January 5/12, 2015; Volume 28/Number 14
By Nadia Ramlakhan
In 2001, Seward Johnson, founder of Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, N.J., wanted the floors refinished in Rat’s Restaurant, located within the Sculpture Garden. It appeared to be an easy enough job, but there was one condition: He would not close the restaurant. In order to accomplish this task, there could be no dust and no strange odors. After six months of experimentation, Peter Shihadeh, president of SandFree, developed an innovative way to refinish Johnson’s hardwood floors without sanding.
“SandFree is reshaping the floor refinishing industry,” Shihadeh said. “There’s no question in my mind about that. Although it was developed originally for a commercial project, it’s great for residential projects for all the same reasons.”
True to its motto, SandFree guarantees its customers a one-day job well done with no dust, no odor and no downtime. By completely removing the sanding process from the equation and applying a finish that dries within a few hours, high-traffic commercial areas don’t have to close and homeowners don’t have to vacate, saving time and money. Previously, customers “wouldn’t do the work unless they were moving in or out of the house,” Shihadeh explained. Now, with the help of SandFree, there is little to no inconvenience.
Tom Wolfe, SandFree franchise owner in Winchester, Mass., can attest to the fact the inconvenience of sanding is an ongoing problem in the industry having worked in the rug business for 30 years.
“It was a problem I saw often. All my life, people would ask me, ‘Can you move this rug to cover this area?’ because they didn’t want to deal with the dust or they didn’t have a place to go, so they wouldn’t refinish the floor. But SandFree really is a spectacular process.”
The secret behind SandFree is its cutting-edge technology. The Sand-boni, inspired by the Zamboni used at ice rinks, is a machine that enables a five-phase chemical process. The first three phases prepare the hardwood to receive a new coat of urethane, eliminating the need for buffing the existing finish. The fourth phase is a bonding coat, while the application of a new coat of urethane is the final step.
Another essential part of SandFree is ColorMagiQ, a product that treats color issues such as fading, water damage and pet stains. With the ability to add colorant to the bonding coat, the SandFree technology can change the color of the floor, enhance its existing look, refresh faded areas and even blend scratches and pet stains into darker wood.
“By adding SandFree, my market has greatly expanded,” said Michael Savino, SandFree franchise owner in New York City. “Work that I would not have gotten, I’m getting.” He noted that about 50% of the time, he would lose a floor refinishing job due to inconvenience for the customer. By offering SandFree’s services, Savino was able to expand his market to include apartment buildings and any place that can’t afford to close, such as restaurants.
Jennifer and Bryon Whipkey, SandFree franchise owners in Wexford, Pa., decided to open their business in 2010. “Training is only about one week and then you are ready to go,” Jennifer Whipkey said, adding that starting up was relatively easy. “Peter had a plan set out for everybody. You just sign up.”
For more on SandFree, visit www.sandfree.com.