Why You Should Refinish Your Hardwood Floors
Should you refinish your hardwood floors? Get your questions answered from how and when, to how often, and how much wood floor refinishing costs.
Why You Should Refinish Your Hardwood Floors
Should you refinish your hardwood floors? Get your questions answered from how and when, to how often, and how much wood floor refinishing costs.
When to refinish hardwood floors?
It’s a common question among homeowners. It’s true that with a bit of care, hardwood floors can last a lifetime. Daily cleaning along with polishing floors every few months are excellent ways to keep hardwood floors looking fresh, but there will come a time when refinishing wood floors becomes a necessity.
“How often to refinish hardwood floors” depends on several factors. Frequency of hardwood floor care and maintenance certainly factors in, but foot traffic and daily wear and tear also come into play as well as accidents or incidents that can cause damage. If your usual routine of cleaning and polishing isn’t quite restoring the shine the way it used to, then refinishing the wood floors may be in order.
If you’re concerned about what it will cost to refinish hardwood floors, you’ll be happy to know that refinishing can extend the life of your flooring. And when you consider the value that hardwood floors can bring to a home, it’s easy to see why it’s a smart investment –– not to mention the environmentally sound and sustainable choice. If it sounds like a hassle that you’d rather not have to deal with, we get it. That’s why we recommend hiring a Bona Certified Craftsman (BCC) to refinish the hardwood floors. BCCs are hand-picked, highly-skilled and seasoned professional flooring contractors that have passed our rigorous certification program. They are fully trained and supported in the correct use of Bona’s full line of professional products from dust-free sanding to finishing. They can help you decide on a style or color and a finish for your hardwood flooring and get you all the way to the “refinished” line with minimal interruption to your daily schedule.
How to refinish hardwood floors the best and easy way
The best and easiest way to refinish hardwood floors is to contact a Bona Certified Contractor (BCC). You’ll be guaranteed a beautifully refinished hardwood floor with dust-free sanding in the shortest amount of time possible. Choose from a wide array of styles as well as Bona colors, waterborne finishes and sealer options to create the ideal look. Your BCC will be well-versed in the latest trends, and deeply skilled in the newest Bona refinishing technologies. That said, refinishing hardwood floors is a bit like giving your floor a facelift. The topmost layer of a hardwood plank is the finish. This finish is a protective barrier that keeps the actual wood from damage. When you refinish a wood floor, you start with sanding to completely remove your floor’s finish before putting down a new layer of finish. During the sanding process, damage, such as minor scratches and dents can be removed – however – this can be a challenging job for the less experienced. For example, oversanding can damage wood floors, and not all dust containment systems are created equal. Unfamiliarity with products and tools can mean days or even weeks of disruption in your normal routine. Better to call a BCC.
Why Choose a Bona Certified Craftsman For Your Hardwood Flooring Project?
A Bona Certified Craftsman combines skill, passion, and trustworthiness to give you the floors you’ve always wanted. You can rest easy knowing that you’re working with a trained and certified professional that will ensure your hardwood floor renovation process provides minimal disruption to your home with dustless sanding and waterborne finishes and results in beautiful, durable hardwood floors.
How do I know if my floors should be refinished?
If your floors have the following issues, it’s a good time to consider refinishing your hardwood floors.
Water damage
Stained or discolored flooring is a telltale sign of water damage. First, to assess: is the water damage minor (contained in a small area, caused by something like a puddle) or major (damage to a larger space as a result of flooding)? Standing water can saturate the wood and cause a condition known as cupping; when the unfinished underside of the boards absorb more moisture than the top, causing the bottom of each board to expand and create a wavy appearance with raised seams. In either case, we recommend consulting a BCC to get an assessment, as some floorboards may need replacing.
Major scratches, dents or gouges
Major scratches or gouges and dents in hardwood flooring are ones that can’t be resolved with your usual routine of cleaning and polishing, which fills in micro scratches. Often, such issues can be managed by sanding, filling and refinishing, but once again, contact your BCC to ensure a proper assessment of the damage, and to get the best possible plan to move forward for the best possible outcome.
Fading and discoloration from the sun
Wood is photosensitive, so too much direct sunlight can damage hardwood flooring; resulting in bleaching, fading and even darkening, depending on the hardwood species. An obvious sign of sun damage to wood flooring can be revealed when an area rug is pulled back or moved from a sunny location sans shade. The fix? Consult a BCC. If sun damage is the diagnosis, sanding and refinishing will likely be in your wood floor’s future.
