Hardwood Floor Refinishing & Restoration in Atlanta
Classy Flooring ATL refinishes and restores hardwood floors across metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Every floor is sanded to bare wood with dust collection at the machines, colored from samples applied to your own floor, and finished with a professional system chosen for the wood and the way the room is used: a water-based system — Bona Traffic HD, LOBA 2K Duo, or Berger-Seidle AquaSeal CeramicStar — or Rubio Monocoat hardwax oil where a natural matte finish fits the floor.
Refinishing starts at $6.00 per square foot for projects of $4,500 and up; smaller projects are priced by the job. Dustless sanding is included in every refinishing project.
Claudiu visits every floor before anything is scheduled: he checks how much wood is left to sand, what is on the surface now, and what needs repair, and you receive a written estimate that itemizes the repairs, the color work, and the finish system.
We refinish floors in Atlanta, Buckhead, Sandy Springs, Brookhaven, Dunwoody, Roswell, Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, and Braselton, along with surrounding North Georgia communities.
What is the best way to refinish hardwood floors?
Sand the floor to bare wood, repair what needs repair, choose the color on the floor itself, and finish it with one manufacturer’s complete system applied the way its data sheet specifies. Each step below is how we do it.
Evaluation: how much wood is left to sand
A floor can be refinished only while there is enough wood above the tongue to sand. NWFA’s sanding guidelines generally advise against sanding below about 3/32 inch (2.4 mm), and on engineered flooring the wear layer can be thinner than that. Claudiu checks the wear layer, the finish currently on the floor, and any cupping, gaps, or damaged boards before the scope is written. A cupped floor is sanded only after it has dried and returned close to flat; sanding it earlier is what leaves a floor crowned.
Repairs and lace-ins
Damaged boards are replaced before sanding, woven into the existing floor piece by piece so the repair carries the pattern of the floor around it. NWFA’s guidelines call for replacement boards within 2 percent moisture content of the existing floor. On a Buckhead home, the 21-inch gap left by a removed cabinet run was cut back to more than four feet so the new white oak could be staggered into the existing floor, and the whole floor was then sanded and finished as one surface.
Sanding with dust collection
The field is sanded with a belt sander at 40, 60, and 80 grit, the perimeter with an edger, and the floor is then refined and flattened with planetary sanders — the American Sanders Epoch and the FG Floortec Discus — at 100 and 120 grit. Every sanding machine runs connected to an FG Floortec dust-control vacuum with a DUSTIN separator, which captures the dust at the machine; cabinets, fixtures, and vents are covered in plastic before the first pass. A final 120 grit sits inside the 120-to-150 range Bona’s data sheets call for before finishing an unstained floor.
Color chosen on your own floor
Stain and sealer samples are applied directly to the sanded floor, in the room’s own light, and the color is chosen from those. On our Roswell heart pine project, six stain samples were applied in bands across the sanded floor after a dewaxed shellac wash coat evened the pine’s absorption; on our Red Oak Atlanta project, Bona NaturalSeal and Bona NordicSeal were sampled side by side a week before the start.
Claudiu completed DuraSeal color training.
One complete finish system
NWFA’s sanding and finishing guidelines recommend using the sealer and finish from one manufacturer’s system. Our water-based systems are Bona, with NordicSeal or NaturalSeal under Bona Traffic HD, a two-component finish that dries clear and colorless; LOBA, with EasyPrime under LOBA 2K Duo, a two-component finish applied with the intermediate sanding LOBA’s data sheet calls for; and Berger-Seidle, with AquaSeal FlexSealer under AquaSeal CeramicStar, as on our Big Canoe project. Where a natural matte finish fits the floor, we use Rubio Monocoat hardwax oil.
Cure and return to use
The timing comes from the finish’s data sheet. With Bona Traffic HD, the floor can be walked on after 24 hours, is about 80 percent cured after one day, and is fully cured in about three days; area rugs wait for full cure. LOBA 2K Duo reaches full cure in five days. NWFA’s guidelines call for clean socks on a curing floor, and for rugs to wait at least seven days after the final coat unless the finish manufacturer says otherwise. Claudiu gives the care instructions for your finish system in writing at the end of the project. For staying in the house, odor, and furniture, see Refinishing Hardwood Floors: Cost, Cure Time, and Can You Stay in the House?
