What’s The Difference Between Staining and Refinishing Hardwood Floors?
Hardwood floors are highly durable and radiate an aesthetic aura that can last for decades. Simply put, they are timeless in their essence. Still, like any other décor or functional feature in your home, they will need timely maintenance to overcome the wear and tear they experience over time. Staining and refinishing can help you restore the look and functionality of your hardwood flooring. However, it is common for homeowners to wonder whether they should choose staining or refinishing.
So, how is hardwood floor staining different from refinishing? This guide explains and equips you with helpful insights.
Main Differences
The key differences between hardwood floor refinishing and staining are as follows:
- Depth of Sanding: While sanding is usually involved in both processes, refinishing involves deeper sanding to expose the fresh wood. Staining, on the other hand, generally involves light sanding to just even out the surface.
- Restoration: While staining is recommended for surfaces with minor wear, refinishing is commonly used to restore heavily damaged floors having deep scratches, discoloration, and gouges.
Floor refinishing is a more comprehensive and extensive process to restore your hardwood flooring. It involves various steps including sanding, filling, staining, and coating. On the other hand, staining involves light sanding, staining, and optional topcoat application.
What is Staining?
Staining allows you to change your hardwood floor’s color without the need to change the wood. It is commonly used to update your floor’s current look. It is focused on restoring the protective layer and can also be considered if you notice:
- Scratches
- Fading due to sun exposure
- Water spots
- Graying
- Sticky feel
- Uneven color or finish across the floor
Benefits of Staining Hardwood Floor
Staining can not only improve the floor’s look and feel but also enhance the room. It can help improve the floor’s shine, warmth, color, and depth.
Some of the key benefits of hardwood floor staining are as follows:
- Helps achieve the beauty of dark wood. Natural wood is generally light in color, but staining can help achieve a rich and deep color.
- Allows you to create the look of your preferred wood type.
- Helps bring out the natural patina and highlight the wood’s grain.
What is Refinishing?
When your hardwood floor is first installed, it will have a layer of stain or finish. Refinishing involves a series of steps to restore not only the original color but also overcome any surface damage.
Signs that You Need Refinishing
You should consider refinishing in the following situations:
- The finish has been damaged or has worn out
- The floor color has faded away due to UV exposure
- The floor has become dull due to dirt or dust buildup
- There are a lot of scratches on the floor
- There is dirt and dust buildup that causes a sticky feel
The process of refinishing typically begins with sanding to remove the finish and restore the hardwood’s original color. If your floor’s stain has a color or tone, it will be removed during sanding. Once all the dust is removed, a new stain can be applied.
Benefits of Refinishing Hardwood Floor
Refinishing allows you to give your hardwood floor a new look without having to spend on replacement. Regardless of how durable hardwood is, your floor will naturally dull out due to wear and exposure to the elements. Refinishing not only restores its glow but also adds layers of protection.
A refinish can help address any repair needs related to damages or stains. If there are any scars or scratches, sanding can remove them and the refinish can give a new look to your floor. When you want to remodel your room without installing a new floor, you should consider refinishing.
