Sand and refinish

A full sand and refinish is the big job. A heavy drum sander takes the floor down to bare wood. Then the floor can be stained a new color and coated with several fresh coats of finish. It usually takes several days, there is a lot of dust, and families often move out while it is done.

Homeowners typically pay $3 to $8 a square foot for a full sand and refinish. A screen and recoat usually runs about $1.50 to $3 a square foot and takes about 3 hours on an average home.

Sometimes a full sand is the only right answer. It is needed when scratches or gouges go into the wood, when the finish is worn through to bare gray wood, when pet or water stains have soaked into the wood, when boards are warped or cupped, or when the homeowner wants a different color. Floors with wax or years of store polish on them also need a full sand.

Think of a car. A recoat is a fresh clear coat on paint that is still good. A full refinish strips the car to bare metal and paints it again. If the paint is fine, there is no reason to strip it. A recoat business that checks floors honestly will send the floors that need a full sand to a local refinisher.

Recoat, sand and refinish, or replace a worn hardwood floor? Prices per square foot, days of disruption, how much wood each uses up, and what the NWFA recommends.