Training behind the work
Classy Flooring ATL is led by Claudiu Toma, an NWFA Certified Installer, NWFA Certified Sand & Finisher and NWFA Certified Sales Advisor, who completed NWFA Precision Patterns: Parquet Flooring and NWFA Precision Patterns: Medallions. Every project is carried out by our in-house crew.
Claudiu Toma is a member of the National Wood Flooring Association.
Can hardwood floors be stained a different color?
Yes, once the floor is sanded to bare wood. Going darker is done with stain. Going lighter or more neutral is done with a white-pigmented sealer, such as Bona NordicSeal or Bona NaturalSeal. When two different species are both sanded, they can take different stains, because each species absorbs stain differently, as on the Big Canoe floor further down this page. When one floor stays untouched, the color of the refinished floor is carried in the finish and matched to it. Each route below is a floor we refinished, and the color was chosen from samples on that floor. More on our color matching work.
White oak that had turned yellow, refinished to a neutral tone — Hoschton
We installed and finished this white oak floor about 20 years earlier with an oil-based finish, and over the years it had turned amber. The yellow was in the finish, so sanding to bare wood removed it. We sampled Bona NaturalSeal first; the client wanted a more neutral tone, so two coats of Bona NordicSeal set the color, finished with two coats of Bona Traffic HD. NordicSeal carries twice the white pigment of NaturalSeal, Bona rates it non-yellowing, and Traffic HD dries clear and colorless. About 2,000 square feet, the staircase, and the landing were refinished in five days. See the Hoschton project.
Red oak refinished to a natural white oak look — Atlanta
The client wanted red oak to read as natural white oak, without stain or bleach. Two coats of Bona NaturalSeal — a sealer Bona designs to keep the look of unfinished wood, with a small amount of white pigment — counteract red oak’s pink undertone, and two coats of Bona Traffic HD satin were applied over it. The project covered about 1,500 square feet of existing floor, 160 square feet of new red oak in a former carpet room, and 30 stair treads, all sanded and finished as one surface. See the Red Oak Atlanta project.
White oak matched to an existing red oak floor — Dunwoody
The client refinished 700 square feet of white oak and kept the 300 square feet of red oak beside it as it was. The same stain on both species would have come out as two different colors, so the color went into the finish: LOBA EasyPrime with LOBA Whitener set the lightness, one coat of LOBA 2K Duo tinted with MIXOL No. 10 Red closed the gap to the red oak, and the final coat is clear, so the layer taking wear carries no color. See the Dunwoody project.
A warm amber rebuilt on heart pine — Roswell
A previous refinish had left this wide-plank heart pine pale and unevenly sanded. The floor’s original color was still under the refrigerator, where the wood had been shielded, and the homeowner chose against it in her own light. A wash coat of dewaxed shellac evened the pine’s absorption before six stain samples were applied to the sanded floor; the chosen color, two parts DuraSeal Nutmeg to one part Chestnut, was finished with LOBA EasyPrime and two coats of LOBA 2K Duo satin across about 1,250 square feet. See the Roswell project.
New and existing white oak stained as one floor — Buckhead
About 600 square feet of new white oak was installed across an addition and tied into 700 square feet of existing floor, with new boards laced in where a kitchen cabinet run had been removed, and the whole floor was sanded as one surface and stained to match the original color. DuraSeal Jacobean was chosen over Dark Walnut from samples on the client’s own floor, followed by LOBA EasyPrime and two coats of LOBA 2K Duo satin. See the Buckhead project.
How can I tell if my hardwood floors can be refinished?
Look at how much wood sits above the tongue. NWFA’s sanding guidelines generally advise against sanding a floor once less than about 3/32 inch (2.4 mm) of wood remains, so the wear layer decides whether a floor can be sanded again. You can see it at a floor vent, where lifting the cover shows the edge of a board; at a threshold; or on a leftover plank or box of the original flooring. Claudiu measures it on every floor before the scope is written.
