What Is Hardwood Restoration And Why Does It Matter?

The ability to refinish hardwood flooring is one of the characteristics that makes wooden floors both a great investment and an opportunity to transform a space. Hardwood flooring restoration involves stripping a floor, replacing damaged wood, tending to any roughness, chips or raised nails in the floor, and applying a new stain and finish to rejuvenate the appearance and strength of the floor.

So why invest the time and money into restoration? Well, there are a few reasons millions of homeowners opt to restore or refinish wood flooring every year. Here’s a spoiler: it’s a great way to protect your investment and increase your home’s value.

Here are three reasons you might consider hardwood flooring restoration for your home:

1. Damage or Dullness

Has your original hardwood flooring finish become dull or sustained noticeable wear and tear since installation? Refinished wood floors have the glossy or soft texture of a newly installed floor, with the potential to create a fresh, new look with a new stain. Refinishing hardwood flooring can also protect the floorboards from future damage by restoring the protective finish.

Have you noticed a new chip in the floor or water damage? Those floorboards may need replacement, and because new boards will need stain and finish, you’ll probably need to refinish the entire floor. Ignoring damage can reduce the structural integrity of the floorboards and cause further damage over time. Try to think of restoration as an opportunity to revive the beauty of your hardwood floors and tie together the design of the home as your family grows and changes.

2. Replace Outdated Aesthetics

Speaking of changes, the longevity of hardwood flooring means that sometimes the style choice of the flooring stain and finish don’t age well, even though hardwood does. While the average homeowner may not be willing to spring for the cost of a hardwood flooring refinish just to change the atmosphere of a space, the average seller might.

Considering selling your home? Newly refinished hardwood floors can drastically increase the appeal of a new home to a buyer, especially when the space is designed with a modern or timeless design. 

Hardwood flooring refinishing can be a relatively quick and painless investment when done by professionals. It can be a great way to increase your home’s asking price and inspire buyers to see themselves in a space they can enjoy for years to come.

Ready to Restore? Let’s Get You Started.

3. Protect The Lifecycle of Your Floor

If your hardwood flooring has handled wear well over the years, still sparkles the way you want it to in the daylight, and still has a beautiful look and feel, congratulations! You’re probably taking great care of your hardwood floors and your home. Keep maintaining the floor in order to give it longevity and lasting beauty for many years.

For moderate and high-use areas, refinishing can be a great way to make sure your hardwood remains protected. Wooden floor refinishing should be done about every 7 to 10 years or about 4-6 times throughout its lifespan. Refinishing helps remove old finishes and refresh not only the color and look of your hardwood floor, but the layer of protection that will help sustain it. 

FAQs

How much does it cost to restore/refinish a hardwood floor?

Hardwood floor refinishing costs can vary widely, depending on a number of factors. Wood flooring refinishing involves stripping, restaining, and refinishing your wood floors, but restoration might include filling chips or replacing individual floorboards altogether. Whether you decide to hire a professional or restore your floor on your own also plays a role in determining costs. Refinishing floors typically cost about $3 to $8 per square foot, on average.

How can I decide which hardwood floor refinishing products I need?

Wood floor refinishing involves choosing the right products for your project. Most of this comes down to your taste and design vision for the space. That means deciding the stain color and finish type, based on wood type and your personal preference. You might also consider how soon you want to refinish again, how well the design will age, and the drying time associated with each product. Once you’ve chosen your products, consider purchasing a little more than you think you’ll need for touchups and to be sure you don’t run out. 

How difficult is restoring hardwood floors by myself?

We recently posted an article explaining steps, tips, and tricks for a DIY hardwood floor refinish. While refinishing wooden floors can be done with one or two people over 2-3 days, it does involve sanding floors, in some cases applying multiple coats of stain, doing the same with your finish of choice, and allowing proper drying time. 

The good news is that you can rent most tools like a flooring sander, shop vac, or walk-behind finisher from home improvement stores near you. The bad news is that steps like replacing damaged floorboards and floor sanding can be time and energy-intensive. There are also additional costs, including respirator/face masks, knee pads, sandpaper, plastic sheeting, and work gloves, to name a few.

Consider our DIY guide and contact us with your questions, or for a professional restoration quote today.