Your hardwood floors are a valuable asset that can enhance your home’s appeal and value. However, if yours are beat up, discolored, scratched, or stained, then it’s time for hardwood floor refinishing. 

Before you kick-start the job, there are a few things you should know ahead of time. This will help you avoid unpleasant surprises along the way. 

To make the process as simple and hassle-free as possible, so you can unlock the beauty and luster of your hardwood floors, keep the following in mind. 

#1: Stain Color

If you’re like most homeowners, your biggest question involves stain color. If you’re lucky and love the current color of your hardwood floors, but simply want them refinished, then this isn’t a big consideration. You’ll just want to color match the existing stain. But if you don’t like the color, this is a huge question — especially if you have hardwood floors throughout your whole home, not just in one room. 

How can you choose a hardwood floor refinishing color that makes your home’s flow harmonious yet complements the look and feel of each individual room? Here are some tips:

  • Consider your home’s overall style. A deeper hue might pair better with a traditional home, while something lighter and brighter is often a better fit if you want a contemporary look.
  • Think about resale. If you plan to sell your home in the near future, you’ll need to consider resale value. Make sure you’re choosing a stain that is more neutral and appealing to a larger number of potential buyers. This will help you secure higher offers, faster. 
  • Evaluate your furniture. Ideally, the stain color you choose should complement your furniture and cabinets, not match them exactly. Alternatively, it can contrast with them, such as white kitchen cabinets or furniture with dark stained floors.
  • Look at natural light. If you have a spacious home and lots of natural light, a darker stain color can work well when you’re refinishing your hardwood floors. But if your home is smaller with less natural light, dark flooring can make it seem more cramped. Opt, instead, for a lighter or medium-tone stain color, which will make each room appear larger and brighter.
  • Don’t forget about maintenance. Darker floors tend to show more dust, crumbs, footprints, and pet hair. If you have a busy home with kids and pets, refinishing your hardwood floors in a medium or lighter stain will be easier when it comes to cleaning. 

#2: Sheen

The decision-making isn’t over once you’ve selected your stain color. You still have to choose the sheen. Do you want shiny floors or a more matte finish? You can also opt for satin or semi-gloss finishes. This typically comes down to your personal style, the final look you want to achieve, and your preference in terms of maintenance. 

Matte and satin are popular choices because they are lower maintenance. The more matte your hardwood floor stain, the less it will show in the way of dirt and scratches. Likewise, sheen can impact how much natural light is reflected, making rooms appear larger or more cozy. 

#3: Downtime

Are you refinishing one or two rooms or your whole home? If it’s the latter, it might make sense to vacate your home for a short period of time so the job can be completed as quickly as possible. You’ll also have to keep curing time in mind since you can’t walk on your floors until they are fully cured. Alternatively, if you’re just refinishing a room or two, these spaces can be cordoned off from the rest of the home.

#4: Prep Time 

Refinishing your hardwood floors requires quite a bit of time and effort. One of the more labor-intensive tasks you’ll need to tackle involves removing everything from the rooms where your hardwood floors are being refinished. 

If you’re simply refinishing one or two rooms, you can store your belongings in other rooms of your home. But if the hardwood floors in your entire home are being refinished, you might be best off investing in a storage pod to make the process easier.

Besides removing furniture from the hardwood floors in need of refinishing, you will also need to take down window treatments that are near to the ground. Also, be sure to cover any light fixtures, shelves, artwork, and other items remaining in the rooms. 

#5: Pro vs. DIY?

Refinishing hardwood floors is not one of those jobs you should take on yourself, even if you are a weekend warrior. If you make a mistake, you can badly damage your floors, which can lead to expensive repairs and even more downtime. 

For instance, if you don’t correctly prep and sand your floors, waves, warping, and other imperfections may occur. In addition, the type of wood you have is a key consideration, with each type requiring different approaches when it comes to prepping and treating the surface. Likewise, the same stain can look completely different depending on the type of hardwood floors you have  — whether they’re maple, oak, cherry, or another type of wood. 

However, when you hire an experienced and reputable professional, you don’t have to worry about these critical decisions. Instead, you’ll get shiny, beautiful results and the best return on your investment. It’s well worth it to avoid the risk of expensive damage. 

#6: Post-Project Cleaning

After the job is done, you’ll have to wait some time before you can clean your hardwood floors. Once you can, be sure to wipe them down to remove any dust or debris left behind. Likewise, wipe down the trim and other surfaces in each room to ensure your home is squeaky clean. 

#7: How N-Hance Can Make Hardwood Floor Refinishing So Much Easier

When it comes to hardwood floor refinishing, N-Hance® can make this complex process as simple as possible for homeowners. We rely on a liquid abrasion treatment to remove the old stain and smooth out the surface. This means we can also refinish floors that are non-sandable, like cork and bamboo. 

Furthermore, with our LightSpeed® UV technology, your floors will cure in a matter of seconds, not hours or days. This means minimal downtime for you and your family. In fact, your newly refinished floors will be 100% ready for immediate use when we leave. LightSpeed also ensures the surface is rock-hard and resistant to stains, scratches, dents, and other imperfections.

Let us handle the hardwood floor refinishing while you focus on other priorities. Call N-Hance at (855) 642-6230 to set up a FREE consultation and quote to learn more.