Engineered floors
An engineered floor has a layer of real wood over a core, and its thickness is listed in the product’s specifications. On our Red Oak Atlanta project, we verified a 4 mm wear layer on a leftover box before sanding the 350-square-foot engineered basement floor, and its factory micro-bevels sanded fully out. The Canton floor carries a 2 mm wear layer, below the line, so its maintenance route is recoating as the flooring manufacturer directs; NWFA’s maintenance guidelines note that recoating a factory finish may void its warranty.
When replacement is the better route
A floor with no wear layer left is replaced rather than sanded again. In a Buckhead high-rise, the existing engineered floor had already been site-finished twice and then took water damage; with no wear layer left for a third refinish, it was replaced. A cupped floor is sanded only after it has dried and returned close to flat, because sanding it early leaves it crowned, and NWFA’s guide to floor problems notes that a crowned floor with less than 3/32 inch remaining may need replacement.
Water damage and pet stains
After water damage, the moisture source is corrected first; once the floor has dried, cupping often reduces, and localized damage can be repaired with a lace-in and full refinishing, as on the water-damaged red oak floor further down this page. Where a water event has ruined a glue-down floor, as at Atlantic Station, the floor is replaced. Deep pet stains stay in the wood after sanding: a darker color can carry them, while a light color will show them, so they decide the color direction as much as the sanding does.
More refinishing and restoration projects
Water-damaged red oak, laced in and refinished as one floor — Atlanta
A section of a red oak floor on a large open-plan first floor had to be removed after the mitigation company finished drying the house. We laced in new red oak boards piece by piece so the repair followed the existing layout, then sanded and refinished the full first floor as one continuous surface, stained DuraSeal Early American and finished with LOBA 2K Duo, so the repaired and existing boards carry one color and one sheen.
Client reviews
Client Review
★★★★★ 5-star review — Source: Google Business Profile
“We hired Classy Flooring ATL about 20 years ago to install and finish our hardwood floors, and we’ve loved them ever since. When it was time to refinish and refresh everything, we didn’t even think twice — we called the same team again.
We wanted a lighter, more modern look, and Claudiu walked us through several samples before we landed on Nordic Seal. The difference was exactly what we hoped for. They refinished our floors using a dustless process, and it made a big difference in keeping the house much cleaner than I expected during the work. They also refinished our stairs, and now everything flows together beautifully.
What I appreciate most is how professional and respectful they are in the house and how easy they are to communicate with. They explained the steps, showed up when they said they would, and the final result looks amazing. After working with them 20 years ago and again now, I can confidently recommend Classy Flooring ATL.”
— Ovidiu Dobrin
White Oak Refinishing with Bona NordicSeal — Hoschton, GA
Client Review
★★★★★ 5-star review — Source: Google Business Profile
“We had a fantastic experience with Claudio and his team refinishing the floors in our home. When we purchased the house, the floors were a mix of original 1940s hardwoods and newer additions, three different wood species in total, so we knew it wouldn’t be a simple job.
Claudio was incredible during the consultation process. I initially wanted a lighter finish, but he took the time to explain how each type of wood would absorb stain differently. Thanks to his guidance, we pivoted to a darker finish, and it was absolutely the right call. He worked closely with me to get the color just right and made sure the final result felt cohesive throughout the home.
The team was efficient, detail-oriented, and clearly had our best interest in mind from start to finish. We are beyond happy with how everything turned out — and we get compliments on our floors all the time!
I would absolutely use Claudio again and have already recommended him to others.”
— Kelly Ruddell
Atlanta, GA
Client Review
★★★★★ 5-star review — Source: Google Business Profile
“Five stars, hands down. Classy Flooring ATL is incredible to work with and delivers beautiful floors!!
From the very beginning, Claudiu’s team was professional, honest, and extremely communicative. Claudiu walked me through exactly what to expect, kept me updated daily with videos of the progress, and was transparent every step of the way. At one point, he even honored a pricing mistake that worked against him, which says everything about his integrity.
