Floor Refinishing

Floor refinishing restores worn surfaces by sanding away damage and applying fresh stain, sealant, or coating to bring them back to life. While hardwood is the most commonly refinished material, concrete, tile, and other floor types can also benefit from professional refinishing treatments. Whether you're addressing scratches, fading, or years of everyday wear, Angi connects you with local pros and provides helpful guides to make your floor refinishing project a success.

Related to Floor Refinishing

Floor Refinishing Articles and Advice
Kate Fann  •  May 3, 2026
Should You Paint or Refinish Floors First?
Struggling to narrow down your project timeline when deciding whether to paint or refinish floors first? Here's how to figure out your next steps.
Mariel Loveland  •  May 3, 2026
How Long Does It Take to Refinish Hardwood Floors?
Planning a refinishing project? This guide will walk through how long it takes to refinish hardwood floors, including what will slow down your timeline.
Stacey L. Nash  •  May 3, 2026
What’s the Difference Between Hardwood Floor Resurfacing and Refinishing?
Hardwood floor resurfacing and refinishing are similar but produce different results. Your budget and timeline can help you decide which is better for your floors.
Stephanie Mickelson  •  May 3, 2026
Can I Refinish Engineered Hardwood Floors to Restore Their Beauty?
Engineered hardwood floors are an alternative to solid wood, but what if they’re showing wear and tear? We’ll help you figure out whether you can refinish them.
Ginny Bartolone  •  May 2, 2026
Considering Distressed Wood Flooring? Here's What to Keep in Mind
If you've always daydreamed about the distressed wood flooring of a Victorian home, you could skip the required wear-and-tear of a few hundred years with this common design trend.
Lauren Bongard  •  May 2, 2026
How Often Should You Refinish Hardwood Floors?
Keep your wood floors looking their best. Learn how often to refinish hardwood floors, what it costs, and if you can do it yourself.
Kate Fann  •  May 2, 2026
Refinishing Wood Steps: A Step-by-Step Guide for Handy Homeowners
With the right tools, materials, and a bit of patience, refinishing wood steps can be a cost-effective way to transform your staircase.
Stacey L. Nash  •  May 2, 2026
How to Refinish Hardwood Floors: A Step-by-Step Guide
Say goodbye to scratches and stains, and breathe new life into worn-out floors with the basic steps of how to refinish hardwood floors.
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Common Floor Refinishing Questions

Consider these recommendations for upgrading your flooring: Buffing is recommended for flooring with minor scratches and scuffs that can be filled, creating a new-looking shine. 

Refinishing your floors includes removing the top layer of wood floors, exposing new wood to stain, finish, or wax. This method is best when you have deeper scratches that cannot simply be filled. 

Replacing your flooring is best when it's been sanded and refinished numerous times, when unpleasant odors are coming from the floor, or when it has excessive wear and tear.

A floor polisher won’t remove scratches from a wood floor, but the polish can fill in surface scratches and make them all but invisible. If you run your fingernail gently over the scratch and it doesn’t catch, chances are that the polish will hide it. If it does catch, you might want to have your floors fully refinished, and you might need to have a professional floor sander in for particularly deep scratches. When in doubt, call a professional floor polisher to determine if polish will fill in your scratches or if you need more in-depth services.

The cost to polish floors averages around $200 per room, but you could pay anywhere from $100 to $300. Some factors that influence the total cost of floor polishing include the following:

  • Square footage of flooring

  • Type of floor 

  • Whether you need floor repairs done beforehand

  • Whether or not you want professional floor cleaning done beforehand

Since square footage is the most significant cost factor, you might get a more accurate estimate by using the average cost per square foot for floor polishing, which is between $1.00 and $2.50.

Yes, professionals can change the stain color during refinishing by stripping old finishes and applying new stain. They offer expert color matching and application methods, resulting in a refreshed look that aligns with the homeowner's design preferences.

Yes, vinegar can remove polyurethane from wood, but it is a slow, inefficient, and inconsistent restoration method. Whatever your intention, it’s best to avoid using vinegar on wood with a polyurethane finish—though it can be an effective cleaner for other wood finishes.