Welcome to Pete's-the brain trust of hardwood floor refinishing, located in St. Paul, Minnesota; available to the world. Fresh new website, same great products and smart advice. We'll guide you to Pete's-tested and recommended supplies. If you're in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, we'll give you a free lesson on the equipment you rent to complete your project.
We've coached thousands of DIYers just like you since 1998, and love sharing our tips, expertise, and candid (some might say "blunt") advice. We have the cutest and best-maintained equipment in town.
We've coached thousands of DIYers just like you since 1998, and love sharing our tips, expertise, and candid (some might say "blunt") advice. We have the cutest and best-maintained equipment in town.
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All about Pete’s
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We're knowledgeable about every facet of the process-so knowledgeable, in fact, that contractors routinely call us for advice, equipment and supplies. Whether you're a homeowner who wants to save some serious money by refinishing your own floors or a small general contractor looking to expand their skill set, we're here for you.
Contact Pete’s Hardwood Floors Help Hotline
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Do you have a specific wood floor problem, need insight before hiring a professional for your job-or have a question that Google can't quite answer? Talk to Pete's Hardwood Floors Help Hotline. For a small fee of $25, we can provide the wisdom and knowledge that you need to complete your hardwood flooring project.
Reviews (15)
Collette Thieme
Jun 19, 2022
Kaley Kaufman
May 11, 2022
Kyle Lewis
May 04, 2022
This is the place to go for down to earth help and information. You can hire them to do your project or they will help you through the steps needed to do it yourself. They also self the best finishes on the market that you can't buy in the big box stores. I refinished my entire main level with their help and suggested finishe. I have two dogs and it has held up beautifully. These folks are great! Highly recommend them:
Anna Sunderlage
Apr 21, 2022
Peter Ruohoniemi
Apr 14, 2022
Wow! So knowledgeable! I was looking to refinish my kitchen floors approx 130 SQ. Going in and talking through my project with the super friendly staff gave me the confidence that I could do it myself. They gave a rundown on all the equipment, steps and even provided hands on training. The equipment is in great working condition! The project turned out great! And I for sure will be coming back if I have another floor project.
Ryan Tostenson
Feb 03, 2022
If you even think you have done enough research.you have no idea how incredibly difficult a good refinishing looks like. These guys are the best, saved me from making thousands of dollars in mistakes. Trust them! Let them show you how its done and please.be prepared to spend 3-4x longer on your floors than you think. It is not a weekend project by any means!
Adam Tremaine
Jan 25, 2022
Refinished my floors on my own. Got through the sanding process and was unsure of how to properly finish them. Stopped by Pete's and asked a few questions, best move I could have made. The staff was knowledgable, friendly and informative. We basically got a 20 minute lesson in staining and poly application. The products we bought costed us more than the big box stores, but the quality of them is unmatched by those stores.
Pair that with help along the way, and my floors turned out better than I could have imagined! If you're thinking of doing your floors yourself, but are worried about the process, dont be! Head over to Pete's and they will help you out. The have classes available too!
Pair that with help along the way, and my floors turned out better than I could have imagined! If you're thinking of doing your floors yourself, but are worried about the process, dont be! Head over to Pete's and they will help you out. The have classes available too!
John Anderson
Jan 22, 2022
Ryan Pazmany
Nov 09, 2021
The folks at Pete's Hardwood Floors have been extremely helpful to me. I am tackling the project of refinishing the hardwood floors in my 200 year old home and they have provided some great information on their website as well as videos on their Youtube page. I had called the store with a few questions prior to ordering and they were very helpful and made the whole process as easy as possible despite being across the country. Thanks again for all your help!
Michelle Dobbratz
Sep 15, 2021
After having read blog after blog of people refinishing old floors in an afternoon, it took me a while to accept the advice Pete's was giving me that it would likely take two people a long weekend to sand 300 square feet of 100 year old maple. However, once I came to terms with this I was able to, with the help of a friend, transform my floors from disgusting to beautiful for under a thousand dollars!
This was the first thing in my experience renovating a home that actually went better than expected, and it's all thanks to Pete's, especially the supremely helpful and knowledgeable "hardwood floor mom" Kadee. She was available to answer questions promptly over text, and even spent some time on the phone over the holiday weekend helping me overcome issues I didn't expect (even though I thought my floor was very level, there were dozens of low spots which caused problems).
I couldn't be happier with the final product! And I have so much pride knowing that I did it myself. If I had rented a drum sander from someone else, I wouldn't have had the support to overcome the problems I faced, I wouldn't have had the knowledge and experience to use the machine without leaving marks, I would have spent just as much time, probably more, for a floor with all kinds of sander marks, sealer and topcoat lap marks, and I would have a hard time living with that floor for the next decade. Now, I'm proud to show off my floor to friends, and challenge them to find any sanding or lap marks (there aren't any!)
This was the first thing in my experience renovating a home that actually went better than expected, and it's all thanks to Pete's, especially the supremely helpful and knowledgeable "hardwood floor mom" Kadee. She was available to answer questions promptly over text, and even spent some time on the phone over the holiday weekend helping me overcome issues I didn't expect (even though I thought my floor was very level, there were dozens of low spots which caused problems).
I couldn't be happier with the final product! And I have so much pride knowing that I did it myself. If I had rented a drum sander from someone else, I wouldn't have had the support to overcome the problems I faced, I wouldn't have had the knowledge and experience to use the machine without leaving marks, I would have spent just as much time, probably more, for a floor with all kinds of sander marks, sealer and topcoat lap marks, and I would have a hard time living with that floor for the next decade. Now, I'm proud to show off my floor to friends, and challenge them to find any sanding or lap marks (there aren't any!)
