What You Should Know About Refinishing Your Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are a beautiful addition to any home, but they’re also something that requires maintenance over the years. Refinishing your hardwood floors is an affordable way to make them shine and bring life into the home once more, but it’s important to go into this project with all the important information you need. 

Signs Your Floors Need To be Refinished

Hardwood floors can undergo 10 to 12 refinishing sessions during their lifetime. The most common signs that it’s time to refinish your floors are scratches and a generally dull appearance, even after cleaning or polishing the wood. The process of refinishing hardwood is messy, time-consuming, and very loud, so you’ll need to plan accordingly. 

Buffing

Buffing is ideal when scratches are only along the surface of the wood, not deep down in the wood. To buff your floors, you’ll need to rent a buffer, not a sander. Buff the floors until the surface scratches are no longer visible, then sweep up any dust and debris. Next, refinish the floors with a water-based finish. Your floors will look new again without all the damage of sanding! 

Sanding

Before you can begin sanding, you’ll need to remove the baseboards in your home. Then, rent a drum sander that comes with multiple different grit levels. Remember to always keep the sander moving to avoid putting gouges into the wood. Once the wood is gouged, you can’t undo that damage! Sand until all stain and finishing is gone, leaving you with bare wood. 

Refinishing

After you’ve sanded the floor, you’ll need to fill in any cracks in the wood with wood filler. Try to find the closest color match possible. Next, begin applying your desired stain to the wood. 2-3 coats may be needed to achieve your desired color. Finally, apply a wood finish to lock the color in and prevent future scratches. 

When to Ask for Professional Help

Although refinishing your hardwood floors can be a DIY project, enlisting a professional is always the best way to ensure it gets done right, without causing any further damage to your floors. At Central Mass Hardwood, we have years of experience, and the tools necessary to refinish your floors in a timely manner. If you’re interested in our hardwood refinishing and repair services, get in touch with us today! Request a free custom quote online or give us a call at 508-460-0199.