Question:
Nice website. Very informative. I am a wood installer in Palm Beach and would like to go expand into finishing. We have some common traits like pride in our work and a desire to do it to spec. This is often not appreciated in this prefinished hell I call palm beach county. I am presentley installing 4,000 sq ft of 2 1/4 #2 common red oak on floating rubber thruster system and the contractor cannot find anyone to finish the floor.
Brian
Answer:
Dear Brain
Sorry it took so long to get back to you, it’s wonderful to hear from a fellow tradesman. As you can see by this big job “going a begging”, there is a large and growing market for qualified and skilled floor sanders. By installing these floors only, you are missing out on the other half of the trade. Floor sanding and finishing, doesn’t sound glamorous, but it sure is profitable.
Once you’ve got some sanding and finishing skills, you’ll find your services in big demand. I don’t do ANY prefinished floors anymore (and haven’t for 3 years now) and I am presently booked up until Jan, 2004. And these are all nice custom residential jobs, with the sanding and finishing component of the job priced at 4 dollars a square foot and up. Looks like I’ll be able to raise my prices next year by about 10%. I don’t even advertise anymore. And I charge 30 dollars for a quote in person, go figure.
So, Brain, buy and read my famous “how to” articles, and get some sanding machines and get out of that prefinished hell. Don’t move out of Palm Beach, just create a new a unique market there. My article “Better Prices” can help you stay well ahead of the competition. Stay tuned to this web site, lots more interesting articles and videos coming this fall and winter.