Since 1986 — hardwood only. Yvan and his lead craftsman Oscar on your floor from start to finish. Free in-home estimates.
Prefinished hardwood comes from the factory already sanded, stained, and finished with a hard wear layer — so there's no on-site sanding, no finish fumes, and you can walk on the floor the same day the last board goes down. For a household that can't have the home torn up for a week of sanding and curing, prefinished is often the right call.
We install prefinished solid and engineered hardwood in oak and walnut, with the same attention to acclimation, layout, and board fit as a site-finished floor. The factory finish is genuinely tough — usually harder than what we can apply on site — but the install still has to be right, because prefinished boards show every uneven seam. We rack the floor carefully and fit tight.
We're proud to do good work, prefinished or not. The trade-off with prefinished is that you can't custom-stain to match an existing floor, and the bevel between boards is part of the look. We'll walk you through when prefinished makes sense and when site-finished is the better choice for your situation.
Why Choose Us
The finish is already on the boards, so there's no sanding dust, no finish fumes, and no days of cure time. You walk on it sooner.
Factory-applied finishes are typically harder than site-applied poly, which means better scratch and wear resistance for busy households.
With no sanding and curing schedule, prefinished installs go faster — a real advantage when you need the room back quickly.
Our Process
01
We help you choose species, grade, plank width, and the right factory finish and sheen for your traffic and light.
02
Even prefinished wood needs to acclimate to your home's moisture before install. We meter and wait until it's in range.
03
We rack the floor with proper joint stagger and tight board fit — important with prefinished, since the bevels show every gap.
04
Same-day walkthrough and care instructions. No cure wait — the floor is ready for traffic right away.
What's Covered
The full range of prefinished work we take on — every item handled by the same two craftsmen, start to finish.
Factory-finished solid oak and walnut for wood subfloors — the hard wear layer of a factory finish with a solid-wood floor.
Engineered prefinished for concrete subfloors and below-grade spaces — stable, hard-finished, and ready for traffic fast.
A range of fixed factory colors and sheens in white oak, red oak, and walnut — we help you choose the right one for your light.
Even prefinished wood acclimates to your home before install. We meter it and wait until the readings are in range.
Glue-down engineered prefinished over concrete — the right method for condos, lofts, and below-grade spaces.
Matching prefinished moldings, transitions, and base shoe installed clean so the floor finishes properly at every edge.
No cure wait — the floor is ready for traffic the day the last board goes down, with care instructions on the spot.
Honest advice on when prefinished makes sense and when site-finished is the better call for matching an existing floor.
Before & After
Customer Reviews
"Responsive, reliable and reasonable. Yvan installed new oak flooring in a section of an older home. He matched the new flooring to the rest of the house beautifully. He exceeded expectations in each stage of demo, installation, finish and cleanup."
Richard C., Santa Margarita, CA
Yelp · 2020
"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
Prefinished comes from the factory already sanded, stained and finished; site-finished is installed raw and then sanded, stained and finished in your home. Prefinished is faster and tougher; site-finished gives a seamless, custom-stain look. We do both.
Not exactly — prefinished comes in fixed factory colors, so we can't custom-stain to match an old floor the way we can with site-finished. If matching existing wood is the priority, site-finished is usually the better choice.
Faster than site-finished because there's no sanding or curing. A room is often done in a day or two of installation, plus acclimation time before we start.
Generally yes — factory finishes are cured under controlled conditions and tend to be harder and more scratch-resistant than site-applied polyurethane. That said, no wood finish is indestructible.
Solid prefinished can usually be refinished later; some engineered prefinished has a thinner wear layer that limits refinishing. We'll tell you the wear-layer thickness before you buy.
The micro-bevel between boards is a factory feature that helps the boards fit without perfectly flat seams. It's part of the prefinished look — some people love it, some prefer the flat look of site-finished.
Same day — the factory finish is already cured, so you can walk on the floor the moment the last board is down. That's the biggest practical advantage of prefinished for households that can't have the home torn up for a week.
When you need to match an existing floor exactly, when you want a perfectly flat seamless surface, or when you want a custom stain mixed on site. In those cases site-finished is the better call. We'll tell you honestly which fits your situation.
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.