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Los Angeles Hardwood Flooring Project #20:

Arcadia Hardwood Floor Refinishing | Rescued Red Oak + Precolor Easy + Rubio Monocoat White 5%

This red oak hardwood floor in the Los Angeles suburb of Arcadia had a sad story before we showed up. The owner recently had the floors sanded and refinished with Rubio Monocoat. After a very short amount of time the hardwax oil finish started giving them trouble. They were getting water spotting, stains and grime buildup. Frustrated, they called us to come have a look... and we ended up fixing the floor for them.

BEFORE Before: worn red oak floor with failed Rubio finish in Arcadia
AFTER After: Arcadia red oak floor refinished with Precolor Easy White and Oil Plus 2C White 5%
Close-up of PreColor Easy White + Rubio Monocoat White 5% on red oak
Red oak hardwood floor in Arcadia, CA finished with Precolor Easy White + Rubio Monocoat White 5%.

The Issue with the Floor

The biggest issue was the previous inexperienced Los Angeles hardwood floor refinishing business didn't prepare or apply the Rubio Monocoat properly. First, they didn't water pop the floor after sanding. That meant the grain was too tight and it didn't penetrate properly. The second mistake made was they only used 1.5 liters of the hardwax oil for 2,200sqft vs the 5 liters needed.

How We Fixed It

We took the time to sand the floor and stairs correctly. That meant removing the spindles/balusters on the stairs for a more professional finish (another thing the last flooring contractor didn't bother to do). Then we water popped the floor to allow for proper penetration of the pre-color and oil. Rubio Monocoat Pre-Color Easy White was chosen for the first coat and then we applied White 5% oil on top, using the full 5 liters recommended by the manufacturer. Now the floors are performing as they should. They are now holding up well with 3 kids, 2 adults, a dog and a pool - no more spots and no grime. The owner, Alice Yun, wrote us a wonderful review on Google. You can read about her experience below...

Wood
Red oak
Finish
Rubio Monocoat
Color
White + White 5%

Project Photos...

Stairs prepped correctly with balusters removed for sanding
Stairs after sanding (balusters removed so we can finish properly).
Stair treads sanded and ready for coating
Stair treads fully sanded and ready for Rubio Monocoat.
Applying Rubio Monocoat White to water-popped red oak living room
Rubio Monocoat White being applied to the water-popped red oak living room floor.
Hallway and living room refinished with Rubio Monocoat White
Hallway and living room finished in Rubio Monocoat White.
Kitchen finished in Precolor Easy White + Rubio Monocoat White 5%
Kitchen finished and ready to enjoy.
Arcadia living room finished with Rubio Monocoat White 5%
Final photo — living room complete with Precolor Easy White + Rubio Monocoat White 5%.

HOMEOWNER'S feedback

Marcos and his team did an AMAZING job on my floors. I have had a painful journey with my floors. I wanted to get Rubio Monocoat placed on my floors and had it done 7/2018 by Z Best flooring. Ever since then we had so much trouble. Water stains, grime buildup, definitely not performing the way it was supposed to. I knew how it was supposed to be because my friend up north had it on her floors and it was easy to live with. After 3 years I was so unhappy with the way the floors looked I had no choice but to get a consultation. Marcos came and evaluated and thought that the job needed to be redone. Fast forward to today. My floors look amazing. We immediately noticed the difference on the floors. Water spills wipe up without leaving a water stain. You can see the water bead up! Basically the previous application only used 1/3 of the product Marcos used. Marcos’ application technique is COMPLETELY different from the previous method. You can see his application technique on his Instagram page. Basically I was living with bare wood floors for 3 years that made me neurotic not to dip anything on the floors. With 3 kids and a dog and a pool in the back it was virtually impossible. He did the job quickly and on time while we were out of town. The dustless system he uses is fantastic. I had to pay a deep cleaning crew to vacuum my walls and window sills of all the sawdust. This time I came back to a practically dustless house Alice Yun - Arcadia, Los Angeles, CA | 5 Star Review on Google

Here's some more feedback we received from another hardwood floor refinishing project in the Los Angeles area...

MORE HAPPY CLIENT feedback

I had my floor done when I bought my house in 2014 by Marco. My wife and I couldn’t be more happier with the result back then. Fast forward, we decided to renovate our kitchen to create an open concept in 2021. Additions of same types of wood floor needed to be added. The new floor along with old were installed, stained, and sanded initially by another company; it was a disaster! The stained used by the other company was blotchy, parts of the floor was not stained at all. In addition, sanding work was subpar and horrible. I called Marco; although very busy, he was able to squeeze me in. He came and accessed the damage and gave me a fair quote and said he would get back to me. The following day he had some openings and were able to send two of his guys to help with the sanding, what a difference. They finished sanding the same day and Marco was able to apply 2 coats of the right stain the same day. My wife came home and expressed tears of happiness. She said, “the floor Marco did was her floor, not the other one”! Marco came by the next day to put the last coat on. I can’t thank him enough! He is amongst the elite when it comes to flooring. Marco saved me; a happy life is a happy life!!! Thank you so much Marco!!!!!!! Michel Tan - Los Angeles, CA | 5 Star Review on Google

Here's another hardwood floor refinishing project we completed in the Los Angeles area...

STILL MORE HAPPY CLIENT feedback

Highly recommend! Marcos and his team did an amazing job refinishing the 100yr old hardwood floors in our home. They also had to repair and install new oak in certain areas that had been carpeted. It all blended seamlessly and looks fantastic. Couldn't be happier! Dave Gordon. - Los Angeles, CA | 5 Star Review on Yelp

Would you like similar results for your floors?

As you can see, not all Los Angeles hardwood floor installation and refinishing businesses are experienced with high-end finishes like Rubio Monocoat. If you've had a Los Angeles hardwood flooring company ruin your floors, like Alice and Michel above, and would like a professional opinion on how to fix it, we would be happy to help. Click here to contact us and we’ll be in touch.


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