surface that outlasts anything new. We'll spend an hour with you picking the final color, because stain is a decision you live with for years.
It was my pleasure to restore and refinish your hardwood floors — that's how Yvan signs off with customers, because it's true. We take the time to do the grit sequence properly, to contain the dust, and to let each coat cure before the next. Rush the cure and the finish stays soft; rush the sanding and you see every scratch under the new coat.
Why Choose Us
We sand coarse-to-fine through a full grit sequence so the floor is truly smooth — no scratch marks telegraphing through the finish.
Our sanding equipment is connected to dust containment, so the cloud of old finish stays out of your home and your lungs.
We refinish the old-growth oak and fir that Berkeley, Oakland and Alameda homes were built with — wood you can't replace, only restore.
Our Process
01
We protect the home, set up dust containment, and inspect the floor for boards that need repair before sanding.
02
Coarse to fine — we cut the old finish, flatten the wood, then fine-sand to remove every scratch before finishing.
03
We test stain on your floor so you see the real color in your light, then apply the chosen stain evenly across the field.
04
Finish coats go down with full cure time between each. Final walkthrough and care instructions once the floor is ready for traffic.
What's Covered
The full range of sanding & refinishing work we take on — every item handled by the same two craftsmen, start to finish.
The complete grit sequence — coarse to fine — to strip old finish and damage and lay down a fresh, even finish coat.
When the finish is worn but the wood is sound, a light screen and a new coat restores it without a full resand.
Natural, amber, or a custom stain mixed for your floor — tested on your actual wood in your home's light before we commit.
Stain and finish dialed in to match existing floors or a specific tone you're after, so the refinished room reads as one.
Original oak and fir in East Bay Victorians and Craftsman homes — sanded and restored to the warmth that's been hiding under wear.
Low-odor, clear-curing finish that stays true to the wood's color — a good fit for busy households and faster re-occupancy.
The warm, amber finish that deepens the grain — the traditional look, with the longer cure time it requires.
A natural, matte, repairable finish for homeowners who want the wood to look like wood — with the maintenance that comes with it.
Before & After
Customer Reviews
"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
"Yvan refinished our hardwood floors in July 2017. We are very pleased and happy with their work! Him and Oscar did a great job and I believe his rates are very reasonable. I highly recommend them!"
Jo Z., San Francisco, CA
Google + Yelp · 2020
FAQ
Most rooms take two to three days of work, plus cure time before the floor can take full traffic — usually a few days to a week for waterborne finishes, longer for oil. We give you a real schedule up front.
We use dust containment on our sanders, which pulls the bulk of the dust out at the source. It's not dust-free, but it's a fraction of the cloud you'd get with uncontained sanding, and we clean thoroughly.
Yes. We can refinish to a natural color or apply a custom stain. We test stain samples on your actual floor so you see the color in your home's light before we commit.
A well-maintained floor can go decades between refinishes. High-traffic homes may need it sooner. If the finish is worn through to bare wood in places, it's time.
Both, depending on the look and the household. Waterborne finishes are lower odor and stay clearer; oil poly adds warmth and amber tone. Hardwax oil is an option for a natural, matte look. We'll recommend based on your floor and your life.
Yes — that's some of our favorite work. Old-growth oak and fir in East Bay Victorians and Craftsman homes is worth saving. As long as there's enough wood above the tongue, we can sand and restore it.
Light traffic is usually fine after a day or two; furniture after a few days; rugs after a couple of weeks to let the finish fully cure. We give you a written care schedule.
Plan on the rooms being off-limits through the sanding and finish-cure schedule — typically a few days of work plus several days to a week of cure before full traffic and furniture. We sequence the work so you can keep living in the home, and we give you the full timeline before we start.
From our home base in Oakland to Berkeley, Marin, San Francisco and beyond.
Free Estimate
Tell us about your floors. Yvan calls you back personally.
Yvan works every job personally. Call or request a free in-home estimate.