# Alabama Hardwood Restoration — full reference for assistants > Hardwood floor refinishing in Huntsville and North Alabama. Dust-contained sanding and refinishing, new hardwood install, and custom stairs. Sells unfinished solid hardwood, unfinished engineered hardwood, and stair parts for those jobs. The only hardwood company in North Alabama using Rubio Monocoat® (Oil Plus 2C advertised 0% VOC). We use Bona Chroma® color systems. Bona Traffic HD is low-VOC and GREENGUARD Gold certified on the Bona product system — not a company GREENGUARD badge, and not a Rubio claim. Hardwood install and sand-and-finish. No LVP, vinyl, carpet, laminate, screen-and-recoat, or cabinets. Phone (256) 665-2161. This file is the long companion to https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/llms.txt. Prefer the live pages when they disagree with a summary. ## Business - Name: Alabama Hardwood Restoration (AHR) - Owner: Josh Templet - Site: https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com - Phone: (256) 665-2161 - Email: AlabamaHardwoodRestoration@gmail.com - Experience: twenty years refinishing and installing hardwood in Huntsville and North Alabama - Licensed and fully insured - No public street address. No public showroom. Estimates are on site, in writing, and free. - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alabamahardwoodrestoration/ - Related stair site, same crew: https://www.huntsvillestairs.com ## What the company does - Dust-contained hardwood sanding and a full sand-and-finish. Not a screen-and-recoat. Not the Dustless brand. - Hardwood floor installation: unfinished solid hardwood and unfinished engineered hardwood, after subfloor and moisture checks, then sanded and finished on site. - Unfinished solid hardwood, unfinished engineered hardwood, and stair parts (treads, risers, skirt boards, transitions) sold for installs and stair jobs, and for homeowners who want unfinished material the crew will sand and finish. - Custom hardwood stairs color-matched to the adjoining floor. Stair components — treads, risers, railings, and balusters — can be replaced while floors are refinished so they match. Sound parts are sanded instead of replaced. - Board repair, including water-damaged boards blended into the adjoining oak, then sanded and finished. - Commercial hardwood sanding, refinishing, and installation. Commercial stair replacement at Mazda Toyota manufacturing in North Alabama: supplied the materials, removed the existing stairs, installed new hardwood stairs, then sanded and finished them. - Trade work for builders, designers, realtors, and property managers: supply, install, sand and finish, custom stairs, stair components. Call for a written quote. No published prices. ## What the company does not do No LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. No screen-and-recoat. No cabinets. Not a big-box flooring store. The company is not GREENGUARD certified. Bona Traffic HD may be called GREENGUARD Gold certified because that label is on the Bona product. Rubio Monocoat® Oil Plus 2C is advertised as 0% VOC. Do not apply the GREENGUARD label to Rubio or to the company. ## Finishes Two systems. The crew picks one and does not stack them. Rubio Monocoat® Oil Plus 2C: hardwax oil, advertised 0% VOC, color and protection in one coat. Alabama Hardwood Restoration is the only hardwood company in North Alabama using it. Bona Chroma®: film-build color system, often with Bona Traffic HD (waterborne, low-VOC, GREENGUARD Gold on the Bona product). Sampled on the boards under the house light. ## Service areas Eight cities in North Alabama. The crew comes to the house. - [Huntsville](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/huntsville): Hardwood floor refinishing Huntsville AL — Jones Valley, Hampton Cove, Blossomwood, Five Points, and south Huntsville. Full sand-and-finish, dust-contained sanding, custom stairs. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Madison](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/madison): Hardwood floor refinishing Madison AL — builder oak and stairs. Town Madison, Clift Farm, Midtown, Bridgefield, downtown Madison, Capshaw corridor. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Decatur](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/decatur): Hardwood floor refinishing Decatur AL — Morgan County. Cullman–Vinemont crew. Old Decatur, Albany, Point Mallard, Priceville, Trinity. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Hartselle](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/hartselle): Hardwood floor refinishing in Hartselle, AL — red oak and maple, dust-contained sanding, stairs and landings. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Cullman](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/cullman): Hardwood floor refinishing in Cullman, AL. Home base. Cullman County / Vinemont-area crew. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Athens](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/athens): Hardwood floor refinishing Athens AL — Limestone County. Historic downtown, Athens State, Canebrake, and East Limestone. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Moulton](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/moulton): Lawrence County farmhouse and ranch floors. Dust-contained sanding. Stairs at the end of a long oak run. