Things To Know Before You Refinish Hardwood Floors

Refinishing your hardwood floors is for sure, an unquestionably good idea when it comes to perfect maintenance. Besides, it’s significantly the smartest approach that’s going to save you from replacing your floors in the long run.

It not only is a quite convenient and most importantly cheap process but also is the finest revival of the entire beauty of your flooring. Refinishing is essentially a more practical way to bring back all the life of your flooring without having to indulge in a lot.

However, you always need to consider certain aspects.

Should You Refinish Or Replace A Hardwood Floor?

That’s one really crucial aspect to be figured out the right way before any further proceeding. That’s because often the floor isn’t way too damaged and the minor flaws or dull appearance can be easily fixed with merely a refinishing.

While on the flip side, often the floors have been extremely worn out to the point that the situation can’t possibly be fixed with just a refinishing. Besides, if the homeowner fails to realize this aspect and continues refinishing, the consequences are meant to be adverse.

Reasons To Replace Hardwood Floors

Look for the following aspects and if you notice them taking place, then it’s high time that the situation is calling for a replacement:

• Multiple refinishing doesn’t help at all
• There are huge and unconcealable damaged areas such as massive patches of scratch, marks and dents
• The damage done by moisture won’t go away and is unable to be fixed, too
• There are nails peeping out of the flooring at multiple spots and walking isn’t safe any more
• There is a lot of hardwood discoloration and aging signs being shown
• Floorboard tend to leave their original place when stepped on and cause a lot of cracking
• There is significantly irreversible wear and tear is depicted by your flooring

Reasons To Refinish Hardwood Floors

Refinishing of hardwood is a highly recommended step towards the adequate take care of your floors and ensures their long-lasting working to the highest extents, as well.

Besides, for a standard level of getting your floors refinished, is to have the procedure done at least 7 to 10 times within the entire lifespan of Hardwood flooring. 

You can have a precise judgment with the aspects mentioned ahead:

Factors To Consider Before You Refinish Hardwood Floors 

Prior to moving on to refinishing, it’s good that you look for legit reasons to do so and also try on a few alternatives:

• Go For A Deep Cleaning: Often that’s only a really deep cleaning that is required by the flooring and as you succeed in proceeding with cleaning the right way, there are high chances that you can revive the beauty of your floors. A soft-bristled broom, thorough vacuuming and afterwards cleaning with a microfiber cloth are some of the effective ways in which you can ensure a deep cleaning and stain cutting of your hardwood floors.

• Some Additional Aid: You can also consider buying concentrated cleaners meant for the wood floors for a penetrating cleanup once a month. Besides, getting the floors professionally cleaned is always a fool-proof idea to have them maintained the right way.

• Try Floor Refinishing Products: These thick consistency products are meant to soften the dings and fill out mild scratches, refreshing the floors without the need for sanding, as well.

• Consider Trowel Filling: Post sanding the floors, you can try out a trowel filling in order to refill those gaps, gashes or dings present in your floors.

• Look For The Right Time: The atmospheric temperature and condition must be taken into account while carrying out any and every treatment of the wood floors. That’s simply because wood tends to contract during low temperatures and vice versa. So it’s highly recommended that you do all the refinishing procedures or alternative fixes in the fall preferably.

• Settle For The Affordable: Applying Polyurethane to the former finish is one fairly cheap way in which you can achieve newer looking and more presentable outcomes in terms of the appearance of your floors.

When It’s Time To Refinish Hardwood Floor 

10 years is the maximum time span after which your hardwood floors are likely to show some (or more) really clear and undeniable signs of wear and tear. So that’s the point that you’re likely to need to consider getting a refinishing.

Over and above, if the flooring has been exposed to excessive foot traffic or has to bear a huge extent of harsh sunlight during its previous life span. There might essentially be a dire requirement for refinishing before 10 years.

How Long Does It Take To Refinish Hardwood Floors

Refinishing hardwood floors is generally a matter of 3 to 5 days on average. It is usually done with the application of an oil-based polyurethane finish. Also, the timespan of refinishing can be influenced by several other aspects as well.

