Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Raleigh, NC

Sometimes. It depends entirely on wear-layer thickness. We cut at a floor vent and measure: 3mm or more of real wood above the core can take a full sand, 2mm gets one light pass, and anything thinner cannot be sanded safely. We check before quoting rather than after starting.

A solid 3/4-inch floor has 4 to 6 sandings in it across its life, because each pass removes roughly 1/32 inch of wood. As long as there is 1/16 inch above the tongue, the floor can be refinished again. We measure existing thickness at the estimate and tell you where yours stands.

A properly maintained solid hardwood floor lasts 80 to 100 years, refinished every 8 to 12 years along the way. The wood outlives the finish many times over. Engineered floors last 20 to 40 years depending on wear layer. Failure is almost always moisture, not foot traffic.

A screen-and-recoat works when the old finish is only scuffed and never worn through to bare wood. It is one day and costs far less. But it cannot remove stains, pet damage, deep scratches, or change color. We tell you honestly at the estimate which one your floor actually needs.

Water-based finish is dry to the touch in two hours and takes socked feet at 24 hours. Move furniture back at 72 hours, and wait two weeks before laying area rugs so the finish can cure fully underneath. Oil-based finish needs about a week before furniture returns.

Every machine — drum sander, edger, and buffer — is hosed to a sealed vacuum unit that captures sanding dust at the cutting head instead of bagging it in your room. Combined with plastic at the doorways, it removes the vast majority of airborne dust. It is not literally zero dust; nobody's is.