Sault Ste. Marie · Owner-Operated

Don't rip it out.
Your old floor is probably better wood than anything new.

Darrin Thomsen sands, stains, and finishes hardwood floors in the Soo and surrounding area. 25+ years in the trade. Dustless system. Most jobs done in 1–2 days.

25+ Years 1,500+ Floors Dustless Sanding Bonded & Insured
BEFORE PHOTO: worn grey oak under carpet
AFTER PHOTO: refinished honey oak
What Darrin does

Wood floor work, top to bottom.

Refinishing is the bread and butter — but if you need new floors put in, a few boards replaced, or the stairs done at the same time, Darrin handles all of it himself.

Hardwood Refinishing

Sand it down to bare wood, fix the marks, then seal or stain and finish. Your existing floor — restored.

Dustless Sanding

The sander is hooked straight to a vacuum system. Furniture stays put, drawers stay clean, no week of dust.

New Hardwood Installation

Solid and engineered hardwood, supplied and installed. Site-finished or pre-finished — your call.

Laminate Installation

When real hardwood doesn't fit the budget — a good laminate installed properly will outlast a rushed job.

Repairs & Board Replacement

Water-damaged section by the patio door? Spot-replace bad boards, weave them in, and refinish so it blends.

Stairs & Carpentry

Stair treads, risers, nosing, transitions. If you've pulled carpet off the stairs, Darrin can finish them properly.

The math

Don't replace it. Refinish it.

A 600 sq ft living room and hallway. Same room, same square footage, two very different invoices.

Tear it out

Rip up & install new

$10–14/ sq ft installed

Demolition, disposal, underlayment, new product, install, trim, transitions. Plus a week of construction.

  • Old-growth oak goes in the dumpster
  • New product is usually thinner and softer
  • 5–7 day job — house in pieces
Refinish

Sand, seal & finish what's there

$3.50–4.75/ sq ft

Same floor, sanded down to clean wood, stained the colour you want, sealed with three coats. Done properly.

  • Keeps the original 3/4" solid wood
  • Can be refinished again 20 years from now
  • 1–2 days. Dustless. Low-odor finish.

Most of the houses in the Soo were built between 1945 and 1975 — the floors underneath that carpet are usually quarter-sawn red oak, hard maple, or birch from northern Ontario bush lots. That wood was selected, dried, and milled to a standard you can't buy at a big-box store today. When in doubt, lift a corner of the carpet and call. Darrin will tell you straight whether it's worth saving.

How it works

In and out in 1–2 days. Most jobs.

No surprises, no week of fumes, no construction zone. Here's exactly what happens after you call.

1 Day 0

Free in-home estimate

Darrin comes by, looks at the floors, checks species and thickness, talks options. You get a written quote — the price you'll pay.

No charge · no pressure
2 Day 1 · AM

Dustless sanding

Furniture pulled, baseboards taped, sander hooked to the vacuum. Three grits to get the wood down to clean. Almost no airborne dust.

~ 4–6 hours
3 Day 1 · PM

Seal or custom stain

Clear seal to show off the grain, or any stain you've picked — natural, golden oak, walnut, espresso. Sample boards first so you see it before it's on the whole floor.

Dries overnight
4 Day 2

Finish — matte, satin, or gloss

Two to three coats of low-odor finish. Light foot traffic same evening. Move the furniture back in 48 hours. Floor's done.

Low-odor, water-based
Honest pricing

What it actually costs.

Every floor is different — species, sub-floor, board condition, layout. These are honest starting numbers in Canadian dollars, before HST. The written quote after your free in-home estimate is the price you pay.

Refinishing — sand & finish Three-grit sanding, clear seal, two coats of finish in your choice of matte, satin, or gloss.
from$3.50 / sq ft
Refinishing with custom stain Same as above with a stain coat. Sample boards prepared on-site so you approve the colour first.
from$4.75 / sq ft
New hardwood installation Solid or engineered hardwood, supplied & installed. Trim and transitions included.
from$9.00 / sq ft
Laminate installation Underlayment, install, trim. Bring your own product or have Darrin source it.
from$3.50 / sq ft
Stair refinishing Treads, risers, nosing, finish. Priced by the staircase — number of steps and condition.
Quoted per project
In-home estimate Darrin comes to the house, measures, gives a written quote. No obligation.
Free

Every floor's different. The written quote after your free in-home estimate is the price you pay. No surprises, no upsell, no "we found something."

PHOTO: Darrin at work — sanding a maple floor
About Darrin

One man, one trade, 25 years.

Darrin Thomsen has been refinishing hardwood floors in Sault Ste. Marie since the late 1990s. He owns the shop. He shows up to the estimate. He's the one running the sander. When you call (705) 989-6770, it's Darrin who picks up.

Over 1,500 floors so far — bungalows on the West End, two-storeys out by the lake, century homes in the Old West End, rental units between tenants. Fully bonded and insured. Works in the Soo and surrounding area, year-round.

25+
Years in the trade
1,500+
Floors transformed
100%
Owner-operated
Fully bonded & insured · Ontario
Service area

The Soo and surrounding.

Darrin works the Sault and the small communities along the North Shore and east toward Bruce Mines. If your place is within an hour or so, he'll come look.

  • Sault Ste. Marie
  • Goulais River
  • Echo Bay
  • Garden River
  • Desbarats
  • Bruce Mines
  • Prince Township
  • Searchmont area

Outside the list? Give Darrin a call — if it makes sense, he'll be there.

ST. MARYS RIVER Goulais River Echo Bay Garden River Desbarats Bruce MinesBruce Mines Prince Twp Searchmont SAULT STE. MARIE
100%

100% recommended on Facebook.

Customers keep saying the same thing — they didn't know their old floors could look this good. The honest pitch is the work itself, so we'd rather you see Darrin's page than read quotes here.

See reviews on Facebook
Get a free estimate

Tell Darrin about the floors.

Fill this out, or just call. Darrin will come by, look at the floors, and leave you a written quote — no obligation, no charge.

Or just call — Darrin usually answers.