It's commonly accepted that you should expect to refinish a hardwood floor every seven to ten years. Important notes: some hardwood is only 1/4 inch thick even when new. In this case, attempting a refinish could catastrophically damage your floor.
Any wood item with a finish or sealant applied to it will eventually need to be recoated, including having to recoat hardwood floors periodically. The period between recoating and refinishing depends on wear over time, the finish used, the wood your floor is made of, your lifestyle, and many other factors.
Wood decks usually require sealing once a year. You need to apply deck sealant more frequently if your deck gets more foot traffic and sun exposure. As a general rule, you should stain and seal wood fences every five years. You should also recoat a wood fence every two to three years, depending on the manufacturer.
How often should your polished concrete floor be resealed? As we said, there are several factors which determine the ideal frequency of resealing, but generally polished concrete should be resealed between 2-10 years, with 5 years being a solid average.
The finish is worn or damaged: One of the most obvious signs that your hardwood floor needs to be refinished is when the existing finish is worn or damaged. This can happen over time from normal wear and tear, or it can be the result of a spill or other accident.
Foot Traffic and Wear
Areas with heavy traffic, such as hallways, living rooms, kitchens, and entryways, tend to experience more wear and tear. Over time, this can lead to all kinds of wood floor damage. For homes with children, pets, or frequent gatherings, refinishing may be necessary every 7–10 years.
Wood floors come with countless benefits, one of them being a long lifespan. Solid hardwood flooring has been known to last up to 100 years, while the engineered version has a life of almost 50 years.?
You can still choose to refinish without sanding, but the new stain may accentuate existing scratches in the wood rather than cover them. Water damage or pet stains that penetrate the finish into the actual floorboards may also require a full on sanding of the floor.
Ultimately, aim for a season where you have free time and the climate supports a smooth refinishing process. For most, spring or fall are the best choices.
High quality water based polyurethanes is considered by many homeowners & flooring professionals to be equally durable. Oil based poly can last around 10 years. Water based poly can have the same longevity. The key is using high quality water based poly like Bona Traffic and having it applied by a professional.
We recommend resealing every two years to protect your driveway and help keep it in top condition. You may need to reseal more often if your driveway is exposed to heavy traffic, excess dirt or friction (eg from tyres).
Floors with extreme movement between boards are not good candidates for refinishing because "the movement will affect the sanding and finish," Lupresto says. Substantial structural problems — those that require the flooring to be removed so the subfloor can be fixed.
Solid stains require recoating after 4-5 years, on average. Sealers do not provide any coloration of the wood, but they protect it against moisture that causes rot and splitting. Most sealers last one cycle of seasons and should be renewed each year.
Since the 1970's, Bona led the important change from solvent-based to waterborne coatings, constantly reducing emissions, impacting the contractor and floor owner's everyday life. This is a continuing process of innovation for sustainable solutions in every aspect of a floor renovation.
Refinishing can make the floor look new again and a new stain color can change the look entirely. However, if you're not happy with the wood floor design – type of wood, size of the planks, or basic layout – you will have to replace the floor itself.
Sealing protects the floor from water damage, dings and scratches and adds luster and shine to bring out the beauty of the wood. Polyurethane sealer is probably the most popular hardwood sealer and is available as a water-based or oil-based product.
It requires ripping out and hauling away the old hardwood–not to mention the cost of the new planks and installation. So, when all is said and done, refinishing hardwood is definitely the more affordable option.
However, using the wrong grit of sandpaper can lead to disastrous results. Starting with too coarse a grit can remove too much wood, causing irreparable damage. Conversely, using a grit that's too fine may not adequately remove the existing finish, leading to poor adhesion of the new finish coats.
After floor refinishing, you should stay out of your house for at least 3-4 days if oil-based finishes are used, due to longer drying times and stronger fumes. For water-based finishes, it's advisable to wait at least 2 days.
Usually all it takes is a little elbow grease and a couple of hardwood-floor-specific products. “If the dullness persists, refinishing the floor with a polish or restorer, such as Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer, will bring back its luster,” says Alan Dewberry, owner at Tile Factory Direct.
Overall, professional floor refinishers will charge anywhere from $3 to $8 per square foot. The cost jumps a bit to between $5 and $8 per square foot for the less-disruptive dustless refinishing method—a process that requires commercial vacuums.
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.
Hickory (1,820) is the hardest domestic wood species available. Its natural grain patterns do an excellent job hiding scratches and dents, so it's perfect for homes with kids and pets. Many manufacturers choose hickory specifically for their most durable flooring lines.
Simply put, if your current floors are mostly just looking drab and dull, or if they have surface-level damage, you can probably save them. If they have deeper problems, you may need to replace them.