Hardwood Flooring in Webster, NY

Hardwood flooring in Webster comes in more varieties than people expect. The town was created on February 6, 1840, when the northern part of Penfield was set off on its own, and it had just 7,174 residents as late as 1950. By 1970 it had 24,739, and the 2020 census counted 45,327. So a Webster floor might be in a house near the village center with more than a century behind it, in a 1960s ranch with oak under the carpet, or in a recent build with prefinished planks. We start by finding out which one you have.

The village center

The village of Webster was incorporated in 1905, and its commercial section dates back to 1812, when a store and a tavern went up near the four corners. Houses on the National Register include the William C. Jayne House on East Main Street and the George G. Mason House on Dunning Avenue. Webster Grange No. 436 on East Main, built in 1900, was once the largest Grange chapter in the country. Older homes around the village are where we most often find floors that have already been sanded more than once. We measure what is left before deciding how aggressive the sanding can be.

The postwar neighborhoods

Most of the town's housing came later, as the population more than tripled between 1950 and 1970. Houses from that era are where refinishing gives the most value: solid oak with years of life left, often protected for decades under carpet. Named neighborhoods in the town include Forest Lawn, Glen Edith, Parkwood, Gallant Fox and Lake Road, among others.

Living with lake humidity

Webster is bordered on the north by Lake Ontario, Irondequoit Bay forms part of its western edge, and Webster Park covers 550 acres of waterfront land. Rochester's annual average relative humidity is 72.6%, but heated indoor air in January is a different story. Wood moves between those extremes: it swells in humid summers and shrinks in dry winters. One Great Lakes flooring guide says gaps open once indoor humidity drops below 30 percent and that manufacturers specify 35 to 55 percent. For new floors, we follow National Wood Flooring Association guidance passed along by Hardwood Floors magazine: keep the house at 60 to 80°F and 30 to 50 percent relative humidity, with the heating or cooling running before the wood arrives.

When a floor has cupped

Cupping, where board edges rise higher than the centers, usually points to moisture from below or a leak. In a lakeside house, check the crawlspace or basement first. Sanding a cupped floor flat before the moisture problem is fixed and the boards have dried out leads to crowned boards later. We will tell you if a floor needs time, a dehumidifier or a plumbing repair before we touch it.

Refinishing, repairs and the rest

• Refinishing: full sanding to bare wood, optional stain, and multiple coats of finish
• Screen and recoat: for floors that are dull but not worn through
• Repair and board replacement: water-damaged, stained or split boards woven out and replaced
• Hardwood stairs: treads, risers and nosings
• Installation: solid hardwood nailed over wood subfloors
• Engineered hardwood: for basements, slabs and spots where moisture is a concern

Lead paint in older homes

Homes built before 1978 may have lead paint on trim. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule, fully effective since April 22, 2010, requires certified firms and lead-safe practices for work that disturbs it. We go over shoe molding and baseboard handling with you before work begins.

Call (585) 632-6150 for a free written estimate in Webster.

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