Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Lower Merion, PA
Refinishing for Main Line stone colonials, Tudors and Victorians
- Licensed & Insured
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Much of Lower Merion was built before 1940, especially in Merion Station, Bala Cynwyd, Ardmore and Bryn Mawr. Houses from that era were built with solid hardwood, and the original floors in many of them can still be brought back.
VGJ Floors Covering sands and refinishes hardwood across the township, with the owner working on the job. Text photos and the square footage, and we send an estimate the same day.
Stone Colonials, Tudors and Prewar Floors on the Main Line
The classic Lower Merion house is a stone colonial with plaster walls and a formal center staircase, most of them built from the late 1800s through the 1930s. Tudor Revival homes from the 1920s are common too, along with Victorians and Gothic Revival houses in villages like Gladwyne. Floors in these homes are usually oak, often narrow strip, and they’ve been under foot for close to a century.
A floor that old has usually been sanded before, sometimes more than once. We check how much wood is left before we decide how hard to sand. If your floor has a border or an inlay at the edge of the room, or boards that change direction between rooms, that work goes slower so the pattern stays crisp.
The township also takes in Penn Valley, Wynnewood and parts of Haverford and Villanova, and it surrounds Narberth, a separate borough with its own older homes. Newer houses in parts of the township have oak floors in better shape, where the job is mostly about worn finish and a color that no longer suits the rooms.
How We Handle Older Main Line Floors
On a prewar floor, the plan is set before a sander comes through the door. Here is how the work goes.
- Review by photo: you send pictures of each room, the stairs and any borders, and we tell you what we see.
- Careful sanding: we take off the old finish while leaving as much wood as possible on boards that have been sanded before.
- Color: natural oak, a classic brown or a darker tone, tested on your floor before we commit.
- Finish: Bona Traffic, a water-based, commercial-grade finish built for busy family homes.
A formal staircase is its own project. Treads and risers take hand work, and you can see what’s involved on our stair refinishing page. Doing the stairs with the floors keeps the color consistent from the front hall up.
Why Refinishing Fits a Lower Merion Home
In a stone colonial or a Tudor, the original oak is part of the house’s character, like the plaster and the woodwork. Sanding and refinishing keep that floor in place and bring it back to clean, even color, without losing what makes the house what it is.
It’s also one of the clearest improvements before a sale or right after a purchase. Main Line buyers notice details, and a tired finish in the front hall and living room is one of the first things they see when they walk in.
Some owners use refinishing to change the mood of an older home. Some want a lighter, natural oak look, others a deep traditional brown that suits dark trim and paneling. We help you choose based on the light in your rooms and the woodwork around the floor.
See Our Google Reviews
Our Google reviews are a simple way to check us out. They’re written by customers in Pennsylvania and New Jersey who hired us to sand and refinish their floors. If you’re trusting someone with the original floors in an older house, reading them first is time well spent.
What Shapes the Price of Refinishing in Lower Merion
Prewar floors and newer floors are priced differently, even at the same size. These are the factors we weigh in your estimate.
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Square footage | The total hardwood area, including halls, landings and closets. |
| Past sanding | Floors sanded several times need a lighter, slower cut to protect the wood that’s left. |
| Borders and inlays | Pattern work at the edges of a room takes extra time and hand detail. |
| Formal staircase | Center staircases with many treads are sanded and finished mostly by hand. |
| Color change | Staining a new color adds a step and usually about a day. |
Call or text (732) 768-0854 with photos and the square footage. For most homes we send an estimate the same day. For a large or complex house, we may schedule a visit first.
Owner-Led Refinishing for Lower Merion Homes
VGJ Floors Covering has specialized in hardwood floor sanding and refinishing since 2008. Amberson, the owner, works on the job with the crew. On a floor that’s been in the house for a hundred years, you want the person who owns the company deciding how it gets sanded.
We finish with Bona Traffic, a water-based, commercial-grade finish made for heavy use. The finish carries a one-year warranty. It doesn’t cover furniture dragged across the floor, pet claws or the wrong cleaning products, so we go over care before we leave.
Why Lower Merion Homeowners Choose VGJ Floors
Our crew takes the same careful approach Amberson does, especially around plaster walls, original trim and staircases. Before we start, you know the order of the rooms, how long each step takes and exactly when the house is fully yours again.
Licensed & Insured
Fully protected and professionally registered company.
Since 2008
Years of real-world experience in hardwood flooring.
High-End Workmanship
We focus on strong finishes and long-lasting results, not shortcuts.
Fast Estimates
Quick scheduling and clear project evaluation.
Customer-Focused Service
Professional communication and reliable execution.
Serving a Wide Area
Lower Merion, Narberth and the Main Line in Montgomery County
FAQ
Common Questions About Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Lower Merion
Owners of older Main Line homes tend to ask the same smart questions before we start. Here are the answers. If yours isn’t here, call or text (732) 768-0854.
Our house is from the 1920s. Has the floor been sanded too many times?
We can usually tell by looking at a board edge, often at a floor vent or a threshold. If there’s enough wood above the tongue, the floor can take another careful sanding. If it’s too thin in spots, we tell you before we start and talk about repairing those boards.
Can you refinish a floor with a border or an inlay?
Yes. Borders, inlays and boards that change direction take more time, because each section has to be sanded with the grain so it stays sharp. You can keep the contrast natural or use stain to make the border stand out more or less.
Do you refinish formal staircases?
Yes. Treads and risers are sanded and finished mostly by hand. We usually suggest doing them with the floors, so the color matches from the front hall to the landing. Send a photo of the full staircase with your floor photos.
How long does a larger Main Line house take?
Most homes take two to three days, and about three with a color change. A large house with many rooms, a formal staircase or pattern work can take longer. We give you the schedule with your estimate, room by room.
Do you need to come out to give a price?
Usually not. Text photos of each room and the square footage to (732) 768-0854, and we reply the same day, between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m. For a complex job, like several floors of stairs or a lot of pattern work, we may schedule a visit.
