Baby’s First Christmas – it’s been quite a few years since we’ve had one of those happen around our house! We’re expecting a new grandson any day now, and I had almost forgot just how fun it is to shop for a tiny human. When JCPenney asked me to create a holiday gift guide for […]
The post Baby’s First Christmas Gift Guide appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.
When the days grow shorter, the air gets cooler and the leaves get a little prettier, my family loves to build a good bonfire. It’s our favorite way to chill out and spend some un-plugged family time together. But before we build a fire, first we fill our bellies with some good, warm food. Our standard […]
The post Hidden Valley Ranch Cheese Bread appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.
The answer is generally yes, assuming that you have solid hardwood floors.
I often have customers moving into new homes with pre-finished hardwood in some sections. Some don’t like the color, others don’t like the sheen (many pre-finished woods are glossy which is a dated look and shows scratches more).
So, we naturally get the question, “Can you refinish pre-finished floors?”
The answer is generally “yes,” as long as the pre-finished (or site finished) floors are solid hardwood. If the flooring is engineered hardwood, the answer is usually “No.”
The same equipment and process is used to refinish both site finished and pre-finished wood, although sanding pre-finished wood is bit more challenging and take a bit longer (see video towards the end of this article). Pre-finished (or factory finished) vs. site finished wood has no impact on the structure, thickness or integrity of the wood. “Prefinished” simply means that it was it was finished in a factory prior to installation.
You can read more about the differences with solid vs engineered hardwoods in this article: Solid vs engineered hardwood. As a general rule, solid hardwood can be refinished, but most engineered hardwoods can not. (This of course depends on they quality of the wood, thickness of top layer and installation method (see below).
If it’s floating…meaning that it’s not attached to the floor. Often, if the floor moves, bounces or depresses under your feet, it’s a floating floor. You can read more about floating floors in this article – what is a floating floor? Floating floors can not be sanded and refinished as they will bounce and move when the sanding machines are put on them, so you will never get an even finish. Most floating floors are too thin to be refinished anyway, but yes, I have seen several customers “duped” by flooring stores telling them that the top layer is thick enough to be refinished…but that is only part of the equation; if it’s floating it can not be refinished.
If your flooring appears to be thin, chances are it’s engineered. Solid hardwood is generally 3/4″ thick where as most engineered hardwoods are 3/8″ or 1/2″ thick. The easiest way to determine the thickness is if you (or the previous owner) has extra pieces left over. Alternatively, if you have solid hardwood in part of the home and then what appears to be thinner in other areas, that may be a good indication. Sometimes, you can tell at the transition points (e.g. in closets) where you sometimes can see the profile of the wood or by lifting the heat registers in the floor (if they are on the ground).
If your flooring appears to be rotary sawn, there’s a good chance they are engineered. Solid hardwood (as the name implies is solid made of full pieces of wood. You tend to get a variety of grain variation in them. But many engineered woods, especially cheaper ones are rotary sawn. Think about how you may peel an apple. Rather than cutting slices, you are peeling the outside. Same thing with the wood – the log is rolled as a peeler peals it. They do this to conserve waste and save money. It makes the graining look more distorted. Many of my customer refer to it as the super fake stuff. Take a look at the picture on the right to see an example of rotary sawn wood.
If you are unsure if you have solid or engineered wood, and you can’t find “left overs” and get in touch with the previous homeowner (if it was done before you moved in), it’s often best to contact a local flooring contractor.
This is a great video from Ken Fisher which explains the process of refinishing pre-finished floors and how to eliminate (or reduce) the bevels. As you’ll see, refinishing pre-finished hardwood floors are a bit more challenging to do (and best left to the professionals). There are some extra steps in the process, so most places will charge a bit more.
Please note that the machines we use are a bit newer, and for prefinished floors, we do 2 sandings on the 45 degree angles (so it covers both directions).
One issue with some pre-finished floors is how well the installation was done. Sometimes, do-it-yourselfers and handymen attempt to install site-finished floors, and there are gaps between boards as the board aren’t as tight as they should be. And sometimes, there will be gaps against the walls (although often these can be fixed by adding shoe molding or quarter round).
Generally yes, if it’s solid hardwood.
If you live in Westchester County NY/Fairfield County CT, and you would like advice on refinishing your floors, please give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950.
View Westchester Hardwood Floor Refinishing in a larger map
The post Can you refinish prefinished floors? appeared first on The Flooring Girl.
*This post is sponsored by Kirkland’s Christmasland* Christmas is always a nostalgic time of year. Maybe it’s because we try to uphold family traditions, or that we’re trying to slow down and reconnect with things that really matter. The best Christmas memories I have with my family is those spent with my grandparents, where there […]
The post Christmas Caroling + a Hot Cocoa Bar appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.
Hello, Laura here from Left on Peninsula Road with a kids Christmas craft project for you. These colorful paint-marbled ornaments and garland only require a few supplies which you might already have on hand! Over the years we have amassed quite a collection of Christmas ornaments for our tree. It’s a really good thing we […]
The post Kids Christmas Craft: Holiday Garland appeared first on The Shabby Creek Cottage.
Before you move in, of course!
Why is that?
First, because you can’t walk on the floors while the work while the work is being done (as well as 24 hours afterwards.
Fourth, it’s generally less expensive and takes less time (as you don’t need to move the furniture and you can do the whole thing at once (rather than in 2 or more stages).
So what should you do if you have already moved in (and/or have lived in your house for a while)?
When you go on vacation!
I would say the “worst” time to refinish the floors is in August…not because the work comes out badly, but rather because it tends to be more humid then, so the drying process takes a bit longer. Generally mid-Aug to Mid-September is the most humid (at least here in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states).
I suppose here in the winter, especially in Jan/Feb when it snows often, things can also get a bit delayed if there is a blizzard and the roads are icy.
If I had to pick an ideal time, I would say spring or fall when the indoor temperature is most consistent with outdoor temperature and it’s often easy to open the windows (after the work is complete) to help air out the smell faster. But, really, sanding and refinishing hardwood can take place any time of year.
And, if you have a large area to do as well as lot of carpet to remove and a lot of furniture to move, you may add an additional 1 to 4 days on top of that…and of course, there may be some Sundays that fall in that time frame.
So plan ahead. If you are moving into a new home, plan to do the floors first and plan to have a place to stay. That could mean extending the time you stay in your current home (e.g. extend your lease, sell your house later, rent back your house, etc), or see if you can stay with friends or family or potentially stay in hotel. I’ve also seen times where people delay when their furniture is arriving and stay in the basement, and if need be, this can work.
If you do have the option to do the floors before you move in, you will most likely be happier (as well as avoid “redo” costs as it relates to painting (see below)) and removing the furniture and moving it back again.
These 2 articles should come in handy to avoid the common pitfalls:
Should you paint or do the floors first? Many don’t realize the ideal order…until after it’s too late.
How long does it take to sand and refinish hardwood floors?
If you live in Westchester County NY/Fairfield County CT, and you would like advice on refinishing your floors, please give The Flooring Girl a call at 914-937-2950.
View Westchester Hardwood Floor Refinishing in a larger map
The post When is the best time to sand and refinish hardwood floors? appeared first on The Flooring Girl.
