4 Things To Know Before You Refinish Hardwood Floors

You can save on the cost of new flooring by having your old wood floors refinished. Even if the floors have been covered with carpet for years and have scratches and dents, they can usually be refinished to look like new. Here's a look at things to know when you refinish hardwood floors.

1. Your Furniture Has to Be Moved Around

Your room has to be completely empty before the floor can be refinished. You can save some money by moving furniture yourself. An easy option might be to rent a storage container and park it on your driveway. This is helpful if you're having several rooms refinished and will need to juggle several large pieces of furniture.

With a storage unit on your driveway, you put furniture in it and keep it locked securely overnight. However, if you can't move furniture yourself, the flooring contractor might agree to move it and charge extra. They can sometimes move furniture to one side of the room and refinish half of the room at a time if necessary.

2. There Are Dustless Refinishing Options Available

When the flooring contractor refinishes your old wood floors, they sand off the top layer of the wood to get rid of scratches and surface stains. This can create a huge amount of dust in your house. To keep the dust down, the contractor puts plastic in doorways to contain any dust that is created. They can also use a dustless technique that pulls dust from the room as soon as the floor is sanded. The dust is pulled outdoors so it won't float through your house.

3. There Are Options In Finishes

When you refinish hardwood floors, you have the chance to change the appearance of the wood. You can choose the type of finish you want. You don't have to use the same one your old floor had. This allows you to change the color and sheen on your floors.

One thing to keep in mind is that oil-based stains create strong fumes. You may need to stay out of your house for a few days until the stain is dry and the fumes have cleared.

4. Some Flooring Boards May Need To Be Replaced

Sanding is an important step when you refinish hardwood floors because it can remove surface stains. However, if stains have seeped deep into the wood, as can happen with pet accidents, it may not be possible to sand out the discoloration.

When a floor plank has a deep stain or damage, the contractor can pull it out and replace it with a board of the same wood species and grain. Once the finish has been applied, the new plank blends in and won't be noticeable.