• The darkness of the staining
• Time required by the stain to get dry
• Humidity/Temperature extent of the work-site surroundings
• Layers of the Polyurethane being applied

Post the refinishing, it’s best that you wait for at least 6 hours before walking on the freshly treated floor. This goes up to 24 hours before walking with shoes and maximally up to 48 hours before you begin moving the furniture or other associated stuff.

How Long Does It Take To Sand Hardwood Floors

The timespan required for sanding hardwood depends on the person(s) carrying out the process, whether you’ve hired a professional team for doing the job or you’re planning on a DIY attempt, regarding sanding your home floors.

Expert professionals can take as much as 5 days to get done with the entire procedure, considering the condition of the flooring as well as the area coverage. As for you or any other DIYer, the timespan is likely to expand up to 15 days, keeping in view the chances of misconducts, injuries, mishaps, etc.

How To Change Hardwood Floor Color

You can ace this highly-required process by acting upon the following easy guidelines:

• Color Choice: Make a suitable choice in accordance with the size of your rooms and the spaciousness/elegance extent that you look forward to. Don’t forget about the exposure of your flooring to sunlight as this can cause excessive damage. You can also have a trial by taking a few color samples to home

• Cleaning: Thoroughly vacant the room of all the belongings and most importantly consider taking out all the baseboard molding if there is any present. This goes the same for any nails or staples used to hold carpets.

• Sanding: Orbital sanders work fine and you need to work your way through the entire subfloor while carefully reaching all the corners, edges, less exposed parts or non-functional spots. Sanding does involve getting rid of all the dirt, dust and debris buildup, as well. If possible and necessary, do make use of a sanding screen for buffing.

• Staining: Apply a smooth layer of Polyurethane finish to the entire space. Do concentrate on the center area and other major focal points, too.

• Painting: Always begin painting after sanding the floors thoroughly and getting rid of all the accumulation. Deck paints work best for everyday usage and you can make use of either a brush or roller. Let the first layer get dry completely for at least 24 to 48 hours.

• Layering: Sand the painted area thoroughly before you go on with the application of the second and third layers and any of your desired designing. Ensure proper ventilation and the application of water or oil-based Polyurethane at areas where there is a likelihood of higher foot traffic.

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions 

When To Start Using A Refinished Hardwood Floor?

6 hours is the least time you need to wait before you begin walking on your newly refinished floor. Wait at least up to 24 hours before walking over the floors with shoes and up to 48 hours for putting back all the furniture and stuff.

Is Hardwood Floor Refinishing Cheaper Than Replacement?

Getting a hardwood floor refinishing is definitely more affordable than an entire replacement because refinishing is more of a fixing treatment. While replacement on the other hand involves the cost of new wood as well as more labor, too.

What Is The Ideal Time To Get Your Hardwood Floor Refinishing?

Fall or spring are the best times of the year to consider for having a floor refinishing because of the hugely decreased extent of moisture. Another reason for choosing these times is the increased syncing of indoor temperature with the outdoor one, so it’s easy to get rid of the fumes soon.

Is It Okay To Stay Around While Your Floors Are Being Refinished?

Staining as well as Polyurethane coatings give off pungent fumes that are nearly unbearable to be around and extremely unpleasant to inhale. Besides, you can easily develop migraines by remaining around floors that are being refinished.

What Is The Ideal Thickness Of Hardwood Floors That Are To Be Refinished?

A floor thickness of at least 3/4 inch is necessary in order to carry out a successful refinishing and most importantly the one that doesn’t damage the floor. Less thick floors tend to get stripped away during refinishing.

What Is The Maximum Sanding Extent For Hardwood Flooring?

Hardwood floors can be easily sanded again and again as much as up to 10 times. The need for sanding and re-sanding mostly depends on the condition of the floor whether it’s moderately damaged or extremely worn out. Besides, the skills of the person carrying out sanding matter, as well.