Impossible to remove stains
You’ve tried everything, but you can’t get rid of it. Some stains in hardwood floors are simply too tenacious to be removed by the usual floor cleaning or even a deep cleaning. Some are caused by pets, and may unfortunately be not just unsightly, but smelly. Time to call the Bona Certified Craftsman. Your BCC will want to assess the issue, but perhaps a professional cleaning technique can be performed that might eliminate the need for sanding
You want a new look
Refinishing floors is an excellent option for changing the color of your floors. While most refinishing jobs simply remove and replace a floor’s existing finish, refinishing can also remove a floor’s existing stain to capture the look of the original hardwood floor. Once a floor’s stain is removed, you can refinish your floors using a variety of different types of products, depending on your preference of color, sheen and even feel.
When should I refinish my wood floors?
There really isn’t a “best” time to refinish hardwood floors. As long as the temperature in your home is consistent (between 65-75 degrees preferred) during the refinishing job and throughout the floor’s cure time, you can refinish your floors. However, if you live in an area with high humidity, you may want to wait until your climate is less humid.
Summer can be a good time to refinish floors since many people take that time to leave the house for extended periods of time. Also make sure to request dust-free sanding and Bona stains, sealers and finishes for less inconvenience to you and a safer process. Plus, you’ll be back in your home quicker.
How often can I refinish my floors?
Depending on a floor’s thickness and the experience of the flooring professional, a floor can be sanded around 4-6 times in its entire life. Hardwood floors can be refinished every 7-10 years, making the 4-6 refinishes more than enough.
How much does it cost to refinish hardwood floors?
When it comes to refinishing hardwood floors, numerous factors can come into play that can affect a job estimate. First, there is the area size, and then there is the age and condition of the flooring as well as moisture levels. If damage has occurred, the extent of that damage needs to be assessed, as there may be different approaches to the situation depending on the type and extent of the damage. The hardwood species is another factor. Whatever the case may be, you can rest assured that when you hire a Bona Certified Craftsman, the job will be handled with the utmost of care, confidence and professionalism to guarantee customer satisfaction.
Find a BCC for hardwood floor refinishing near you
Getting in touch with a Bona Certified Craftsman (BCC) is as easy as clicking on the link below. Say hello and get started!
Is refinishing hardwood floors worth it?
In short and without a doubt, yes. Aside from the personal satisfaction of taking pride in your hardwood floors, you may find that the value of your home has increased as a result of your decision to refinish your floors. Additionally, refinishing your hardwood floors provides a new layer of protection that will improve the integrity of your flooring, thereby extending the life of your floors.
“Superb!”
From the initial estimate through the end of the project, our experience with Olde Tyme Craftsmen was, in a word, superb. As their name suggests, the work was of the highest craftsman level, and their attention to detail and customer service were old-school and second to none. You can tell your home and project are in good hands from start to finish. It's refreshing to still find a small, locally-owned, independent, specialty contractor who focuses on quality and customer satisfaction at a fair price.
-John and Katie Friberg
“People thought we had new floors installed!”
The entire staff was wonderful to work with. Everyone was completely professional from the estimators to the craftsmen, and I truly appreciated the fact that the whole sanding process was completely dust free. We had a graduation party for our son the weekend after our floors were refinished. The change was so dramatic that people actually thought we had new floors installed. Two of our friends were so impressed that they called Williams the following week, and they are having their floors refinished as well'
-Brigitta M.
“The BCC program is a plus to any homeowner!”
I wanted to send you a note on the experience I had this week with Integrity Floors in the Tampa/Sarasota area of Florida. I recently placed my home up for sale. I have 3 year old wire brushed engineered oak flooring and I noticed that the grooves in the flooring were turning black in a white washed floor and I couldn’t clean out the dirt with my regular cleaning. I reached out to Cory from Integrity Floors, he suggested that we deep clean the floor with the Bona Power Scrubber. What a difference that made. Whether it was a coincidence or not, we sold the home the next day. I am a believer in that the Bona Certified Craftsman program is a plus to any homeowner. We are moving to Pasadena California from our Florida home and are planning to install new hardwood flooring throughout and will seek out a Bona Craftsmen in California.
-Jerry Schoenholtz
Concerns About Swedish Floor Finishes
Refinishing a wood floor and selecting a finish can be a design adventure with a range of sheen and color choices. However, be aware that some finishes may leave behind more than what you’d expect.
How to Hire a Flooring Contractor
Hiring the best flooring contractor for your hardwood floor care or refinishing job can be nerve wracking. By knowing what to look for, you can renew your floors with confidence by making good choices.
What to Expect When Sanding and Refinishing Hardwood Floors
From sanding to refinishing wood floors and everything in between, you should be able to have certain expectations of your flooring contractor and the project itself. Here are some great tips to get you prepared.