Jacob Porter
Jul 10, 2021
We sanded and refinished our floors with training and equipment from Pete's. Every step of the way they were attentive, encouraging, and almost infinitely knowledgeable. These folks are real masters of their trade, but they made us feel like we could master it, too. At the end of the day we not only saved money by working with Pete's, but we also learned a ton, gained a new appreciation for the craftsmanship of our floors, and ended up with a finished product we can be proud of. Photos: before and after!
Nic Johnsen
Apr 02, 2021
We were nervous about doing our wood floors ourselves and after receiving a few quotes from contractors that made our heads spin we decided we had to do it ourselves. Then I found Pete's and all went well from then on. It truly was a great experience! Kadee is one of a kind a master at all things wood floors she was instrumental in making us feel comfortable and confident. Really love how the floors turned out. The pet stains we had actually sanded out after some extra attention with the 36 grit : Thanks Pete's!
Jessica Stanton
Mar 31, 2021
Pete's is absolutely amazing. I couldn't have done my floors without their help. The employee that answered my questions (I'm so sorry I forgot your name) had ample knowledge and great suggestions. I came in very last minute before starting my floors and they gave me as much information as they could. The products I bought from Pete's made my floors look so good. Their website was also an amazing resource. 10/10 would recommend.
Ashley Oliver
Oct 26, 2020
We cannot underscore how lucky we feel that we found Pete's Hardwood Floors. Basically, if you want to do this yourself and you've never done this before: call for a consultation (worth the $18!) and/or take the in- person class. I know what you're thinking. You can watch a few YouTube videos, read about how-tos, and then go to Home Depot. And you can, but if you want it to do it right - go to Pete's.
We wanted to refinish our floors and after a quote of about $4K, we decided we could do it ourselves. We watched YouTube videos, read tons of sites and figured we could go to Home Depot and figure it out. But, we were still confused what machines we needed (innocently we thought we could just buff the floors - oh, to be a newbie!) and we didn't know what kind of wood we had. Also, we had some issues (glue, marker, stains on the floors).
We figured we would call for the consultation and figure it out from there. Kadee is a flooring wizard. She gave us tons of advice and practical tips to prep for our floors (steam off the glue first). We both realized that it was worth going to Pete's to do our floors the right way. Kadee is so knowledgeable, super patient, and a great teacher. Honestly, if you take the class - listen to what she's saying - all the information she had came up while we were sanding. Also, she has a flow chart!
I can't tell you how many times we used it! She gave us tips for testing what grits to use and we texted her a picture and she texted back to tell us her opinion. We are so proud of the job we did - and seriously, it's because of this store and Kadee's expertise. I can't stress this enough - if you are doing this for the first time - don't waste money thinking you can do it by yourself with just some quick Googling and a big box store. You can, but it will look like you did that. Do yourself a favor and go to Pete's.
We wanted to refinish our floors and after a quote of about $4K, we decided we could do it ourselves. We watched YouTube videos, read tons of sites and figured we could go to Home Depot and figure it out. But, we were still confused what machines we needed (innocently we thought we could just buff the floors - oh, to be a newbie!) and we didn't know what kind of wood we had. Also, we had some issues (glue, marker, stains on the floors).
We figured we would call for the consultation and figure it out from there. Kadee is a flooring wizard. She gave us tons of advice and practical tips to prep for our floors (steam off the glue first). We both realized that it was worth going to Pete's to do our floors the right way. Kadee is so knowledgeable, super patient, and a great teacher. Honestly, if you take the class - listen to what she's saying - all the information she had came up while we were sanding. Also, she has a flow chart!
I can't tell you how many times we used it! She gave us tips for testing what grits to use and we texted her a picture and she texted back to tell us her opinion. We are so proud of the job we did - and seriously, it's because of this store and Kadee's expertise. I can't stress this enough - if you are doing this for the first time - don't waste money thinking you can do it by yourself with just some quick Googling and a big box store. You can, but it will look like you did that. Do yourself a favor and go to Pete's.
Daniel Sarkinen
Sep 30, 2020
A small but extremely well run shop. My wife and I were very impressed with Pete's. Our project: 1200 sq feet of red oak in our 1950 home(a mix of new install, existing and reclaimed). Our prior sanding experience: none A bit of feedback on how it went: They were very good at setting expectations - it was a physically demanding job. Don't let that scare you.
The advice & training they gave was solid and experience based. We needed every bit of it. We decided to change the color of our floors with stain and learned why this is not recommended. For one, it was a lot more work. Also, several issues cropped up including - Stain bleeding into the clear coat of finish - Unexplained color variation(wood is finicky - you can't just add more stain to make it darker) - Magnified sanding mistakes(there will always be some) In the end, we were very happy with our result but have to say - only undertake a color change if you are willing to assume the risks.
A clear coat of varnish is much safer and a lot less work. All said, we could not have done this project without the guidance provided at Pete's - thanks to them for our fantastic "new" floor!
The advice & training they gave was solid and experience based. We needed every bit of it. We decided to change the color of our floors with stain and learned why this is not recommended. For one, it was a lot more work. Also, several issues cropped up including - Stain bleeding into the clear coat of finish - Unexplained color variation(wood is finicky - you can't just add more stain to make it darker) - Magnified sanding mistakes(there will always be some) In the end, we were very happy with our result but have to say - only undertake a color change if you are willing to assume the risks.
A clear coat of varnish is much safer and a lot less work. All said, we could not have done this project without the guidance provided at Pete's - thanks to them for our fantastic "new" floor!