When I bought my home, the floors were in rough shape. The front half had heavily scuffed hardwood, and the back half was covered in worn carpet. Claudiu refinished the existing hardwood and installed new hardwood in the rest of the house, and the transformation was seamless. The floors look absolutely beautiful.
Then months later, I made the mistake of letting another contractor do my kitchen floors (he was already handling the kitchen remodel, and it was a small space)… and they completely messed it up. I called Claudiu and he came out, assessed the issue, and fixed it. Even though the wrong materials had been used, he got the floors to match as closely as possible and completely saved the space.
Claudiu set the bar so high that every contractor I’ve worked with since has been a disappointment. His level of communication and professionalism is exceptional.
Every person who walks into my home comments on how beautiful the floors are. One guest even thought they were luxury vinyl because of how clean and uniform they look. They’re not, they’re real hardwood, and that speaks to the quality of his work.
If you need flooring done, stop searching and call Claudiu. I only wish I had more floors for him to do.”
— J. H.
Atlanta, GA
Each project below is a floor we sanded and refinished, with its wood, color, finish system, and scope, and a link to the full project page.
White Oak Color Matched to Existing Red Oak — Dunwoody, GA
Service: Refinishing with color matching across species
Wood: White oak (refinished) matched to existing red oak (untouched)
Stain: None — the color is carried in the finish
Finish: LOBA EasyPrime with LOBA Whitener, followed by three coats of LOBA 2K Duo Satin, the second tinted with MIXOL No. 10 Red
Scope: 700 sq ft refinished white oak, matched to 300 sq ft of existing red oak in the adjoining living area
The client refinished the white oak and kept the red oak in the living area exactly as it was. That constraint decided the method. White oak and red oak absorb stain differently, so the same stain applied to both comes out as two different colors.
The color went into the finish instead. A white-pigmented sealer set the lightness, then a measured amount of red pigment was carried in the third of four coats and rolled across the full 700 square feet in one continuous application, from one end of the floor to the other. One tinted coat brought the white oak to where it needed to sit against the red oak; the floor was checked against the living area before the final coat, and that one coat was enough.
The fourth and final coat is clear, so the layer taking wear in a traffic lane has no color in it. See the full project — including the sealer selection, the tinting sequence, and why a tinted coat cannot be touched up — on our Hardwood Floor Color Matching project in Dunwoody.
Red Oak Refinished to a Natural White Oak Look — Atlanta
Service: Whole-house refinishing, new room installation, and engineered hardwood refinishing
Wood: Solid red oak (existing and new); prefinished engineered hardwood in the basement
Stain: None — the color comes from the sealer
Finish: Two coats of Bona NaturalSeal followed by two coats of Bona Traffic HD Satin
Scope: Approximately 1,660 sq ft total — about 1,500 sq ft refinished, 160 sq ft new red oak in a former carpeted room, and 30 stair treads
The client wanted red oak floors to read as natural white oak — pale and neutral, without red or amber tones, and without staining or bleaching. Bona NaturalSeal is a waterborne sanding sealer that Bona designs to retain the appearance of unfinished wood, with a small amount of white pigment in it. Applied in two coats over the bare red oak, that pigment counteracts the pink undertone and holds the boards close to the pale, neutral color of freshly sanded wood. Bona lists NaturalSeal as non-yellowing, and Bona Traffic HD, the finish over it, dries clear and colorless, so neither adds amber to the color the sealer sets.
The project also included two scopes beyond the main floors. The basement’s 350 square feet of prefinished engineered hardwood was sanded after we verified a 4 mm wear layer on a leftover box of the original flooring, above NWFA’s 3/32-inch sanding line. The former carpeted room received new red oak #1 common installed unfinished, then sanded and finished together with the existing floors, so the new room carries the same color and sheen as the boards beside it.
See the full project — including the side-by-side sealer sampling, the wear-layer verification, and the finish system — on our Red Oak Refinishing with a Natural White Oak Look project in Atlanta.