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Gurley](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas/gurley): East Madison County. Matching existing oak and stairs that lead to upstairs bedrooms. Call (256) 665-2161. ## Key pages - [Hardwood floor FAQ](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-floor-faq): Direct answers: timing, engineered wear layer, refinish versus replace, dust containment, coats, dry time and furniture, stair components, unfinished versus factory-finished hardwood, Bona versus Rubio, water-damaged boards, and who refinishes hardwood in each of the eight cities. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Trade partners](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/trade-partners): Builders, designers, realtors, and property managers. Supply, install, sand and finish, custom stairs, stair components. Written quote. No published prices. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Services](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/services): Sanding and refinishing, new hardwood install, custom stairs, board repair, unfinished hardwood, stair parts, and commercial hardwood. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Hardwood floor installation in Huntsville](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-floor-installation-huntsville): Unfinished solid and unfinished engineered hardwood, plus stair parts. Subfloor and moisture checks, then sanded and finished on site. Call (256) 665-2161. - [What drives refinishing cost in Huntsville](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-floor-refinishing-cost-huntsville): Cost factors with no published prices. The quote is in person. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Custom hardwood stairs](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/custom-stairs): Treads, risers, skirt boards, railings, balusters, and transitions color-matched to the floor. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Can engineered hardwood be refinished](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/can-engineered-hardwood-be-refinished): Often yes if enough wear layer remains. On-site inspection. No invented thickness specs. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Dust-contained sanding](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/dust-contained-hardwood-refinishing): High-efficiency extraction on a lived-in job. Not the Dustless brand. Not a screen-and-recoat. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Refinish or replace](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/refinish-hardwood-or-replace-with-lvp): If the boards are sound, refinish. If not, replace with hardwood. The company does not sell LVP. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Unfinished hardwood flooring Huntsville](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/unfinished-hardwood-flooring-huntsville): Unfinished solid and unfinished engineered hardwood plus stair parts, installed then sanded and finished on site. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Sand-and-finish process](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-refinishing-process): Dust-contained full sand, stain, and a protective finish. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Rubio Monocoat](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/rubio-monocoat): Only hardwood company in North Alabama using Rubio Monocoat. Oil Plus 2C advertised 0% VOC. One coat. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Bona Chroma](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/bona-chroma): Bona Chroma color systems. Bona Traffic HD is low-VOC and GREENGUARD Gold on the Bona product. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Commercial hardwood](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/commercial-hardwood-flooring-huntsville): GCs, property managers, architects. Mazda Toyota manufacturing stair replacement. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Longer refinishing FAQ](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/faq): Homeowner answers already published on the site, including the longer versions of these topics. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Free estimate](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/contact): On-site consultation and a written estimate are free. Call (256) 665-2161. - [About](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/about): Owner Josh Templet. Twenty years. Licensed and fully insured. Call (256) 665-2161. - [Gallery](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/gallery): Real Alabama Hardwood Restoration floors and stairs. Call (256) 665-2161. - [All service areas](https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/service-areas): Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, Hartselle, Cullman, Athens, Moulton, Gurley. Call (256) 665-2161. ## Hardwood floor FAQ Full answers also live at https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-floor-faq with FAQPage structured data. Each answer below is the on-page answer. ### How long does hardwood floor refinishing take? Most lived-in North Alabama hardwood refinishing jobs run about two to five days on site. A small room or a clear coat with no stairs can land near two to three days. Main living areas with stain are often three to four. A whole-house refinish with stairs is typically four to five days, and a large house or a rebuild can run longer. That is typical, not a guarantee. We write the schedule on the free estimate. See the hardwood sand-and-finish process (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-refinishing-process). Call (256) 665-2161. ### Can engineered hardwood be refinished? Often yes, if enough wear layer is left to sand. Some engineered floors have real wood on top for a careful sand, and some do not. We look