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  •  Apr 10, 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.
Gemma Johnstone  •  Apr 10, 2026
How to Hire a Pro to Refinish Dull Hardwood Floors
Learn what to ask and where to look when hiring someone to refinish hardwood floors to ensure they restore your boards to their former glory on budget.
Stephanie Mickelson  •  Apr 10, 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.
Mariel Loveland  •  Apr 10, 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.
Stephanie Mickelson  •  Apr 10, 2026
How to Strip and Wax Floors: A Step-by-Step Guide
If your floors are looking a little worse for wear, use our five-step guide to stripping and reapplying wax to make it look brand new.
Dan Simms  •  Apr 6, 2026
How to Fix Water-Damaged Hardwood Floors Step-by-Step
Dealing with the aftermath of a leak or a flood? Learn how to fix water-damaged wood floors by yourself to save on water remediation costs.
Stacey L. Nash  •  Apr 5, 2026
How to Buff Hardwood Floors: A Step-by-Step Guide
If your wood floor has seen better days, you can try buffing it instead of replacing it. Learn how to buff a hardwood floor to give it a new lease on life.
Lauren Wellbank  •  Apr 4, 2026
How to Prep Your Hardwood Floors for Refinishing
Refinishing your hardwood floors can be an overwhelming undertaking. Follow these steps to make sure you’ve fully prepared your flooring to be refinished before getting started on your floor renovations in order to avoid any mishaps down the line.
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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.