What to Expect During a Hardwood Refinishing Project: A Timeline of What to Know
Hardwood floors are popular for many reasons. While beautiful and durable, they do require occasional upkeep. Hardwood should be sanded and stained every seven to ten years.
If your floors are starting to look scratched up and faded, it may be time to have them refinished. Here are a few tips to help manage your expectations for a floor refinishing project:
Move Furniture Aside
Designate a storage space away from the hardwood areas where you can stack furniture and larger items. Then remove any free-standing pieces such as leaning mirrors or coat racks. The more you move, the easier it will be for your floor refinishers. Many companies will help move large items for an additional cost.
Prep and Tape Up Rooms Not Being Sanded
After furniture is moved, the flooring company will plastic tape areas that aren’t being sanded to keep them from getting too dusty. Miler offers a dust containment system which minimizes dust. They take every precaution to minimize unwanted dust. Large plastic tarps will be taped around open doorways and rooms. Quarter round toe molding will also be removed before prepping the area for work.
Sand and Buff the Wood
A team of professionals will apply even pressure to the wood with a dustless power sander. They start with a rougher grit sandpaper to remove the current finish and then go back over the wood a few times with a consistently finer grit to create a smooth and even surface. Then they carefully vacuum all the dust and debris to prep for staining.
Apply Coatings
Miller Residential offers several finish options, including water-based urethanes, oil urethanes and tongue oil. Each of these require different processes based on drying time. No pets should be in the home while the finishes are applied. Make sure your flooring contractor applies at least two coatings to the floors. Miller will apply 3-4 coats of finish.
Install New Base Shoe Molding
After the floors have been stained, new shoe or quarter-round molding will be added along the perimeter of the rooms. The quarter round molding will be cut and stained to match the exact color of your floors, or they will provide and install primed molding. New toe molding makes your home look cleaner and more polished.
Air It Out
Urethanes need time to air out and cure. You should wait at least two days before moving back into your home, more if someone is pregnant or you have young children. Plan to stay at a hotel, family or friend’s home for a few nights if possible. The extra time is worth it.
Enjoy Your New Floors
Newly finished hardwoods can completely transform your home. Now that your new floors are ready, make sure you take good care of them. Apply felt protection covers on moving furniture such as chairs or bar stools to prevent scratching. When cleaning, make sure you use products that are meant for hardwood flooring. Well-kept hardwoods will continue looking great for years to come.