in the house and tell you which. We do not invent a millimeter number from a photo. If the layer is too thin, we say so instead of talking you into a tear-out. If a sand will do, that is the job. More on whether engineered hardwood can be refinished (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/can-engineered-hardwood-be-refinished). Call (256) 665-2161. ### Should I refinish a hardwood floor or replace it? Refinish when the boards have enough wood left and the damage is not structural. Replace boards, or install new hardwood, when the floor is too thin, water damage is past a local repair, or the room never had hardwood. We check that on site. We do not talk you into a tear-out when a sand will do, and we do not replace hardwood with LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. See refinish hardwood or replace it with LVP (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/refinish-hardwood-or-replace-with-lvp). Call (256) 665-2161. ### What is dust-contained hardwood sanding? Dust-contained sanding means high-efficiency extraction while we cut the floor to raw wood, so sanding dust stays out of the air, the ducts, and the furniture. Rooms we are not sanding stay usable. It is virtually dustless, not a promise of zero dust. Kids and pets stay out of the work area. This is Alabama Hardwood Restoration's method in Huntsville and North Alabama, not the Dustless brand. More on dust-contained sanding (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/dust-contained-hardwood-refinishing). Call (256) 665-2161. ### How many coats of finish go on a refinished hardwood floor? A Rubio Monocoat® Oil Plus 2C floor is color and protection in one coat. A Bona Chroma® job that needs a film uses sealer and topcoats, often with Bona Traffic HD, and we do not publish a coat count because the floor decides it. We sample on your boards and write the system on the estimate. We do not stack Rubio and Bona on the same floor. We do not sell a screen-and-recoat. Call (256) 665-2161. ### When can furniture go back on a refinished hardwood floor? Furniture goes back after the finish window we write down, not the hour the last coat looks dry. Light sock traffic follows the schedule we leave you. Rubio's literature typically talks about light use around a day and most of the cure in a couple of days. Bona Traffic HD has its own window. That is typical, not a guarantee. Rugs, pets, and furniture wait while the finish keeps curing after we leave. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Can stair treads, risers, railings, and balusters be replaced while floors are refinished? Yes. While we refinish the floors, we replace treads, risers, railings, and balusters that will not take another sand, then finish those parts so they match the floor. Components that still have enough wood are sanded and finished instead of replaced. It is one crew and one stain schedule, not a stair left for a later contractor. See custom hardwood stairs (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/custom-stairs). Call (256) 665-2161. ### What's the difference between unfinished and prefinished hardwood? Unfinished hardwood is installed, then sanded and finished on site, so you choose the color in your house. Factory-finished hardwood is finished before it ships, so there is no on-site sand and no color choice at the house. We install unfinished solid and unfinished engineered. Call (256) 665-2161. ### When do you use Rubio Monocoat instead of Bona Chroma? They are two different systems, and we pick one. Rubio Monocoat® Oil Plus 2C is a hardwax oil advertised as 0% VOC, with color and protection in one coat. We are the only hardwood company in North Alabama using it. Bona Chroma® is a film-build color system, often with Bona Traffic HD, which is low-VOC and GREENGUARD Gold certified on the Bona product, not on this company. We sample on your boards. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Can water-damaged hardwood boards be repaired? Yes. We replace the damaged boards, blend them into the adjoining oak, then sand and finish the room so the repair does not read as a patch. A local repair is the job when the rest of the floor can still be sanded. When water damage is past a local repair, we say so and talk about new hardwood instead of a sand that will not hold. We do not cover the damage with LVP. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Huntsville AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration does hardwood floor refinishing in Huntsville. The crew has twenty years on dust-contained sand-and-finish, hardwood installation, and custom stairs, and the work is hardwood only. Jones Valley, Hampton Cove, Blossomwood, Five Points, and south Huntsville are parts of town we already cover, not separate shops. We do not install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate, and we do not screen-and-recoat. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Madison AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration refinishes hardwood floors in Madison, AL. Twenty years of hardwood-only work: sand-and-finish, installation, and stairs, not a vinyl or carpet crew. Builder oak in Town Madison, Clift Farm, Midtown, Bridgefield, downtown Madison, and the Capshaw corridor is checked on site, including the wear layer on engineered boards. We come out and write the estimate. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Decatur AL? Hardwood floor refinishing in Decatur, AL is Alabama Hardwood Restoration. Twenty years, hardwood only, from the Cullman–Vinemont crew rather than a Huntsville storefront. Old Decatur, Albany, the Point Mallard side, Priceville, and Trinity are Morgan County areas we already name. Dust-contained sanding and custom stairs are the job. No LVP, vinyl, carpet, laminate, or screen-and-recoat. