What refinishing a wood floor involves
- Clear the room. Furniture comes out, and shoe molding may come off so the sander can reach the edges.
- Sand to bare wood in stages, from coarse grit to fine, with an edger for the borders and hand work for the corners.
- Clean up every bit of dust before any finish goes on.
- Stain, if you want a new color, or leave the wood natural.
- Apply the finish coats, usually polyurethane, with a light buff between coats.
- Let it cure before rugs and furniture go back.
New floor coverings
New flooring starts by taking up the old floor and checking the subfloor for soft spots, squeaks and high or low areas. Then the new floor goes down, with transitions at doorways and trim to finish the edges. [PLACEHOLDER: which floor types JL installs, e.g. hardwood, vinyl plank, laminate, carpet].
What affects the cost of floor work
| Square footage | The size of the floor, and whether it's one open area or several small rooms and closets. |
|---|---|
| Condition | Deep scratches, pet stains, water damage and boards that need replacing all add time. |
| Solid or engineered | Solid hardwood can be sanded many times over its life. Engineered wood has a thin top layer and may only take a light sanding, or none. |
| Stain and finish | A natural finish is fewer steps than a stain. The type of finish changes the price and the drying time. |
| Stairs | Every tread and riser is hand work. |
| Prep | Moving furniture, pulling up carpet or old flooring, and repairing the subfloor. |
[PLACEHOLDER: typical price ranges, e.g. refinishing a 300 sq ft room, and new flooring per square foot installed].
How long floor refinishing takes
[PLACEHOLDER: typical timeline for refinishing one room or a whole floor].
Finish needs drying time between coats and a longer cure before heavy furniture goes back. The manufacturer's label sets those times, and humidity can stretch them.