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The first factor is the overall condition of the hardwood floors. The longer the wood has been exposed to the elements, the higher the risk of damage to the finish. In addition to that, hardwood floors require multiple steps to achieve their best possible appearance.

Signs that it’s Time

There are a lot of benefits to having hardwood floors. Not only do they look elegant, but they are also a sturdy foundation for your home. Over time, however, hardwood floors will show signs of wear and tear. If you are wondering if it’s time to get your hardwood floors refinished, keep an eye out for these eight telltale signs.

Wooden floors can start to look gray or black. This is because the polyurethane layer is fading and oxidizing. Water can come from rain, snow, spilled drinks, or even normal household cleaning solutions. If this happens, the hardwood will darken until it’s completely black. It’s time to hire a professional to do Hardwood Refinishing for your home.

Hardwood floors must be refinished every 8 to 12 years, depending on their use. If your floors see heavy traffic, they may need to be refinished more often. On the other hand, if they’re not in high-traffic areas, you may only need to refinish them once every few years.

Cost of Refinishing Hardwood Floors

Consider how much the job will cost you before committing. Several factors to consider include the size of your room, where you want the work done, and the materials you’ll need. The cost of refinishing hardwood floors will vary greatly depending on the type of project and how many rooms you need to be refinished.

Before refinishing your hardwood floors, you may need to remove the old stain, wax residue, or sand them. These steps will add to the final cost of your project, so keep these costs in mind when determining the amount you’ll have to spend.

If you’re looking to save money on hardwood floor refinishing, you can try doing the job yourself, but it will take much longer than hiring a flooring contractor. In addition, it’s best to hire someone with experience refinishing hardwood floors. Refinishing hardwood floors can be very messy, so be sure to plan.

The Cost of Refinishing Hardwood Floors

You may wonder how much it costs if you’re looking to redo your hardwood floors. Refinishing hardwood floors can be a DIY project, but you’ll need to purchase various tools to complete the process. A drum sander, a sanding belt, vacuums, plastic sheeting, brushes, and stain are just a few of the necessary items. You’ll also need to purchase stains and finishes, brushes, and sprayers.

The most common refinishing process includes a clear coat of polyurethane, which protects the hardwood against wear and tear while leaving it well cared for. Water-based polyurethane is typically about $40-$50 per gallon and doesn’t produce a strong odor. However, it’s more expensive than oil-based polyurethane and is not as tough.

Prices vary greatly depending on the size of the room and the number of coats required. For smaller rooms, the cost may be as low as $200, but larger rooms will cost up to $2,500 or more.

Preparation of Hardwood Floors for Refinishing

Preparation is an important step in hardwood floor refinishing, accounting for 90% of the process’s success. Before refinishing, hardwood floors must be thoroughly cleaned. This includes sweeping and vacuuming. You may want to use a mineral spirit rag or damp cloth to remove dust. Avoid using oil-based cleaners, as these will affect the final finish.

Refinishing hardwood floors is time-consuming and requires a lot of prep work. In addition to cleaning the surface, it also requires roughening the existing finish with screens and sanders. Generally, a single room can take a full day and a few additional days to dry.

If you’re planning to use polyurethane, you’ll have to apply a primer before applying the new finish. Then, after the primer has dried, you’ll apply the lacquer. Each coat can take four to 24 hours to dry. Then, you’ll have to wait about four to seven days before moving furniture back into the room.

Photo By: Corry Connor Designs

Every year the flooring industry is coming out with so many new and improved flooring types, which makes it hard for regular homeowners to keep up! Laminate flooring for instance, has drastically improved to the point that it’s difficult to tell the difference from real wood! Vinyl tiles have also become so popular and such great quality, that it makes us forget about installing real tiles in our homes. However, there are four main flooring types that are the most popular and the most cost efficient at the moment. Keep reading to find out which ones are the best and why!

