We sand off the old finish and a thin layer of wood, stain it if you want a new color, then lay down fresh coats of finish. Most solid hardwood can be refinished several times. The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) says to stop sanding once less than 3/32 inch of wood is left above the tongue. One to three rooms usually takes us four to seven days.

Can my floor be refinished?

It comes down to how much wood is left. Each sanding takes off 1/32 to 1/16 inch, according to NWFA.

How many times a floor can be sanded
Floor	What the trade says
Solid wood, about 1/4 inch or more of wear layer	NWFA: most can be sanded six to eight times. One trade expert says up to about five, keeping 1/8 inch above the groove.
Engineered wood	Wear layers run 1/16 to 1/4 inch. Below 3/32 inch (about 2.4 mm), don’t sand. How many times depends on the wear layer you have, so we measure it.
Wire-brushed or heavily textured	NWFA lists textured floors with uneven surface depth as ones that can’t be refinished the normal way.
Beveled-edge boards	Sanding takes the bevel off.

We can measure without tearing anything up. At a heating vent or a doorway transition you can see the wood layer from the side. On solid wood, a feeler gauge slipped down between boards to the tongue also works (NWFA). Nail heads get set below the surface before we sand.

Boards that are eaten, rotted or cupped past saving, and engineered floors with a paper-thin top layer, need new wood first. See floor repair.

There may be hardwood under your carpet, and it’s worth a look. We pull carpet and can tell you what shape the wood is in.

Full sanding or screen and recoat?

A screen and recoat scuffs the old finish and adds a fresh coat. NWFA says a maintenance recoat may be enough unless the floor has visible dents, wear patterns or permanent cupping. It costs less and goes faster. It can’t change the color or fix a floor worn through to bare wood.

Before a recoat, the floor has to be tested for wax, polish or grease. New finish won’t stick over them.
Wipe a worn spot with a damp towel. If the dull look goes away, a recoat will probably work. If it stays dull, the finish is worn through and the floor needs sanding.
Recoating a prefinished floor can void the maker’s warranty, so check first. Aluminum-oxide factory finishes also take much longer to sand, and trade guidance says to expect a bid 30 to 40 percent higher.

What happens, step by step

Prep. Furniture comes out, carpet or old flooring comes up, baseboards get taped.
Repair. We fix bad boards and subfloor. Termite or water damage is cut out and new wood laced in.
Sand. Coarse paper levels the floor, then finer papers take out the scratches. Edges and corners get their own pass. Manufacturers typically want the last cut between 80 and 120 grit before stain.
Color. Stain or tint goes on, blended across mixed woods. On some woods a water pop, a light wetting that opens the grain, helps the stain take evenly.
Finish. Coats of polyurethane or oil, lightly abraded between coats. The main waterborne products need two coats minimum, and a third is recommended for heavy traffic.
Cure. The floor dries, then hardens over days to weeks depending on the product.

The grit sequence depends on the floor’s starting condition, so we look at yours before we plan it.

What about the dust?

Sanding makes a lot of fine dust. A 2025 trade article says systems that connect the sander to a HEPA vacuum capture up to 99.8 percent of it, though not all systems are equal and poor hose and shroud seals undercut them. On a good job site, doorways are taped off with plastic, heating and air returns are closed off, and vents are covered.

How long does it take, and when can I walk on it?

Refinishing one to three rooms takes us four to seven days. Furniture goes back three days after the last coat, rugs after 30. There’s no standard number of days per room, because the floor, the finish and the weather all change it. Bona, the first finish on our list, is in the table below. For drying and cure times, go by the data sheet for the exact product going on your floor.

Drying and curing, from manufacturer data sheets
Finish	Between coats	Light foot traffic	Full cure
Waterborne polyurethane (Bona Traffic HD)	2 to 3 hours	About 24 hours	3 days; no rugs until cured
Waterborne polyurethane (Bona Mega ONE)	2 to 3 hours	See data sheet	5 days
Oil-modified polyurethane (Masterline 550)	8 hours	Wait overnight	About 30 days; rugs after that
Hardwax oil (Ciranova)	About 6 hours	About 24 hours	About 7 days

Our rule is 30 days after the last coat before rugs go down. NWFA’s minimum is seven. Keep pets off until the floor has cured, and put felt pads on furniture from day one.

Which finish should I choose?

Floor finishes compared
Finish	Look	Notes	VOC, g/L
Waterborne polyurethane	Clear, does not yellow	Fast drying, less odor, good wear	0 to 450 (NWFA)
Oil-modified polyurethane	Amber, deepens with age	Slow, forgiving, stronger odor	About 275 to 550
Hardwax oil	Natural, low sheen	Easy spot repair; needs maintenance oil every few years	Near zero
Conversion varnish	Amber	Very durable; strong fumes	About 725

Sheen changes how a floor looks. Data sheets put satin at about 15 to 25 percent gloss and extra matte at 7 to 10. Lower sheens hide scratches and dust better. The Santa Barbara and Ventura County air districts limit solvent content (VOCs) in coatings, so ask any contractor which finish they use and its VOC rating.

Color and mixed woods

Red oak and white oak take the same stain differently, and older houses often have both after additions or repairs. We matched 80-year-old red oak to new white oak in a Santa Barbara house; the color matching page shows how.

In NWFA’s 2025 survey, 63 percent of members choose white oak, with gray and red tones declining and natural, light and brown tones gaining. Gray and whitewash are the hardest colors to get right. Red oak’s pink undertone won’t come out, oil finishes add yellow, and waterborne finish over white oak can pull tannins and leave brown marks. Before you commit, have a sample laid on your own floor, about three feet square. You can try colors in the floor designer first.

Getting your home ready

Clear the room. Rugs and furniture go out or into another room.
Expect dust and fumes. NWFA suggests windows open and two box fans, one blowing in and one out. Finish odor is normal and usually not harmful.
Keep pets and children out until the floor has cured.
If your house was built before 1978, ask about lead-safe work. See older homes.

Mistakes to avoid

Sanding a cupped floor before it has dried. It can crown later.
Recoating over wax or polish without testing.
Sanding an engineered floor with a thin top layer.
Putting rugs down too early, or using rubber-backed pads that mark the finish.

Hardwood floor refinishing