MUNCY - The Backhus family began looking for a way to refinish their floors when they discovered a new business venture refinishing floors with a nontoxic solution and system called Mr. Sandless.
After installing parkay floors in their home, Linda Backhus said the family started to notice wear patterns and began searching for a way to refinish the thin flooring without replacing it.
Research led them to business ownership of Mr. Sandless of North Central Pa. "We do wood floor refinishing," Mike Backhus, who refinishes the floors. "We do it without sanding, with a wet solution."
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Mr. Sandless of North Central Pennsylvania travels throughout its coverage area in this vehicle. Owned by the Backhus family of Muncy, the floor refinishing process takes less time and costs less than traditional sanding.
Laminate, parkay or "any kind of wood floor" can benefit from the quick, dust-less system that is safe around pets and children. "There's no odor, no problem for the pets, no sanding so there's no dust," Linda said. The only smell is of light citrus and with no formaldehyde there are no dangerous residues.
"A 10-by-20 room may take about 3 hours," Mike said. With a traditional sanding system it may take "a couple days at least." The floor sealer is a special mix that cures in one hour which adds to the quickness of the process.
"As long as the wood isn't starting to rot," Mr. Sandless can restore the luster. "We can take out small sections, like in front of the kitchen sink," Linda said, adding that the company can replace a section and make it match the rest of the floor.
According to the company, the system can restore floors despite paint splatters, wax and acrylic products. It can also change the floor color and level out uneven sanding.
The Backhus family has built their own home and done their own home improvements, but Mr. Sandless is their first venture into the business.
"There was a week-long training in Philly at corporate head quarters" the family went to for hands-on experience, Mike said. By the second day, Mike was on a job site learning the technique and Linda was answering phones.
When customers call the local Mr. Sandless, at 877-973-9663 they can receive a quote right over the phone. "As long as you've got an estimate of the room size," Linda said.
The company's coverage territory extends from Route 80 to the south, Hazleton to the east, State College to the west and across the New York border to the north. Their area is so large since the franchise goes by population. "It's a huge land mass," Linda said.
Mr. Sandless can refinish floors in homes and commercial properties and "just about any kind of interior wood," Linda said. Church pews, doors, steps and table tops are just a few of the items that can be salvaged.
Using the Mr. Sandless system is a two-person job, since the company can move furniture to expose floors. The rate is based on square-footage, Mike said.
"A package deal gives you a little break on the cost," said Linda and according to the company, Mr. Sandless is about half the cost of traditional sanding.
"If they're thinking about refinishing their floors, it doesn't hurt to call," Mike said of when customers should contact Mr. Sandless. The system comes with a five-year warranty against chipping, cracking, peeling, and yellowing.
Mr. Sandless of North Central Pa. is available from about 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. If leaving a message, Linda asks callers to repeat their phone number twice clearly to make sure she can call back. She also can be reached at linda.backhus@mrsandless.com and more information can be found at www.mrsandless.com.
