The Ultimate Guide to Hardwood Refinishing

Hardwood floors need protection from the elements to last a lifetime. Refinishing provides a fresh coat of finish that will make your floors look brand new.

Denver Hardwood Finishing is labor-intensive and requires expertise. However, you can save money and do the job with little effort.

Preparation

Before refinishing, clear the room of all furniture, drapes, and houseplants. This is important, as the refinishing process will create a lot of dust. To limit the dust that enters the rest of your home, you should put down a tarp and close off the space.

It is also important to choose a stain color before you start. Remember that a solid hardwood floor can only be refinished four to six times over its lifetime. If your floors have already been refinished twice, they may need help to handle another sanding.

If you have a floor that cannot be resanded, consider using a buffer to refresh your hardwood floors instead of refinishing them. This process is less involved and can be completed in one day. It is also ideal for floors damaged from scratches, water damage, or wear and tear. A buffer is much easier to use than a heavy sander, leaving your floors looking brand new.

Sanding

Unlike waxes and other surface treatments that only provide a temporary shine, a new coat of finish lasts for years and helps preserve your hardwood floors. But to ensure the new coat bonds properly, you must sand and prep the floors.

This is a messy job, so removing furniture and covering sensitive wall items with painter’s tape is best. You’ll also need to wear a dust mask or respirator—open windows to improve ventilation. Begin with a coarse-grit sanding disk on a drum sander, then move to an intermediate grit for a smoother surface. The final sanding pass uses fine grit to achieve a silky-smooth surface.

Staining

Unlike paints, stains enhance and amplify the unique appearance of hardwood floors. Unlike paints, stains also don’t hide the wood’s natural grain. For example, if your home has maple or oak floors with swirly grain patterns, those patterns will appear even after applying an ebony stain.

Before staining, clear the room of any furniture, rugs, and other items that will get in the way of your project. Also, ensure the room is well-ventilated with an oil-based stain, as it takes longer to dry than water-based stains.

Apply a thin coat of the chosen stain in the direction of the wood’s grain, working in manageable sections. Allow each coat to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the final coat has dried, applying a topcoat sealer is important. This will protect the new finish from moisture damage and fading over time. This is especially important if you’ve opted for a dark stain.

Sealing

Once the refinishing process is complete, your floors must be sealed. We recommend using a low-VOC polyurethane. Each coat will need to dry for at least 24 hours.

Sealing helps to protect your hardwood floors from water and other stains. Having your floors properly sealed will help them look better longer and reduce the need for frequent sanding.

If you are still deciding whether to commit to a full refinishing project, try buffing your wood floors to give them a new life. This is a fast and simple way to refresh your floors without the need to resand.

Before beginning, ensure the room is clear of all furniture and other items that could grab dust. Remove the shoe molding around the floor’s perimeter, known as quarter-round trim. Install vent covers and replace any pictures or curtains. Lastly, cover any light fixtures or outlets to protect them from the dust.

*This is a collaboration post