Finding a shining star

Remember when your wood floors were a source of beauty and pride? Before wear and tear made them a sore spot? If not, it may be time to bring back that new-floor feeling. But be prepared for what can be a pretty unpleasant new floor smell, and a few messy and inconvenient days. Also be prepared to do your homework when selecting a refinishing firm.

First, decide if you really need to refinish your floors. The answer is yes if:

Bare wood is exposed in more than one or two areas.

There are stains you just can’t live with.

The surface has yellowed or become discolored.

You want a different color stain.

These problems can only be addressed by sanding and refinishing.

Bear in mind, floors can be sanded a finite number of times. Repeated sandings expose the interlocking grooves between boards. Solidwood floors are generally ¾-inch thick when new and will hold up to sanding three or more times. Engineered hardwood floors can also be sanded and refinished but typically hold up for only one sanding.

Surface finishes are the most common; they coat the surface of the floor and create a seal that protects the wood beneath it. Surface finishes are most commonly polyurethane. Once applied, they dry and harden on top of the wood. When you touch the floor you touch the finish, not the wood itself.

Penetrating finishes are much less common and substantially different from surface finishes. Oil is applied to bare wood, penetrating and sealing the surface. The floor is then waxed and buffed. The wax provides sheen and protection, and must be reapplied periodically. When you touch a floor with a penetrating finish, it will feel like you’re touching the wood itself. It’s less protective than surface finishes, but looks and feels more like the natural wood. Wax is making a bit of a comeback, as it is nontoxic and emits very low VOCs.

If you have a surface finish, no bare wood is exposed, and your floors are in generally good shape, consider recoating. That skips the sanding, takes less time, and can cost less than half the price of a full sanding and refinishing job.

If your floor’s finish has worn through to bare wood in only a small area, a refinisher may be able to restore the area without sanding and refinishing the entire floor. But you may sacrifice something in terms of appearance, since it’s difficult — and sometimes impossible — to match exactly the appearance of a refinished small area to the rest of the floor. Spot treatments should usually be limited to areas that measure less than two square feet or so.

When it comes to choosing a refinisher, take care. Checkbook collected ratings from Bay Area Consumers and many reported receiving pretty lousy service. Start by reviewing Checkbook’s ratings of local floor refinishing businesses, available for free for the next month to Chronicle readers via https://www.check book.org/CHRONICLE/ floor-refinishers.

And get multiple estimates. Checkbook’s undercover shoppers obtained quotes from a sample of Bay Area refinishers for sanding and refinishing two rooms totaling 500 square feet and were quoted prices ranging from $1,000 to $1,750 using a waterbased finish.

Once you choose a firm, ask about:

Stained or damaged areas. Some stains (pet stains are notorious) can be impossible to remove, even with sanding. You can have damaged wood replaced, but that raises the price. Ask for a recommendation and an estimated price for dealing with it.

Baseboard/quarterround moldings. Some refinishers prefer to sand right up to the moldings and leave them as they are, rather than remove them. Because this can leave scratches and marks on the molding, and a small visible edge of unsanded flooring below the molding, you might want to insist on having quarter-round moldings removed and replaced.

Stain selection. Especially if you want it to match another area, the company should apply stain samples for your approval.

What finish the company recommends. Also ask how many coats will be applied, and specify whether you want gloss, semi-gloss, or a satin finish.

Material Safety Data Sheets for all solvents. The refinisher is required to provide them. If you are particularly concerned about VOCs and odors, ask if the company has experience with, and can recommend, low- or no-VOC products.

How the company handles

dust and cleanup. Some companies use “dustless systems.” These systems help, but there’s really no such thing as dustless floor refinishing. Preparation. Some companies take up carpeting or move furniture—but remember that floor refinishers are unlikely to be insured for damage they cause while moving furniture and belongings. Sealing off areas. Make sure about covering heating/cooling vents and separating work areas from other areas in your home. Work schedule. If you are refinishing only one or two rooms, you can probably live around the inconvenience. But for large common areas, plan to get out of there for days or even a week. Get a guarantee. At a minimum, request a year on workmanship and finish, against defects like cracking, peeling, bubbling, and clouding. Payment terms. Don’t pay in full until work is complete. Insurance. Make sure the company can provide proof of workers’ compensation and general liability insurance. A written contract. The contract should state a price and all agreed-to terms—type of finish, number of coats, stain (if any), how moldings will be treated, dust protection systems, schedule, payment schedule and guarantee.