Having been built in a community with a strong timber industry, many of the older homes in Leelanau County have flooring made of maple, cedar, and even oak trees. This flooring connects these homes to an older and simpler time in the county, so it’s understandable that many homeowners want to preserve that history for as long as possible.
Josh Craker of JC Works in Cedar provides a range of residential services, among them wood floor refinishing. Craker said that he’s been in the business for about 20 years now, and currently works as a team with one employee to service Leelanau County and the Traverse City area.
“They find some treasurers when they rip up carpet — especially in older homes, like old farmhouses,” Craker said about wood floors in the county. “Those can last a few generations, honestly, and it’s worth it to put money into flooring — it’s worth the money in the long run.”
Resurfacing wood floors helps stamp out their dull luster and fix damage or wear and tear caused over the years. Craker believes that this is well worth the investment in both time and money, as it will restore the floor’s appearance and help extend its lifespan.
Craker said that he primarily sands and finishes new and old wood flooring, using a variety of products, including a water base, an oil base finish, and a canrubbed oil finish. He said that these floors can be refinished up to six times in their lifetimes, depending on how well-sanded the wood is.
In most cases, old wood flooring is similar to newer wood flooring, as the process hasn’t changed too much over the years in terms of dimensions, according to Craker. He said that typically, wood floors are about 3/4 inches thick with a 5/16 inches thick wear layer as part of the finishing process.
Craker said that he works at a rate of $4.25 per square foot, and if an old floor is in decent shape, he can typically resurface a home in five days from start to finish. He said that there are additional costs depending on what’s needed for the floor. For example, he said that refinishing makes the cost per square foot go up, as does staining to add fresh color.
Now that Ray Schaub of Ray Schaub’s Custom Wood Floors in Lake Leelanau has retired, Craker appears to be the only wood floor refinishing business in the county. Schaub said that he refers people who contact him about flooring to Craker.
He can be reached at 231-360-0245.
