What To Expect During Wood Floor Refinishing

When you're having your floor refinished, you may wonder exactly how long it will take from start to finish, what's included in the service, and what the steps are. Here are some of the typical steps to expect during a professional job of refinishing wood floors.

1. Identify and obtain needed materials

Your contractor will need to know what type of finished appearance you're looking for. Some homeowners have their floors refinished due to wear and tear, but others may want a different aesthetic as well. For example, if your floor currently has a matte finish, you could change the aesthetic by choosing a higher-gloss finish.

You can even change the color of the floor by having your contractor apply a stain before the new coat of finish. Your contractor will check what type of hardwood floor you have and what finish is currently on it, as well as determining what aesthetic you want, in order to determine what type of finish to use. 

2. Clear and clean floor

The surface will need to be prepped before the job begins. Everything in the entire room will need to be moved out, so your contractor will check that this has been done. Then they'll need to make sure the surface is extremely clean; you don't want debris sitting on the surface and getting trapped under the new finish layer.

3. Strip off old finish and polish the surface

Before applying the new finish layer, your contractor will likely need to remove an old layer of finish. They may also need to remove old paint from the floor, as well as any glues or adhesives (such as carpet glue). Depending on what needs to be removed, chemical solvents, mechanical sanders, or both may be required.

Once the sanding and stripping are complete, your contractor should give the floor one final polish. This will ensure that the surface is as smooth and shiny as possible so your contractor can start applying finish (or stain and then finish, if you want to change your floor's color).

4. Apply finish and give it time to cure

Different types of wood finish may require different application methods or tools and different drying and curing times. If the floor needs multiple coats, your contractor will wait for the first coat to dry before applying the next coat. However, that dry time is likely not as long as the curing time needed before you can move rugs and furniture back in. So be sure to check with your contractor for how long to wait before using the floor as normal.

After allowing enough time to cure, your wood floor refinishing job will be complete. Be sure to ask your contractor about the best care and maintenance for your new wood floor finish. Contact a contactor who can refinish wood floors to learn more.

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