Laminate Flooring

You’ve probably heard of laminate flooring by now, since it’s a very popular and cost efficient flooring option today. Laminate is basically flooring that looks like real wood for half the price! Using multiple layers of synthetic flooring, it is fused together using a lamination process. Then a photographic applique that simulates wood is glued on top with a clear protective layer. Laminate flooring is durable, easy to install and also cheaper to install. It doesn’t require the skill that perhaps it would take to install real hardwood flooring, making it a great option for DIY-ers. It also is durable, and simple to maintain.

Photo By: The Sitting Room

Vinyl Flooring

If you have a house full of children and pets, vinyl flooring is probably your best bet! Vinyl flooring is a fully synthetic floor that is made from PVC and fiber glass, making this flooring incredibly affordable and also durable. Vinyl is easy to install, and most homeowners can learn to install this flooring on their own. In the last 10 years, vinyl flooring has really come a long way. There are tons of modern styles and options to choose from, making this flooring popular once again. In our opinion, it is much better than tiles since it’s warmer and softer to walk on, and also so much cheaper!

Solid Wood Flooring

If you are going after a classic look to make your home look like the home of your dreams, traditional flooring types like solid wood flooring are the perfect choice for you. Solid wood flooring is made from 100% natural wood and every plank is made from one single piece of wood. Solid wood flooring looks beautiful and looks rustic but it can also be prone to moisture damage and scratches. It is still a good option for some since it can always be sanded down and re-stained to look brand new again, unlike laminate and other synthetic flooring types. When getting your flooring installed make sure to use some highly rated flooring contractors in Toronto or wherever city you are from.

Photo By: Geoff Chick & Associates

Engineered Wood Floring

Also known as composite wood flooring, engineered wood is is made from binding together the fibers of hardwood and lumber scraps together with adhesives to form a composite material. Engineered wood is durable, and much cheaper than installing real hardwood flooring. It also has the ability to hold up to moisture unlike real wood flooring, which makes is particularly more long lasting.

If you are in the market for new flooring for your home, you need to ask yourself what kind of household do you live in. If it’s just you and your partner, real hardwood flooring may be the most stylish and also practical option for you. However if you have children, pets, and lots of foot traffic it may be smart to consider installing something like laminate, vinyl, or engineered wood flooring to save on costs and also install something more lasting. Our favorite place to shop a range of flooring options is www.floorsdirectltd.co.uk where you can choose from so many different styles, materials, and flooring products that will perfectly suit your home and family!

Photos via: Houzz

Most homeowners today are looking for ways to make their home’s look bigger, more glamorous, and more expensive. One easy way to achieve this look is with beautiful dark wood flooring paired with sleek white walls that look like they run for miles. When you think about installing dark wood flooring in your home, especially rich-looking dark wood, you probably wonder about the cost.

Real wood flooring can definitely be pricey, and maintenance and up-keep isn’t far from being costly as well. At Better Decorating Bible, we always try to get the look for less since most of our readers are wondering how to as well! One way to get this beautiful look for a lot cheaper is with engineered wood flooring.

If you haven’t heard of engineered wood flooring, then you’ve come to the right place! Engineered would looks and feels exactly like real hardwood flooring, that’s because partly it is! Engineered wood contains a slice of real wood on top of a high-quality plywood base. This makes it look exactly like real hardwood flooring, at half the price. If you are looking for a cheaper alternative to real wood, definitely give engineered hardwood flooring a consideration! If you are renovating your home to put it up for sale, engineered wood can make your home much more attractive to buyers since it can also be advertised as real wood flooring because partly it is.

Engineered wood and laminate wood flooring are usually mistaken for the same thing because they are a cheaper alternative to real wood flooring. Laminate flooring is a much lower-quality option to real hardwood floors and differs a lot from engineered. Laminate is so much thinner, and its top layer is not made from real wood, it’s made from a photographic layer (similar to a higher quality photo of wood just glued on the surface). This makes is susceptible to easy scratches, peeling, and looking really beaten up in 1-2 years of constant use.

If you are looking for a good quality alternative and something cheaper than real wood flooring, give engineered flooring a consideration. Before you dive into any renovation project, make sure to do your research, plan your budget, and take home samples to avoid expensive mistakes and costs in the future!