Camp Hill's older homes and their wood floors
A lot of Camp Hill was built in the first half of the last century. Plenty of the brick Colonials, Tudors and Cape Cods in the borough still have their original solid oak floors. Some of those floors have been refinished a few times already, and some have spent decades under wall-to-wall carpet.
Wood that old usually still has life in it. Sanding takes off the worn finish, the gray traffic paths and the old stain so you're back to clean wood, and then it gets a fresh stain and finish. How many more sandings a floor can take depends on how much wood is left above the tongue, so that's worth checking before any sanding starts.
Central Pennsylvania winters are dry and the summers are humid, so solid wood floors in older houses open up a little in the cold months and close back up in summer. Small seasonal gaps are normal for floors like these and aren't a sign that something's wrong.
What we do for Camp Hill floors
Our services are hardwood floor refinishing, hardwood floor installation, floor staining, clean and recoat, staircase refinishing, hardwood floor repair, and LVP flooring installation.
If your finish is just dull and scuffed and hasn't worn through to bare wood, a clean and recoat can freshen it up without a full sanding. If the wood itself is damaged or worn, refinishing is the fix. Staircases get their own attention, since treads and risers take more wear than most of the house.
We work with both water-based and oil-based finishes. We pick one based on the look you want, how you live on the floor, and the character of the house.
Matching old floors to new
Older Camp Hill homes often get added onto or opened up, and the hard part is making the floor look like it was always one floor. We take pride in blending old with new. When we're extending an existing floor or repairing a section, we match the color and finish so the transition looks natural.
That goes for small repairs as well, like a damaged board, a patch where a wall or heating register used to be, or a spot where the old flooring didn't line up.
Keeping your house livable while we work
Sanding an old floor makes a lot of dust, and in a lived-in house that's the part people dread. We use a professional vacuum system that captures up to 99% of the dust, so your home stays clean and livable while the work gets done.
We also move the furniture and appliances, and we take up toilets and trim when the job needs it. You don't have to empty the room before we get there.
Getting to Camp Hill
We're based in McAlisterville and work within about 60 miles of it. Harrisburg and State College are our main cities. Camp Hill sits on the West Shore between Harrisburg and Mechanicsburg, and we serve both of those towns too, so it's a regular part of our area.
Questions from Camp Hill
Can the original hardwood in my older Camp Hill house still be refinished?
Usually, yes. Solid oak from that era is made to be sanded more than once. How many more times depends on how much wood is left above the tongue, and that's the first thing to check. If there are damaged boards, we also do hardwood floor repair and match the color and finish so the repair blends in.
Do I need a full sanding, or will a clean and recoat do?
If the finish is dull or lightly scratched but hasn't worn through to bare wood, a clean and recoat can bring it back without sanding. If the wood is graying, stained or worn through in the traffic paths, it needs a full refinish.
Will sanding fill my house with dust?
We use a professional vacuum system that captures up to 99% of the dust, so your home stays clean and livable while we work.
Do I have to move my furniture before you come?
No. We move the furniture and appliances, and we take up toilets and trim when the job calls for it.
Do you use water-based or oil-based finish?
We use both. We choose based on the look you want, how the floor gets used, and the character of the home.
