Applying a revitalizer gloss is the simplest and cheapest way to refinish hardwood floors. This approach works best on floors that only have surface-level scratches and other minor wear and tear issues. You can get the job done without the need for equipment rentals or hard-to-find materials.
Luckily, you have options other than leaving the floor as it is or replacing it. The best way to refinish wood floors without sanding is to use a technique called screen and recoat. This involves scuffing up the finish with a floor buffer and applying a refresher coat of finish.
In general, it will almost ALWAYS be less expensive to refinish your hardwood floors. If you replace them, you need to pay for additional wood as well as ripping up and hauling away existing hardwood.
You can undertake to refinish yourself — but the professional treatment is sure to leave you most satisfied. Resurfacing your floor involves more than just putting a layer of polish on top. It may require removing old floorboards, grinding down uneven boards, and reinforcing wood planks with new nails.
The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. In a few hours, your floors will look as good as new. The job requires using a buffer, which you can rent at a home center, and a vacuum to suck up dust.
Because when a hardwood floor starts to show wear and tear, you can refinish it and in so doing, revitalize its look and performance. Make no mistake, however: Sanding, staining, and sealing a wood floor takes time and effort. It's a demanding project, even for a veteran home handyman.
If your hardwood floors have been sanded and finished with Bona Mega Clear HD, it is safe to sleep in the home about 2-3 hours after the project is finished, but again, only if there are other rooms that have not been robbed of their furniture – furniture should stay off floors for at least 24 hours after ANY project ...
If you only have some minor scratches and dings or a dull finish, you might be able to simply buff and add a new coat of varnish. But, even if your floors need a complete makeover, refinishing hardwood is a very manageable and rewarding do-it-yourself job that can save a lot of money.
Newer hardwood floors are surface-sealed with polyurethane, so all you have to do is sweep and mop to give it a bright look. Don't use abrasive cleaners, wax or oil on these floors; simple soap and water is best. Murphy's Oil Soap, a time-tested, gentle wood cleaner, generally costs less than $3 at a grocery store.
Chemical stripping
One option is using chemicals to strip the finish on your floor away, taking the wood back to its original state prior to having a finish added. This is done using a solvent, or some kind of caustic solution which is applied using a paintbrush and left to work its magic.
The palm sander is definitely the most common tool for sanding a wooden floor by hand. Palm sanders also oscillate, however, unlike orbital random sanders, the pad of the palm sander is fixed straight.
When sanding any floor, the amount of wood you remove depends on the coarseness of the paper you use. Flooring professionals can sand away as much as 1/16 inches of wood with the coarsest paper.
If your wood floors continue into other rooms of the home, you cannot sand, stain and refinish the one area. This would affect the uniformity and leave the rest of your wood floors looking different. The only way to refinish one room is to install a transition piece (or if there's one in place already).
The standard for a hardwood floor is at least three coats. This consists of one seal coat (which may be the stain) and two coats of finish. Additional costs of finish may be applied depending on the need.
If I had to pick an ideal time, I would say spring or fall when the indoor temperature is most consistent with outdoor temperature and it's often easy to open the windows (after the work is complete) to help air out the smell faster. But, really, sanding and refinishing hardwood can take place any time of year.
Average Costs for Refinishing Hardwood Floors
On a per-square-foot basis, average costs run about $3 to $8 per square foot, but these costs can vary depending on the complexity of the work and the total size of the area you want to have refinished.
If your hardwood floors are dull, scratched, and looking old, it's probably time to refinish them. According to HomeAdvisor, the typical price range to refinish hardwood floors is between $1,074 and $2,485, with the national average at $1,757. This comes out to $3 to $8 per square foot, including materials and labor.
Installing hardwood flooring averages between $6 and $12 per square foot. On average, wood flooring costs between $3 and $7 per square foot for materials and $3 to $5 per square foot for labor. An estimate for installation of 1000 square feet of hardwood flooring runs between $6,000 and $12,000.
Takeaway: Your worn down pre-finished hardwood flooring can be refinished up to 5 times. You can change the color of the entire floor each time that it's completely refinished. Leave the bevel in the floor and DO NOT have the bevel filled. Pre-finished hardwoods show scratches more than site-finished hardwoods.