Hardwood floor refinishing in Los Angeles
A tired wood floor can usually come back. We tell you whether it needs a recoat, a full sand or a repair first, then do it.
- Buff and recoat
- Full sand and refinish
- Stain colors
Three levels of refinishing
The right one depends on how deep the wear goes. We look before we recommend.
- 01
Buff and recoat
For a floor that looks dull and lightly scuffed but has no wear into the wood. We abrade the existing finish and apply fresh coats. It is quick and lower in cost, and it does not change the color.
- The finish is worn, the wood is not
- One day for most rooms
- 02
Full sand and refinish
For gray traffic lanes, deep scratches, water marks and old yellowed finish. We sand down to bare wood, fill where needed, stain if you want a new color, and apply new coats of finish.
- Removes wear, stains and old color
- A new stain color is possible
- 03
Repair first, then refinish
For boards that are cracked, lifted or soft. We replace or reset those boards first, then refinish the room so the repair disappears. Repairing boards before the finish is part of the same visit.
- Damaged boards replaced
- The whole room refinished together
From sanding to the last coat
How a full refinish runs, step by step.
We move the furniture you want us to move and seal off the room from the rest of the house. The floor is sanded in passes with progressively finer paper, edges and corners included, until the old finish and the wear are gone.
Gaps and small holes are filled. Then we vacuum and tack the floor clean, because any dust left behind ends up in the finish.
If you want a new color, we brush stain samples onto the bare wood so you can see them in your own light before choosing. Natural oak, warm honey, gray tones and dark walnut all look different on the floor than in a catalog.
Finish goes on in thin, even coats with drying time between them. We finish with a walkthrough and tell you when you can walk on it in socks, when furniture can go back, and when rugs can go down.
Finish choices, and the Los Angeles sun
Strong light changes how a finish looks and ages.
Water-based polyurethane dries clear and stays clear, so light oak stays light. It has less odor and dries faster, which helps when you are living in the house.
Oil-based polyurethane gives a warm amber tone that deepens over time. Some people love that glow on red oak. It takes longer to dry and smells stronger during the job.
Sheen. Matte and satin hide scratches and dust better than gloss and suit most homes. Gloss shows everything.
Los Angeles homes get a lot of sun through big windows and glass doors. Sunlight fades and yellows wood and finish over the years, and a high-traffic sunny spot wears first. We talk through finish, sheen and simple window treatment with that in mind.
Living around the job
You can stay in the house while we work.
We seal doorways with plastic and use sanding equipment with dust collection, so very little dust reaches the rest of the house. Rooms being refinished are out of use from the first sanding until the last coat has dried enough to walk on. Furniture goes back after a few more days, and rugs a little later. We plan the order of rooms so you keep a kitchen and a way through the house where we can.
What drives the price of refinishing
Level, size and the extras your floor needs.
A buff and recoat costs much less than a full sand. After that, the size of the floor, how many repairs it needs, whether you want a stain color, the finish you choose, stairs, and how much furniture needs moving all show up in the quote. For more detail, read what refinishing a hardwood floor costs. If a floor is past saving, we can install new hardwood instead.
Questions about refinishing
Can every hardwood floor be refinished?
Most solid hardwood floors can be refinished several times. Engineered floors can be sanded if the wood top layer is thick enough, and we check that before quoting. Floors with very thin wear layers, or laminate and vinyl that only look like wood, cannot be sanded.
What is the difference between a recoat and a full refinish?
A recoat lightly abrades the existing finish and adds fresh coats. It refreshes a dull floor but does not remove deep scratches or change the color. A full refinish sands to bare wood, removes wear and stains, allows a new stain color, and applies all new finish.
Should I choose oil-based or water-based polyurethane?
Water-based finish stays clear and dries faster with less odor, which suits light floors and occupied homes. Oil-based finish adds a warm amber tone that deepens with time. We show you both on your wood before you choose.
How long are the rooms out of use?
From the first sanding until the final coat can be walked on, usually a few days for a full refinish and a day for a recoat. Furniture goes back a few days after that. We give you the schedule for your rooms before we start.
Ready to bring your floor back?
Send a few photos of the worst spots. We will tell you which level of refinishing they need.