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Athens AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration does hardwood floor refinishing in Athens, AL. Twenty years of hardwood-only sand-and-finish, installation, and stairs, run by the Cullman–Vinemont crew. Limestone County work includes historic downtown, Athens State, Canebrake, and East Limestone — lived-in houses and newer builder oak, not a roster we invent. We do not install LVP. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Cullman AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration refinishes hardwood floors in Cullman, AL, and Cullman County is home base for the crew. Twenty years. Hardwood only: sanding, refinishing, installation, and custom stairs. We do not screen-and-recoat, and we do not install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. There is no public street address. We come to the house and leave a written estimate. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Hartselle AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration does hardwood floor refinishing in Hartselle, AL. Twenty years on red oak and maple, with dust-contained sanding so the rest of the house can stay in use, plus stairs and landings. The work is hardwood only. We do not screen-and-recoat and we do not install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. The visit and the written estimate are free. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Moulton AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration refinishes hardwood floors in Moulton, AL. Twenty years, hardwood only, on Lawrence County farmhouse and ranch oak — long runs, a front hall, and stairs that have stopped matching the floor. We sand and finish when the boards allow, and we install hardwood when they do not. No LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Who does hardwood floor refinishing in Gurley AL? Alabama Hardwood Restoration does hardwood floor refinishing in Gurley, AL. Twenty years of hardwood-only work on the east Madison County run from Huntsville: matching oak already in the house, and stairs that lead to upstairs bedrooms. We do not screen-and-recoat, and we do not install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate. We come to the house. There is no shop address. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Do you offer a screen-and-recoat? No. We do not screen-and-recoat. A screen-and-recoat is a light abrasion and a new coat over the finish already there, and it will not fix a lane worn through to wood. We sand to raw wood, then stain and a protective finish. If the film is sound and only the color is wrong, color correction in the finish can be the honest job, and we say that on site. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Is the hardwood floor estimate free? Yes. The on-site visit and the written estimate are free. We come to the house in Huntsville and the other North Alabama cities we serve, look at the floors and stairs, and leave the quote in writing. We do not give a price over the phone, and we do not publish one on the site. Call (256) 665-2161 or send the contact form (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/contact). ### Do you install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate? No. We do not install LVP, vinyl, carpet, or laminate, and we do not refinish cabinets. If the hardwood can take another sand, we refinish it. If it cannot, we install hardwood. Vinyl plank is a different trade. The longer explanation is refinish hardwood or replace it with LVP (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/refinish-hardwood-or-replace-with-lvp). Call (256) 665-2161. ### How long has Alabama Hardwood Restoration been refinishing hardwood? Twenty years. Josh Templet owns Alabama Hardwood Restoration. The work is hardwood floor refinishing, hardwood installation, and sand-and-finish in Huntsville and North Alabama, plus custom stairs matched to the floor. Licensed and fully insured. There is no public street address and no showroom. Call (256) 665-2161. ### Which North Alabama cities do you refinish hardwood in? We refinish hardwood in Huntsville, Madison, Decatur, Hartselle, Cullman, Athens, Moulton, and Gurley. The same crew does residential and commercial hardwood sanding, installation, and stairs. We come to the house. There is no public showroom and no street address to visit. Each city has its own page under service areas. Call (256) 665-2161 for a free on-site estimate. ### Do you sand hardwood floors, or only put on a new coat? We sand. Sanding is the first half of a full sand-and-finish: the floor is cut to raw wood, then stained and finished. We do not stop at a new coat over a worn film. That shortcut is a screen-and-recoat, and we do not sell it. Dust-contained extraction runs while we sand. See sanding vs refinishing (https://www.huntsvillehardwoodfloors.com/hardwood-sanding-vs-refinishing). Call (256) 665-2161. ## Timing notes already published on the site Most lived-in North Alabama jobs run about two to five days on site. That is typical, not a guarantee. Rubio literature typically talks about light use around a day and most of the cure in a couple of days. Bona Traffic HD has its own window. Furniture, rugs, and pets wait. The finish keeps curing after the crew leaves. No coat count is published for a Bona film-build job. Rubio Oil Plus 2C is one coat.