Hardwood floor refinishing

Before replacing your floor, consider the benefits of refinishing it.

Hardwood floor refinishing (why necessary, benefits, etc.)

One of the most dramatic changes you can make to the interior of your home is to refinish your wood floors.

Benefits to refinishing wood flooring:

There are many benefits to refinishing your hardwood floors.  Refinishing is easier to do than replacing the flooring, requires less time and is less expensive.  Not only will it increase the value of your home, but if you plan to sell it at some point, beautiful refinished flooring is attractive to potential buyers and will allow you to establish a higher price for your home. Also, the cost of refinishing can be done for far less than the cost of replacing your wood floors.

There are three methods of restoration to consider for wood flooring:

• Recoating
• Refinishing
• Replacing

When should I recoat my wood flooring?

Consider this option if the finish of your floor is not entirely worn through and if it has a dulled surface with only minor scratches or imperfections and no stains.  A recoat can restore the beauty of your floor quickly and put off the necessity for a complete refinishing job.

How do I recoat my wood flooring?

Prepare the floor surface by scuff-sanding your floors with a buffer.  This abrasive process roughs up the existing finish to ensure that the next coat of finish adheres to the flooring.  Once the finish is roughed up, apply a water-based polyurethane to the buffed floor.  This can be done in about three hours. While oil-based polyurethanes cost less, each coat takes about eight hours to dry. The process is simple, fairly quick to do, and less costly than a full refinishing.

When do I need to refinish my wood flooring?

If the floor’s finish is worn or damaged with major wear, deep scratches, gaps in the floor or minor buckling all the way through the finish down to the wood then it is necessary to do a full refinishing of your floors.

The process of refinishing includes completely sanding off the old finish down to the bare wood floor and making the floor’s surface level.   At this point you can change the existing wood to the color of your choice as well as repair cracks, remove stains or correct minor imperfections in the wood.  The next and final step is to apply a new protectant sealant to maintain the genuine beauty and elegance of your floor.

Whether you are recoating or refinishing, it is recommended that a fresh coat be applied every two years or whenever the floor looks worn. Stick to that routine and your floors will never wear out.