westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: How can you prevent scratches in hardwood floors? 7 maintenance tips - 08/26/13 08:24 PM
7 tips to preserve and maintain your hardwood floors

One of the most common questions I get is prevent scratches in hardwood floors, so I thought these tips would help.  
First, let me preface this by saying that ALL hardwood scratches. It's just a matter of time. Yes, some are harder than others and yes, some have a bit more scratch protection than others.   So given that all hardwood will scratch, here are some tips to MINIMIZE the scratches and prolong the life of your hardwood floors.
 
 
By far, the #1 culprit of scratches is dirt/grit, so do … (68 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Top 5 flooring articles for maintaining your hardwood floors - 08/16/13 09:20 PM
Here are my top 5 picks for key articles for maintaining and restoring hardwood flooring for your home. Hardwood floors are in an investment, and these articles provide tips on how to prolong the life and beauty of your hardwood.  
 
How to prevent scratches in you hardwood flooring Yes, all hardwood scratches...eventually. Here are some tips to reduce scratches so they will look better longer, and you won't need to refinish them as often.
 
How do you eliminate pet stains in hardwood floors? We come across pet stains often in the hardwood floors - those dark stains in … (11 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Yes, another DIY sanding job gone amiss - 08/12/13 09:45 PM
Last night, I viewed another do-it-yourself hardwood sanding job that was a bit of a mess.  This is a nice customer who is a carpenter by trade.  He was able to install portions of the hardwood floor - that part was easy.  But, if you don't refinish floors on a regular basis, you will likely have a rude awakening, even if you are quite handy.
 
Most don't know how to use the sanding machines properly.  They keep it going to long in some areas and create permanent ridges in the hardwood.  Other times, they don't use the right grits and … (17 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Hardwood flooring species | Westchester NY - 07/22/13 08:11 PM
What types of wood species can I use for my hardwood floors? I thought it would be helpful to gather a collection of the recent posts I've written on hardwood flooring species.  Soon, I hope to do some more posts on other hardwood species.
 
Oak hardwood flooring Oak hardwood is the most common species in the US and it's the most popular choice in Westchester County. Oak is reasonably priced, durable, accepts stains well (so it's easy to change the color), and oak flooring tends to hide scratches well. Most homes that already have hardwood have oak, and many homeowners would … (12 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: What's the difference between Dustless sanding & sandless refinishing? - 06/10/13 07:59 PM
When it comes to sanding and refinishing floors, many customers ask me about "dustless sanding" and "sandless refinishing" and all other combos of these words.  Needless to say, many customers in Westchester (and across the country) have these terms mixed up. It's no wonder given all the latest gimmicks and new companies that keep popping up. 
 
So this is my attempt to set the record straight and explain the terms - dustless sanding vs. sandless refinishing. 
 
Originally posted at: Dustless Sanding vs Sandless Refinishing - What's the difference? 
 
Background: Refinishing hardwood floors - the full sand and … (20 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Key questions about hardwood floor refinishing - 06/10/13 03:03 AM
We do get a ton of calls about refinishng hardwood floors in Westchester County.  These requests come from those moving into new homes, as well as current homeowners. Hardwood flooring is so popular in Westchester, that's it's no wonder that homeowners want to restore and/or preserve the integrity of their floors.  Or, sometimes, they just want to make a color change.
 
Regardless of the reasons, most homeowners have the same questions.  And, some of them don't realize that they should be asking these until it's too late.  Good planning always helps, especially when it comes to home improvement projects.  Here … (34 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Oak Hardwood Flooring in Mamaroneck NY - 05/30/13 08:55 PM
What are the advantages of Oak Hardwood Floors for your home in Mamaroneck NY? Oak is the most popular species of hardwood flooring here in Mamaroneck NY. If you see hardwood in a home, chances are it's oak.
Why is oak hardwood flooring so popular? 1. Oak flooring is very affordable since it's grown in the US and is  abundant. Oak hardwood tends to be less expensive compared to the other species (such as maple, hickory, brazilian cherry, etc). And, in Mamaroneck NY, it's very readily available to get unfinished oak hardwood flooring. Often, unfinished oak flooring (that is refinished and … (7 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Hardwood floor refinishing in Mamaroneck NY - 05/28/13 08:59 PM
Refinishing hardwood floors in Mamaroneck NY - Everything you ever wanted to know about sanding your floors. Refinishing your hardwood floors can have a huge impact on your Mamaroneck home. You will be amazed at how refreshed your home will look...and the floors will look good as new. Many don't realize that when you sand and refinish the floors, you have the option to change the color - you can go from dark to light or light to dark or anywhere in between.  
 
