The Process
A floor that survives Sierra winters, summer drought, radiant heat, dogs and three generations of children isn't an accident of materials. It's the product of discipline at every step.
01
An on-site walk-through with you, your designer, or your builder. We discuss aesthetic direction, traffic patterns, sub-floor conditions, and the realistic timeline for a floor done properly.
Typically 1 visit · 60–90 minutes
02
Every sub-floor is moisture tested with a calibrated meter — concrete, plywood, or radiant — and mapped. Sub-floors are flattened to NWFA tolerance. No shortcut survives a Sierra winter.
Standard: ≤4% moisture differential, ≤3/16″ flatness over 10 ft
03
Hardwood lives in the home for 7–14 days before a single board is laid. Boards are stickered, climate stabilized, and re-tested. This is the step most installers skip. It is the step that prevents every callback.
Minimum 7 days · Up to 21 for wide-plank and reclaimed
04
Boards are sorted by grain, color and length, and dry-laid through the entire space before nailing. Pattern work — herringbone, chevron, inlays — is set out plank by plank against the architectural drawings.
Hand-sorted from the bundle · no random feeds
05
Nailed, glued, or floating per spec. Expansion gaps detailed to plan. Wide-plank installations use a face-nailed-and-plugged approach where the design calls for it. Tracy is on-site every day of the install.
One craftsman · One crew · Never subcontracted
06
On-site sanding with HEPA-filtered, dust-contained equipment. The home stays liveable for occupied remodels. Fine cuts down through 80, 100, 120 grit; final scraping by hand where the design demands.
<0.5 micron filtration · negligible airborne dust
07
Bona, Rubio Monocoat or custom oil finishes applied in controlled-humidity conditions. Multiple coats, hand-buffed between. Cure times respected — never rushed for occupancy.
Hardwax oil: 7–10 days to full cure
08
Walk-through with you and your designer. Hand-off includes a care binder: cleaning agents, humidity targets, recoat schedule, and Tracy's direct line for the life of the floor.
Lifetime relationship · not a transaction
Begin Your Project