OVERVIEW

Thibodeau Floors can tackle any project no mater what the scope. Whatever shape your floor plan may be, we have the experience and know how to provide you with a unique floor that meets your specifications. We have installed every species of wood form Domestic to exotic and custom layouts, borders and medallions are our specialty. Please take a moment to look over the services that we offer and if there is something that you're looking for and don't see, don't hesitate to contact us.

NEW INSTALLATIONS

So you're interested in getting some hardwood floors? We couldn't be happier to help you and educate you in the process from start to finish. There are two main options to choose from, site finished hardwood and prefinished hardwood. Each have their own pros and cons but they also share a number of common benefits of why hardwood is the best flooring solution for your home, office or institution.

A GREAT VALUE

Not only can hardwood floors incease the value of your home, but wood flooring that is properly cared for can last for centuries. Thibodeau floors has refinished floors over 100 years old and the end result is floors that look and feel brand new. Depending on the route you choose, your floors can be sanded, stained and refinished numerous times creating a new look each time.

A HEALTHY FLOORING SOLUTION

Like any other type of floor unfortunately, hardwood floors will collect dirt, dust and hair...but you can get rid of it completely unlike carpet. This makes hardwood a great hypoallergenic floor solution. Have you ever ripped out old carpets and seen the stains and piles of dust that are left behind? If you have the opportunity to do so, or sit back relax and drink some iced tea while someone else does, you should seize it and that alone will illustrate why hardwood is a great healthy and sanitary flooring solution.

A GREEN SOLUTION

Hardwood is both a renewable and recyclable flooring solution. Unlike carpet that has a lifespan of 5 - 10 years, hardwood's ability to be refinished many, many times makes for a great green flooring solution that keeps carpet, tile and linoleum out of our landfills.

SITE FINISHED HARDWOOD

PROS & CONS

  • VALUE

    Well maintained floors can last a lifetime. Not only that, but you can sand, stain and finish them numerous times for a fresh look.

  • HEALTH

    Hardwood floors are already healthy, but site finished floors don't have bevels inbetween boards for dirt, dust and gunk to pile up.

  • CUSTOMIZATION

    Pick a type of wood, stain it any color to match your decor, design a custom medallion, inlay another type of wood as borders, endless possibilities.

  • TIME

    Site finished floors can take a bit longer to get installed due to the process involved, but it's nothing that an efficient workflow can't help ease.

SITE FINISHED FLOORS

Thibodeau Floors specializes in and highly recommends site finished floors. Not sure what we're talking about? Take a minute to read over what they are, and why we highly recommend them to anyone.

WHAT ARE SITE FINISHED FLOORS?

Site finished hardwood floors entail buying raw cut wood, installing, staining and finishing it at your location. They are more labor intensive and take a bit more time from start to finish, but they offer much better long term value.

WHY SITE FINISHED FLOORS?

They're a green solution. Carpeted floors typically get replaced every 5 - 10 years, going straight to landfills. Site finished hardwood can last a lifetime. If you get tired of the look of your floor. Sand it, stain it a new color and refinish it for a look and feel of brand new floors. If you do need to rip your floors out, the wood can be recycled. On the flipside, we have witnessed wine barrels deconstructed and layed as new hardwood floors.

Site finished floors are highly customizable with a large vairety of wood species available and widths ranging from 2.25" to 18". On top of that there are a wide variety of options to give your floors a unique appearance. The more common options are the layout, straight lay, at an angle, in a pattern and the stain applied, which can match any color and decor. Even more options are borders that can be layed into your floors to outline your room or divide it into sections. Large medallions or multipule small ones can also be inserted into your floors, from a custom designed logo or family crest to standard designs.

PREFINISHED HARDWOOD

PROS & CONS

  • TIME

    Prefinished floors can be installed from start to finish in a day, depending on your projects size.

  • VALUE

    Prefinished floors may seem to lower your projects cost, but in the long run if you need to do repairs, finding a matching wood can be troublesome due to the way prefinished floors are manufactured and stained.

