Refinishing
Bring back the wood you already have
Dull, scratched or the wrong color? Before you resign yourself to tearing it out, find out whether it can be sanded and finished again.
Or call (615) 277-5678 — Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
It starts with a look at the floor
Before anyone quotes, someone comes and looks. Three things decide what a refinish involves: the kind of wood, how badly it’s worn, and what finish is on it now. Those set which of the three jobs below you need, and they’re the reason a refinishing price is given after the visit instead of over the phone.
Three ways to refinish a hardwood floor
Sand and refinish
The usual answer for a floor with moderate wear. The old finish comes off under a sanding machine, the floor is cleaned, a stain goes on if you want one, and then several coats of new finish.
Screen and recoat
For a floor that’s only lightly worn: a light sanding takes off the surface marks and a fresh topcoat goes over it. Less dust and less time, but it can’t remove deep scratches or change the color.
Stain removal and a color change
If the floor is fine but the color isn’t, the old stain is taken off and a new one applied.
How long you’re off the floor
It depends on the job and on the finish. Bona, which makes floor finishes, says a recoat is ready for light use overnight, and a full sand and refinish is back in use within 2 to 4 days. Its Traffic HD finish is 80% cured after a day and fully cured at three, and Bona’s instruction is to leave the rugs off until it is.
When the floor is going on the market
Jeff B. had his hardwood refinished and his carpet replaced to get a house ready to list. When a problem cropped up with the subfloor, Greg Koehler and his crew recommended holding their work until it was fixed. In his words, “They said they wanted to make sure it was done right.”
“We were needing our hardwoods refinished and our carpets replaced to get ready for listing the house and Greg and his crew were as easy to work with under an already stressful time. Their workmanship was top notch too. And finally, we appreciated their recommendation to us that we have them delay their work so that we could address an issue that cropped up with our subflooring… They said they wanted to make sure it was done right.”
Questions
Hardwood refinishing, answered
How much does hardwood floor refinishing cost?
It is quoted after someone looks at the floor, because four things set it: the square footage, the species and condition of the wood, the finish on it now, and which job it needs, whether a full sand and refinish, a screen and recoat, or a color change. Call (615) 277-5678 for the visit.
How long does it take to refinish hardwood floors?
Two to four days for a full sand and refinish before the floor is back in use, according to Bona, which makes floor finishes; a recoat is ready for light use overnight. The size of the job and the finish chosen move it from there, and both are settled at the inspection.
When can I put rugs and furniture back after refinishing?
When the finish has cured. Bona says its Traffic HD finish is 80% cured after one day and fully cured after three, and tells you not to put area rugs back until it is fully cured. Other waterborne finishes take from three to seven days.
Can engineered hardwood be refinished?
Often, if the wood layer on top is thick enough. The NWFA’s refinishable standard sets 2.5 mm, about 3/32 inch, as the minimum for a factory-finished board and says one thinner than 3/32 inch should not be sanded. A thin floor may take a screen and recoat instead.
What is the difference between a screen and recoat and a full refinish?
Depth. A screen and recoat lightly abrades the existing finish and puts a fresh coat over it, which suits a floor with surface wear. A full refinish sands to bare wood, so it removes deep scratches and lets the color change, and it takes days instead of overnight.
Can you change the color of my hardwood floors?
Yes. The old stain is taken off and a new color goes on, which means sanding to bare wood first, so it is done as part of a full refinish rather than a recoat. Bring a sample of the color you want to the inspection visit.