How to Refinish Hardwood Floor

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Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hardwood floors are a popular choice for many homeowners due to their durability, timeless elegance, and ability to increase the value of a home. However, even the best-maintained hardwood floors can start to show signs of wear and tear over time. If your hardwood floors are looking a little worse for wear, refinishing them can give them new life and restore their natural beauty.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing Process

The first step in refinishing a hardwood floor is to assess the condition of the floor. If the floor is badly damaged or has deep scratches, it may need to be sanded down to remove the damage before it can be refinished. If the damage is minor, however, you may be able to skip the sanding step and go straight to refinishing.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning

To start the refinishing process, you’ll need to clean the floor thoroughly. Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any dirt or debris, and then mop the floor with a hardwood floor cleaner to remove any stains or grime. Once the floor is clean and dry, you can start sanding.

Hardwood Floor Screening

If you’re sanding the floor, start with a coarse sandpaper to remove any existing finish or damage. Use a finer sandpaper to smooth out the surface, and then vacuum or sweep the dust away. Once the sanding is complete, you can apply a new finish.

Hardwood Floor Finish

When choosing a finish, you’ll want to consider the level of gloss you prefer, as well as the type of finish that will work best with your hardwood floor. Oil-based finishes are popular because they provide a deep, rich color, but they can take a long time to dry. Water-based finishes dry faster and have less odor, but they may not provide the same depth of color as oil-based finishes.

Hardwood Floor Finish Process

To apply the finish, start in a corner and work your way out, using a brush or roller to spread the finish evenly over the floor. Be sure to work in small sections to avoid leaving streaks or puddles. Once the finish is dry, you can apply a second coat if needed.

Refinishing a hardwood floor can be a time-consuming process, but the end result is well worth the effort. A beautifully refinished hardwood floor can give your home a whole new look and increase its value. With a little patience and some elbow grease, you can have a stunning hardwood floor that will last for years to come.

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General Questions

How expensive is Clean & Recoat?

Prices will vary but typically a contractor will charge you less than what they would charge you for sanding and refinishing the floor. Pricing will depend on how much time they spend cleaning a floor, the type of finish they use and the number of applications of finish they make. Get several estimates but pay careful attention to how long they will take, how they will prep the surface and the type of finish they will use.

Is this a dusty, smelly process?

The smell of the chemicals used to clean the floors is comparable to typical household cleaners and are not toxic or hazardous. The buffers we use have dust containment systems attached to vacuums to minimize any dust from prep work. We only work with waterborne urethanes that have no offensive odors. Done correctly, Clean & Recoat is the least invasive recoating process on the market today.

How log will a Clean & Recoat last?

With proper care and maintenance and by following a common sense approach to reduce wear and damage, a floor that’s been recoated can give you years of excellent service. I’ve seen floors that I recoated more than ten years ago that are still in very good shape. Most floors that are being recoated will be getting a waterborne finish and these finishes are very good and easily maintained.

What is Laminate Flooring?

Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer — usually melamine. The print film layer is either fused or glued to the inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The earlayer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wearlayer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance.

What is Engineered Flooring?

Engineered flooring is produced by bonding three or more layers of wood. The crossing of grain direction within the boards makes this a very dimensionally stable product able to resist nearly all expansion and shrinkage from normal moisture changes. This is one primary feature that makes it suitable for use directly on concrete and below-grade application.

Will my floor age or change color?

Yes. You can expect to see shade differences in your floor over time. The cause is usually from exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, whether direct or indirect. This color change will be more noticeable in lighter colors, which will darken over time. In addition, certain species like Brazilian cherry, will naturally darken over the years. These changes are due to the natural characteristics of wood and are not covered by most manufacturers’ warranties.

What is Custom Finishing?

Sanding and refinishing performed to individual specifications. Custom finishing of wood floors is performed in the home on the completely installed new floor, or to refurbish a previously finished floor. Custom finishing permits the owner to select from a full range of stains, sheens and colors.

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