If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you are in luck. Usually, refinishing and restoring … (7 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Refinishing hardwood floors - key questions - 05/23/13 11:54 AM
In Westchester County, NY, hardwood is the preferred type of flooring.  I get many questions from my customers about refinishing hardwood floors, so I thought it would be helpful to gather many of these Frequently asked questions (FAQ's) in one place.  Each question links to a whole article with a full answer.  I hope you find these useful
 
Water based vs oil based polyurethane - Which is better and more durable?
 
How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
 
Can you change the color of your hardwood floors?
 
Hardwood flooring stain trends
 
Should I refinish … (9 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Red oak vs White Oak hardwood. What's the difference? Bedford NY - 05/19/13 08:22 PM
What is the difference between red oak and white oak hardwood? Oak flooring is the most popular species of hardwood here in Bedford NY.  Oak is a very practical wood, is readily available (grown and made in the US), very affordable and very easy to stain so you can find the color you prefer.  But many consumers don't realize that there are 2 species of oak - red oak and white oak flooring.
 
If you are installing new hardwood flooring everywhere, either red oak hardwood or white oak hardwood will work, and your choice will probably be dependent on which … (6 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Oak Hardwood Flooring in Croton-on-Hudson NY - 05/17/13 07:14 PM
What are the advantages of Oak Hardwood Floors for your home in Croton-on-Hudson NY? Oak is the most popular species of hardwood flooring here in Croton-on-Hudson NY. If you see hardwood in a home, chances are it's oak.
Why is oak hardwood flooring so popular? 1. Oak flooring is very affordable since it's grown in the US and is  abundant. Oak hardwood tends to be less expensive compared to the other species (such as maple, hickory, brazilian cherry, etc). And, in Croton-on-Hudson NY, it's very readily available to get unfinished oak hardwood flooring. Often, unfinished oak flooring (that is refinished and … (1 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Another blog post surpassed 20,000 hits - 04/19/13 10:07 PM
I've been so busy this last week, that I didn't have a chance to view my google analytics until today.  And, I was thrilled that I now have a 2nd blog post that has over 20,000 clicks!
 
Which is better - water or oil based polyurethane?
 
As of yesterday, it has 20,541 h!  This is my 2nd highest blog article on flooring, but it's the one that seems to create the most phone calls and leads as it's a key question (and confusion area) for my industry.  I was so excited that this post hit this new threshold.  This … (16 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: It pays to do construction in the right order - 04/16/13 07:58 PM
It happened again.  I have a customer who hired a contractor who didn't bother to tell them the correct order of operations.  It pays to have a good and honest contractor who will not only do a good job, but will also tell you the optimal order to do things so that you don't waste money.
 
On Monday, I met with a nice homeowner who wants to refinish and repair their hardwood floors in Westchester.  We often repair small sections of hardwood before we sand the floors.  Normally, this work is straightforward.  We weave in new hardwood and refinish and … (32 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Hardwood floor refinishing in Bedford NY - 04/12/13 11:15 AM
Refinishing hardwood floors in Bedford NY - Everything you ever wanted to know about sanding your floors. Refinishing your hardwood floors can have a huge impact on your Bedford home. You will be amazed at how refreshed your home will look...and the floors will look good as new. Many don't realize that when you sand and refinish the floors, you have the option to change the color - you can go from dark to light or light to dark or anywhere in between.  
 
