If you are thinking of buying an older home with original hardwood floors (oak, parquet, pine, etc.), Mike Ruzanka with Armorshine Floors is going to share what you need to know before you get the floors refinished. Mike has been in business for 42 years in Jacksonville, FL. Armoshine Floors specializes in the installation, sanding, and finishing of all wood floors, soft floors, and Luxury Vinyl Tile floors.

What is the Benefit of Refinishing A Hardwood Floor?

Installing new hardwood floors can be pretty pricey right now. New hardwood floor installation can run between $13 to $17 per square foot. If you have original hardwood floors, they are worth their weight in gold. If you think about how much it cost to put new floors in, it is very costly. You already have it. All you have to do is make sure your original hardwood floors look nice and they will last for years to come.

How Much Does it Cost to Refinish Hardwood Floors?

With the price of polyurethane and sandpaper going up, refinishing jobs jumped from $3 per square foot to $4.50 per square foot. If you are going with a water base, like what is needed for a pickle white, you have to select a polyurethane that doesn’t yellow. We usually go with Traffic – a commercial grade that is 5 times tougher than regular polyurethane. Traffic is made for white floors though to ensure no issues. That usually runs about $5.95 per square foot. Overall, refinishing a hardwood floor can run between $3 to $4.50 per square foot. A minimum job, like a small dining room, is at least $1,995. It takes us 5 days to do a job no matter what.

What is the Process to Refinish a Floor?

First, it depends if you need carpet and staples removed. That will take a lot longer than anticipated when you take up the carpet. We usually charge about $65 a room to remove the carpet and staples. We will haul the carpet to the curb and a company comes to take it away. The homeowner will pay for that service. Usually we come in and sand and finish. Our sanding schedule does 4 sanding rounds. First, we use 50 grit sandpaper to remove the old finish and varnish. Then we go over the floors with 100 grit sandpaper. Next we buff it one way and then buff it another way. Sometimes we also pop the floors with water and alcohol. That opens the wood grains and gives the stain a more uniform look. After the stain, we put a seal coat on. The seal coat usually dries overnight. Then two other solid top coats after that.

Do You Have to Stain the Wood?

A lot of people go natural. All you have to do is put a polyurethane sealer on the floor and it brings out the true colors of your reds and whites. Red oak has a pink cast to it. White oak has a tan cast to it. You can tell right off the bat when you sand it. If you are not sure, you can put a little bit of mineral spirits on it. The mineral spirits bring out the color and then you know what type of floor it is.

If I Use a Stain, Should I Use a Water or Oil-based Stain?

On this floor here, we put an oil-based polyurethane for the top coats. The reason we did that is the oil-based stains are a resin-base material. When the floor contracts and expands, it kind of gives and moves a little. With acrylic water base, it has a tendency to crack because it is an acrylic. It doesn’t have the elasticity that the resin in the oil-based stains has.

Can I Live at Home When You Refinish My Floors?

If you are getting your living room, your bedrooms, or your hallway off your bedroom done, you can’t stay in the home. You will need to go stay somewhere else during the process. If it is just one room or a couple rooms removed from where you sleep or spend most of your time, you can stay while we do the process. The fumes are a little strong. I would not recommend babies, birds, or animals in here. It wont harm a human being but it will make their eyes water and their nose run.

How Often Do Floors Need to be Refinished?

You won’t need to refinish your floors for at least another 20 years. I did a job for a woman in 2003 and now in 2023, her floors still look great.

Why Use Armorshine Floors?

Customer Service is the main reason. When you tell a customer you are going to be at a job, you got to be there. We are reliable.

To Learn more about the Floor Refinishing Process or to Get a Quote from Armorshine Floors, you can contact Mike at 904-721-0964 or mike@armorshinefloors.com

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