What Is The Cost Of Wood Floor Refinishing?

A hardwood floor adds elegance to a home.

It complements any home decor. It is durable, but regular heavy footfall can dull its shine, discolor it, and eventually reduce its beauty.

However, it gives the option of refinishing that rejuvenates the floor. The cost of wood floor refinishing is lesser than reinstalling or replacing it. But the expense varies based on various factors. Before we check these, let’s look at the average costs you can expect.

Note:Laminate and engineered hardwood floors are hard to refinish. You can refinish a natural hardwood floor many times, but engineered hardwood can only withstand the process once or twice, whereas you cannot refinish laminate floors.

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Average Cost to Refinish Wood Floors

The average cost of refinishing wood floors ranges from $1,150 to $2,500. But if your floor is of higher quality, the actual price may differ based on many factors.

The average cost per square foot to refinish wood floors is about $3 to $8 per square foot, and it varies depending on the total area requiring refinishing and the complexity of the work.

For instance, homeowners may need to pay more per square foot to refinish one room than an entire house.

Elements to Consider When Calculating Wood Floor Refinishing Cost

Calculate the money you need to spend to prevent exceeding the budget. The cost of wood floor refinishing, as we mentioned before, will depend on many factors.

Material Costs: The items include a top coat, stain, plastic sheeting, vacuums, a sanding belt, drum sander, and other materials for preparation or repair. If you plan to refinish a larger area, you must spend more on the top coat and stain.

Area Size: You need to spend more money to refinish more square footage. A 225 square feet (15×15 foot) room may cost approximately between $675 and $1,125.

Labor: The labor for wood floor installation costs between $2 and $5 per square foot.
Additionally, it will depend on the preparation work the floor requires, your home’s location, the required sanding, and your area’s accessibility.

Location: The home’s location can influence the cost of wood floor refinishing service. For example, you will pay much higher in total for the labor if you live in an urban area where everything is expensive.

Preparation: It will involve cleaning, wood board replacement, and repairs. The floor’s current state will influence the intensity of preparation work. If your hardwood floor has deep gouges and scratches, water damage, fading, and staining, it will need more time to prepare, increasing the material and labor costs.

Sanding: Sanding wood floors can cost about $.50 to $3 per square foot. The pros do it with large drum sanders and belt sanders.

Staining: It will cost you about $1 and $3 per square foot. The cost can differ depending on the type and quality of the stain and the area’s labor price. Average stains may cost about $30 per gallon, and premium ones can be about $100 per gallon.

Coating: Water-based coating will cost you about $25 to $50 per gallon, and water or oil-based polyurethane coating will cost you somewhere between $20 and $40 per gallon.

DIY Wood Floor Refinishing Cost

It might seem like DIYing refinishing will save money instead of choosing a wood floor refinishing service, but it is often the opposite if you are not a professional. Refinishing uses different types of sanders, and they are tricky. One wrong step can permanently ruin the flooring. However, if you want to know how much it costs, here is a breakdown.

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You can rent a floor sander for about $100 per day.

You can rent a belt sander to sand small areas like a closet for approximately $60 to $100 per day.

You need to spend $100 on sandpaper for a medium-sized project.

Rent an edger for $37.

An average refinishing job will require you to pay about $30 to $45 for stain.

Expect to spend another $165 to $360 on varnish.

Other expenditures include paintbrushes, knee pads, eye protection, dust masks, mop, and rags.

You can assume the overall cost of wood floor refinishing from the above breakdown.

As for refinishing it, floorers must sand the first layer to remove any blemish, restain it, and seal it with a top-coat finish to improve the floor’s appearance and lifespan. The cost of wood floor repair also varies depending on these factors.

Hardwood floor refinishing is complex.

We recommend you hire professionals to do the job for you.