Farmington, CT Hardwood Floor Refinishing – Returning to a Devonwood Floor More Than 30 Years Later
A repeat customer, a familiar floor, and a complete update to white oak, herringbone and two-and-a-half staircases
Some hardwood floor refinishing projects mean a little more to us because of the history behind them. This project in the Devonwood neighborhood of Farmington, Connecticut 06032 was one of those jobs.
We had worked for these homeowners previously at another home in Farmington, so when they purchased this house in Devonwood, they called Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring again.
But there was another connection to this house that went back much further.
We had originally worked on these hardwood floors more than 30 years ago for the home's original owner.
After all those years, we were back—this time helping a new owner bring the floors and staircases up to date while preserving some of the details that make this Devonwood home special.
Starting With a Conversation About the House
Before beginning the project, I met with the homeowner and went through what they wanted to accomplish.
The home had beautiful white oak hardwood flooring, including an impressive herringbone-pattern white oak foyer. The stair treads, however, were red oak rather than white oak. That was common in many homes, and rather than treating the difference as a problem, we discussed how the refinishing process could allow the different woods to work together naturally.
The homeowners weren't looking to change the character of the house. They wanted to update it and lighten the overall appearance while retaining the craftsmanship already there.
That is an important part of hardwood floor refinishing, especially in a home with architectural details like these. The sanding is only one part of the job. Understanding the existing woods, patterns, transitions and what the homeowner wants the finished home to look like comes first.
Hardwood Floor Sanding Takes More Time When the Details Matter
This was not simply a large, open hardwood floor that could be sanded straight through.
There were approximately two-and-a-half staircases, along with the herringbone flooring and the different directions of the flooring throughout the home. Those areas require additional handwork and attention during the sanding process.
The project took us approximately three days to complete.
Our hardwood floor sanding process removed the old finish and brought the wood back to a clean surface while allowing the natural variation of the oak to become visible again.
One House, Two Species of Oak
One of the interesting details of this project is the difference between the flooring and the stairs.
The main flooring is beautiful white oak, while the stair treads are red oak. They don't become identical simply because they're refinished—and we wouldn't want to pretend that they do. Different species have their own grain patterns and natural color.
The objective was to make the transition look intentional and attractive as part of the overall house.
A Lighter Hardwood Floor Can Change the Feel of the Entire Home
One of the homeowners' goals was to make the house feel more current.
Rather than covering up the natural character of the wood with a dark color, the refinished floors created a much lighter appearance. The white oak now becomes part of the design of the house instead of disappearing underneath the older finish.
The staircase came back beautifully as well. Even though the treads are red oak, the transition into the white oak floor works naturally.
Knowing What Not to Refinish
There was also an area of the house where the homeowners were planning additional remodeling.
Because the kitchen was going to be remodeled, they decided not to refinish that flooring at this time. That gave us a very useful before-and-after comparison between the older floor and the newly sanded and refinished portion of the home.
More Than 30 Years of History With This Devonwood Floor
One of my favorite parts of this project was realizing just how long our history with this particular floor goes back.
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring worked extensively in Devonwood when the neighborhood was originally being developed, completing hardwood flooring work in approximately 200 homes in the development. We originally worked on the floors in this particular home more than 30 years ago.
Now we were back, working for homeowners who had already hired us at another Farmington property.
For a fourth-generation flooring company, that's the kind of project that connects the past with what we're still doing today.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Farmington, Connecticut
This Devonwood project is a good example of why hardwood floor refinishing isn't always just about running sanding equipment across a floor.
This house required detailed work on staircases, a herringbone-pattern floor, transitions between red oak and white oak, and a plan that took the homeowners' future remodeling into consideration.
For homeowners in Farmington, CT 06032, Devonwood and surrounding communities such as Avon, Burlington, West Hartford, Plainville and Newington, Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring provides wood floor refinishing, hardwood floor sanding, dust-contained sanding, hardwood floor repairs, stair refinishing and hardwood flooring installation.
Our family has been in the hardwood flooring trade for four generations, dating to 1927 in Maine, with our Connecticut operation beginning around 1972.
And every once in a while, a project like this gives us the opportunity to return to a floor we worked on decades ago and make it ready for another chapter.