  • LENGTH

    Typically the boards of prefinished wood have a shorter overall average length. You will also find many types of prefinished flooring will come bundled in one length, this hides the randomness that makes site finished floors unique.

  • HEALTH

    Typically prefinished wood has a micro bevel between boards so there are no sharp edges, which causes them to store dust and dirt and makes them harder to clean and maintain.

PREFINISHED FLOORS

The only alternate solution to site finished hardwood floors. Altough we don't recommend them as much as we do site finished floors, they do have their own strengths.

WHAT ARE PREFINISHED FLOORS?

Prefinished floors are fully prepared off site in a factory. They come pre stained and prefinished from the factory to your location where they are then installed.

WHY PREFINISHED FLOORS?

The number one reason that customers choose prefinished floors is time. Depending on the size of your project, a site finished project that would span the course of a week, can be completed in a day or two with prefinished flooring. This was a huge factor during the real estate boom, when new houses were springing up and people were flipping houses left and right. Hardwood floors add value, so the cost effectiveness of prefinished floors was justified. Now on the other hand, houses aren't selling for as much and as quick and the buyers and sellers have different concerns on their mind.

Prefinished floors are available in a wide variety of options, from the almost particle board like concontoins, to the higher grade raw exotic woods. There are pros and cons to each end of the spectrum.

Prefinished floors are as customizable as hardwood, but that will defeat the main purpose of getting prefinished floors which was to save time. A whole slew of other factors are introduced, such as color matching, keeping the boards from getting scratched or banged up.

MAINTAINENCE & REPAIR

Any type of floor that is well taken care of will last much longer and hardwood is no exception. If you want to keep your floors looking and feeling new, it's essential to keep them maintained. Well maintained hardwood floors can last for centuries, and they will make you and your wallet much happier.

MAINTAINENCE OR REFINISH?

A SIMPLE TEST

If you're not sure weather you can get by with a maintainence coat or a full refinishing of your floor, you can do this simple test.

  • STEP #1

    Find a high traffic area where the finish is likely to be the most worn. Doorways and hallways are perfect areas for this.

  • STEP #2

    Get a tablespoon of water and pour it directly onto worn spot of the floor and take note of what happens.

  • YOUR FLOORS ARE HEALTHY

    If the water beads up and you can wipe it without a trace, the finish is still working and you don't need to do anything just yet.

  • MAITAINENCE COAT

    If the water slowly soaks into the wood floor, the floor is partially worn. You may be able to get away with a maintainence coat.

  • REFINISH

    If the water immediately disappears into the wood leaving an obvious dark spot, it's time to refinish the floor.

MAINTAINENCE COATS

To avoid having to refinish your floors, a maintenance coat should be done every 3 to 5 years depending on traffic conditions. A maintenance coat entails a light buffing of your floors and a new topcoat of finish, the procedures usually takes a few hours and the floor can in most circumstances be walked on the next day.

WHAT DOES A MAINTAINENCE COAT DO?

A maintenance coat will give your floors more luster, get rid of most light surface scratches and scuff marks caused from furniture and provide your floors more protection, like a sheild. Over time, this shield will wear thin and if it completely disappears, thats when your floors will be more prone to scratches and dirt, making them harder to clean and keep clean. If this is your case, then it may be time to refinish your floors.

REFINISHING

The process of refinishing floors is simple, doesn't take much time at all and will leave your floors looking brand new! The process entails sanding your floors to expose the natural wood, applying a stain, and finally applying a finish.

RESEASONS TO CONSIDER A REFINISH

Are your wood floors hard to clean? Over time the protective coat on your floor will wear off, which exposes the wood and makes your floors more prone to absorbing dirt, oils and moisture. Refinishing can remove all that junk to reveal your floors natural wood, then we apply a finish to protect your floors and keep them looking pristine. Another reason to refinish is if you may be remodelling and want your floors to be a different color. Refinishing will remove the stain previously applied and you can get a new stain color to compliment your new decor.