If you are looking to transform your entire home, hardwood floor refinishing can be a fantastic solution. At Hudson Floor Group, we take absolute pleasure in refinishing and bringing old wood floors back to life.
Our hardwood floor refinishing process starts with a free in person consultation. We will come to your home or office and assess the current condition of your hardwood floors. Next, we will determine the correct grit to use and the proper grit sequence to use when sanding the floors.
We will then discuss the stain color to use on the floors. After that we will review some of our mocked up stain samples. We have the option to either match back to the existing color of your hardwood floors or stain the floors a new color. Another option is to do away with stain and finish the floors in its natural state.
After stain color has been decided, the next step of the hardwood floor refinishing process is to determine the type of finish you prefer. There are 2 main types of varnish or finishing solution that is used to complete the refinishing process. There is oil based polyurethane and there is water based polyurethane. Both come in Matte, Satin, or Semi Gloss finish. Both offer great protection; however, here are the differences.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing: Oil-Based Polyurethane
Oil-based poly offers superior protection, enriches stain color and provides a deep glow finish. Each coat of oil based takes a full 24 hours to dry. Oil polyurethane also has a high VOC and odor because it contains a higher solid count within its chemical makeup. This makes it more durable than water based polyurethane. If using oil based polyurethane, our standard process is to apply 2 coats of oil based polyurethane finish. However, we often apply 3 coats for high traffic areas or for clients who want a bit more protection.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing: Water-Based Polyurethane
Water-based polyurethane is referred to as “waterborne polyurethane”. It offers great protection and is definitely more eco-friendly than oil based poly. It is especially good to use if you are looking to finish hardwood in its natural color with no stain. We recommend using a water based polyurethane from Bona. We find that our high rise building and multi-family clients, and clients with young children prefer to use water based polyurethane because of the low VOC and low odor. This ensures that the clients and the neighbors of the surrounding apartment units do not have to inhale the fumes and odor of oil based polyurethane.
While oil deepens the stain color, water based goes on as a clear finish and does not alter the color at all. This is especially good to use if you are trying to achieve a lighter color such as a white wash or a gray wash stain.
The best thing about water based polyurethane is that it drys super fast.
The standard process of sanding, staining, and application of oil based polyurethane takes 3-4 days. If using water based polyurethane, the standard process will take a maximum of 2 days. The down side of using water based polyurethane is that it is a lot more expensive than oil based polyurethane. It can be at least double if not sometimes triple the price depending on the brand and finish. Additionally, water based polyurethane requires a minimum of 3 coats while oil based polyurethane requires a minimum of 2 coats. Contact us today to learn more or too schedule your hardwood floor refinishing service.