If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you are in luck. Usually, refinishing and restoring … (18 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: My top posts from March 2013 - 04/07/13 07:55 AM
It's been so unbelievably busy, that I almost forgot to do my retrospective look at the previous month.  Below are my top blog posts for March 2013.  These are sorted based on number of clicks.
 
Kitchen Floors - Is hardwood or tile better?
Hardwood floor refinishing in Westchester County NY
They have hardwood underneath the carpet - a nice discovery
So, if you missed any, feel free to check them out.  Feel free to search and reapply this idea.  It helps you learn what seems to be working better and extra chance to feed the better posts some extra link … (3 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: 8 reasons why Hardwood flooring works well in kitchens - Westchester - 04/06/13 10:28 PM
Does hardwood flooring makes sense for your kitchen in Westchester? Believe it or not, hardwood flooring is currently the most popular flooring choice for kitchen remodels and new construction in Westchester County NY.  We install all types of flooring - hardwood floors, tile, cork, laminate and vinyl.  But, hardwood flooring seems to be the most popular...and we are often ripping up tile floors (that are in good condition) and converting them to hardwood floors.  
 
Reasons that hardwood flooring is so popular for kitchens in Westchester County NY  
1. Hardwood flooring is easier on your feet.  This is especially important … (42 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Hardwood floor refinishing in Croton-on-Hudson NY - 04/06/13 11:35 AM
Refinishing hardwood floors in Croton-on-Hudson NY - Everything you ever wanted to know about sanding your floors. Refinishing your hardwood floors can have a huge impact on your Croton-on-Hudson home. You will be amazed at how refreshed your home will look...and the floors will look good as new. Many don't realize that when you sand and refinish the floors, you have the option to change the color - you can go from dark to light or light to dark or anywhere in between.  
 
If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you are in luck. Usually, refinishing and restoring … (3 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Refinishing hardwood floors - Common Questions | Westchester County - 03/31/13 12:50 AM
In Westchester County, solid hardwood floors are very popular, and over time, those floors need to be sanded and refinished.  Below are some key questions the homeowners in Westchester often have about repairing and refinishing hardwood floors.
 
Oil vs water based polyurethane - Which is better for refinishing hardwood floors?
 
Can you change the color of your hardwood flooring?
 
How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
 
What hardwood floor stain colors are in style?  
Should I refinish my hardwood floors or replace them?  
How to prevent scratches in hardwood floors  
(14 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: Red oak vs White Oak hardwood. What's the difference? Pound Ridge NY - 03/27/13 11:28 PM
What is the difference between red oak and white oak hardwood? Oak flooring is the most popular species of hardwood here in Pound Ridge NY.  Oak is a very practical wood, is readily available (grown and made in the US), very affordable and very easy to stain so you can find the color you prefer.  But many consumers don't realize that there are 2 species of oak - red oak and white oak flooring.
 
If you are installing new hardwood flooring everywhere, either red oak hardwood or white oak hardwood will work, and your choice will probably be dependent on … (8 comments)

westchester hardwood flooring and refinishing shop at home: If I have hardwood, should I refinish the hardwood floors or recarpet? - 03/26/13 08:14 PM
If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you may have just discovered gold!  Many customers ask whether it is better to refinish the hardwood or to recarpet? Which is less expensive? 
 
Most homeowners (and most home buyers) in Westchester strongly prefer hardwood flooring - it looks nicer, it improves your home's value, it lasts longer, and it's easier to clean. Any realestate agent will tell you that homes with hardwood floors sell faster and at a higher price.
 
 
And, it's often a pleasant surprise that it usually costs LESS to refinish hardwood floors than to recarpet them. … (12 comments)

 
Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers (The Flooring Girl)

Debbie Gartner

The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

White Plains, NY

More about me…

The Flooring Girl

Address: Westchester County, White Plains, NY, 10606

Office: (203) 231-6193

Mobile: (203) 231-6193

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My name is Debbie Gartner, and I'm known as The Flooring Girl. I blog about flooring - hardwood, refinishing, and carpet as well as painting and home decor. I'm also the Owner of Dynamo Marketers. I'm a blog stylist and coach.

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