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When we bought our historic dream home, we knew we were in for some renovations. Although the house had a ton of character, it had also been the victim of some misguided “updates.” One of the first things I did when we toured the house at a showing was pull up the corners of carpet in every single room to discover the most beautiful original hardwoods hiding underneath!
Immediately, we scheduled with Scott’s Precision Flooring, a local veteran-owned flooring company, to price refinishing the hardwoods. Nowadays, finding solid wood flooring is quite difficult and pricey. Most big box stores only carry veneers or engineered hardwoods, so saving the original solid wood floors was a no brainer!
I reached out to Anthony Scott of Scott’s Precision Floors to ask about customer’s most- common Refinishing FAQs. When starting the process we had a lot of these questions, too!
Common Hardwood Refinishing Questions
How long does the process take?
Timeframe depends on several factors: size of the project, chosen finish, type of wood, and room layout. Generally, most projects take anywhere from 3-7 days, but the above factors can influence how long it takes. An entire first floor project, for example, would take longer than one simple bedroom.
How much dust should I expect?
It’s virtually impossible to be 100% dust free when refinishing hardwoods. But a reputable company should clean up the dust for you. When your project is done, your space should be neat and tidy.
Do I need to move my furniture?
Yes, you will need to remove all furniture from the room being refinished. Your flooring company will need to sand, stain, finish, and seal your floors — and any furniture left in the room will be in the way of their equipment.
Is there any odor associated with refinishing hardwoods?
It depends on the products used. Polyurethane finishes do contain VOCs (volatile organic compounds), which bother some people. Generally, it is recommended that small pets, children, pregnant women, elderly persons, or anyone with a medical issue vacate the home during refinishing and wait 48 hours before returning. On the other hand, water-based polyurethane finishes are virtually odorless. They also dry much faster than oil-based finishes.
What is the difference between recoating and refinishing?
If your hardwoods are only slightly worn down, refinishing (sanding) may not be necessary. Sometimes only the top coat is worn, and a new layer of fresh finish does the trick, restoring your hardwoods to a beautiful sheen. Recoating is much faster and cheaper than a full refinish — but it’s best to ask the professionals. They will be able to tell which option is best to restore your floors to the condition you want.
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Even though refinishing was a bit of a process, uncovering these hardwoods revealed the hidden character of our home. I can’t believe that these floors were covered by carpet and tile for so many years. Thanks to Scott’s, we were able to give them new life.
If you’re planning a hardwood renovation in your own home, I highly recommend reaching out to the experts. Refinishing hardwoods is a hard job; and having experts on site makes all the difference!
Have questions about the flooring process? Drop them in comments below!
