12th And Oak Floor Co.
Finished curved staircase with Bona Driftwood stained red oak treads viewed from above at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Refinishing

Red Oak Installation, Drum Stop Repair, and Full Refinish with Bona Driftwood, Sunset Lakes

Family room carpet removed, Wakol PU 280 moisture barrier applied, new 2.25-inch red oak installed and laced in with the stone fireplace undercut for a seamless fit. Full main level sanded through drum stop damage left by a prior contractor. Bona Driftwood stain, IntenseSeal, and Traffic HD applied throughout floors and a grand curved staircase.

Species

Red Oak, 2.25"

Finish

Bona Driftwood, Bona IntenseSeal, Bona Traffic HD

Square Feet

2,800 sq ft

Completed

2025

The Challenge

This Sunset Lakes home came to us with two problems layered on top of each other. The family room was still carpeted, requiring new installation and a lace-in before anything else could happen. And the existing red oak throughout the rest of the main level had been previously sanded by an inexperienced contractor who left drum stop marks across the floor. Drum stops are raised ridges left when a belt sander is paused mid-pass. They require extra sanding to cut through without going too deep into the wear layer. The stone fireplace was an additional challenge. Most contractors scribe around stone and fill the gap with caulk or putty. We undercut the stone base with an oscillating tool and slid the new boards underneath for a completely seamless fit, zero gap, zero filler. The grand curved staircase added the final layer of complexity: rounded nosings, tight baluster spacing, and the curved geometry all require hand scraping rather than machine sanding.

What We Did

We pulled the carpet in the family room and spent time pulling every carpet pad staple from the plywood subfloor before any new wood touched the ground. Wakol PU 280 moisture barrier was rolled onto the subfloor and allowed to cure. New 2.25-inch select red oak was installed and laced into the existing hardwood at every doorway. At the stone fireplace, we undercut the base stone and drove the boards underneath rather than scribing to the irregular edge. The fit is tight with no caulk and no visible gap. Once installation was complete, the entire main level was sanded with the Lagler Hummel, cutting through the drum stop ridges left by the prior contractor without oversanding the surrounding boards. Stain samples were cut in the home and evaluated before the homeowners confirmed Bona Driftwood. IntenseSeal was applied as the sealer coat, then two coats of Traffic HD. The curved staircase was scraped by hand on every riser, tread edge, and baluster line, then finished to match.

Before

Carpet removed from family room, crew pulling carpet pad staples from plywood subfloor at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Every carpet pad staple pulled before new wood goes down. This is non-negotiable. Staples left in the subfloor telegraph through new flooring and cause squeaks. The moisture barrier goes on a clean, flat surface only.
Existing 2.25-inch red oak floors showing drum stop marks from previous inexperienced sanding contractor at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The existing main level red oak before we touched it. The raised ridges are drum stops, left when a belt sander was paused mid-pass. The previous sanding contractor created these across the floor. Getting through them without oversanding the surrounding boards takes patience and extra passes.
Existing red oak hardwood floor at transition to bare plywood subfloor showing lace-in starting point at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The lace-in starting point at the family room doorway. Existing finished red oak on the left, bare plywood where the carpet came out on the right. The boards will be woven together at this line.

During

Wakol PU 280 moisture barrier being applied to plywood subfloor before hardwood installation at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Wakol PU 280 going down over the plywood subfloor. The moisture barrier cures to a flexible membrane that stops vapor from migrating up through the wood. Required on every slab and recommended on plywood over conditioned crawl spaces with any moisture concern.
Wide view of family room red oak hardwood installation in progress with flooring nailer and boards laid out at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Installation in progress. New 2.25-inch red oak staged and going down. The cleat nailer is in the foreground. The stone fireplace on the right is where the undercut approach was used instead of scribing.
New red oak boards undercut under stone fireplace base with no gap and no caulk at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The undercut stone fireplace detail. The base of the stone was cut with an oscillating tool and the new boards slide tight underneath. No gap, no caulk, no putty. The finished floor runs flush under the stone edge as if the stone was always sitting on hardwood.
Full main level red oak floor sanded bare with two air movers running at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Main level fully sanded, drum stops removed, floor bare and uniform. Two air movers running to help with moisture equalization before stain. The curved arch entry and wainscoting detail visible in the background.
Stain samples on freshly sanded red oak showing Bona Driftwood and darker options at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Three stain options cut in on the floor before the homeowners made their choice. Top to bottom: a custom blend of Jacobean and Dark Walnut (deepest, near-black), straight Jacobean (mid-tone), and Bona Driftwood (bottom). The homeowners chose Driftwood for the depth without losing the grain.
Worker hand scraping curved staircase treads to bare wood at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The curved geometry requires constant repositioning to get even coverage across the full tread width, rounded nosings, and the baluster base connections. This is the part of staircase refinishing that takes the most time and cannot be rushed.

After

Finished curved staircase with Bona Driftwood stained red oak treads viewed from above at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The finished staircase from above. Bona Driftwood on the treads, dark iron balusters, white painted risers. The curved geometry that made scraping so labor-intensive is what makes the finished result look like this.
Wide view of finished curved staircase with Bona Driftwood stained treads at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Wide view showing the full sweep of the staircase. The Driftwood color on the treads reads consistent from top to bottom, matching the main level floor below.
Finished Bona Driftwood stained red oak floor tight against stone fireplace base at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The finished undercut stone detail. The floor runs continuous under the stone edge with no gap and no transition material. This is why we undercut instead of scribe.
Finished living room with Bona Driftwood stained red oak floors and stone fireplace at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
The living room finished with rugs placed back. The Driftwood color reads as a deep charcoal-brown that shifts toward warm gray in natural light. The stone fireplace and the floor read as belonging together.
Finished open plan living area with Bona Driftwood red oak floors and area rugs back in place at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Open plan main level with rugs placed back. The area where the new family room installation laces into the existing floor is not visible. Old and new wood read as one surface throughout.
Finished Bona Driftwood red oak floor in foyer under curved arch entrance at Sunset Lakes Fuquay-Varina NC
Foyer under the curved arch entry. The Driftwood color under the recessed lighting shifts slightly warmer here, showing the range the color has across different light sources in the same home.

Products Used on This Project

Bona Driftwood stainBona IntenseSeal sealerBona Traffic HDWakol PU 280 moisture barrierLagler Hummel belt sander

Explore Further

Hardwood Floor Installation and Refinishing in Fuquay-Varina, NCHardwood Flooring in Fuquay-Varina, NCAll Projects

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