White Oak Refinishing with Lace-In Repair and New-Floor Integration — Buckhead, Atlanta
Service: Lace-in repair, new white oak installation, and full-floor refinishing
Wood: White oak (existing and new)
Stain: Jacobean by DuraSeal
Finish: One coat of LOBA EasyPrime followed by two coats of LOBA 2K Duo Satin
Scope: Approximately 1,300 sq ft — about 700 sq ft existing floor and 600 sq ft new
This project began when the client built an addition and removed the kitchen. That left a gap in the floor where the cabinet run had been, and a new addition with no flooring.
We laced new white oak into the cabinet run and installed roughly 600 square feet of new white oak across the addition to tie into the roughly 700 square feet of existing floor. The gap where the cabinets had been was 21 inches wide; we cut the existing floor back to more than four feet so the new boards could be staggered into the field and carry the pattern of the floor around them. The new white oak acclimated on site for four days, with its moisture content confirmed before installation.
The old and new floor was then sanded as one surface — belt sander at 40, 60, and 80 grit, edger, and FG Floortec Discus at 100 and 120 — with FG Floortec and DUSTIN dust collection throughout. The client compared DuraSeal Dark Walnut and Jacobean side by side on the bare floor and chose Jacobean to match the original color, finished with LOBA EasyPrime and two coats of LOBA 2K Duo satin.
See the full project — including the lace-in repair, sanding sequence, color match, and finish — on our White Oak Floor Refinishing and Lace-In project in Buckhead.
Heart Pine Refinishing with Color Rebuilding — Roswell, GA
Service: Refinishing with color rebuilding and surface correction
Wood: Heart pine, wide plank (existing)
Stain: DuraSeal Quick Coat — 2 parts Nutmeg to 1 part Chestnut
Finish: One coat of LOBA WS EasyPrime followed by two coats of LOBA WS 2K Duo Satin
Scope: Approximately 1,250 sq ft — two bedrooms, living room, kitchen, entry hallway; a crew of two, four working days
This floor had been refinished shortly before and came back pale, without the deep amber the pine had carried, and the surface had been sanded unevenly. The sanding carried both jobs: 40, 60, and 80 grit with the belt machine, then finishing passes at 100 and 120 with the FG Floortec Discus planetary sander, whose heads rotate independently of the machine and cross the boards in every direction to flatten the field.
The reference for the color was still on the floor. Pine beneath the refrigerator had been shielded from light and from the previous refinish, holding the floor’s earlier appearance intact beside the pale surface it had become. The homeowner could select against her own wood, in her own light.
Pine carries soft early wood and dense late wood within the same board, so stain applied to bare pine penetrates the soft bands and sits on the dense ones, and the finished color maps the density of the wood. A wash coat of dewaxed shellac — Zinsser SealCoat thinned six parts denatured alcohol to one part sealer — evens the absorption while leaving the wood open to take color. Six stain samples were then applied directly to the sanded floor in bands separated by strips of bare pine, and the homeowner chose the direction from those.
See the full project — including finding the original color, the sampling, and the flatness correction — on our Heart Pine Floor Refinishing project in Roswell.
White Oak Refinished from Yellow to Neutral — Hoschton, GA
Service: Whole-house refinishing, including the staircase and landing
Wood: White oak
Color: Two coats of Bona NordicSeal, no stain
Finish: Two coats of Bona Traffic HD
Scope: About 2,000 square feet, plus the staircase and landing, refinished in five days
The floors were sanded dustless, and the stairs and landing were refinished in the same system as the rest of the house. See the full Hoschton project.
Before
After
White Oak Refinished with Rubio Monocoat Linen — Buckhead, Atlanta
Service: Refinishing of existing white oak, main-level living areas
Wood: White oak (existing)
Color and finish: Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C in Linen; Rubio Monocoat Universal Maintenance Oil in Pure after a 72-hour cure
Scope: About 1,500 sq ft, plus custom wood vents in two profiles; a crew of three, five days, completed January 2026
The existing white oak had a warm, amber-leaning tone, and the boards were old, with movement and gaps from years of seasonal change. The sanding was staged for it: 36, 50, 80, 100, and 120 grit, with wood filler applied twice — after the 36-grit cut and again after the 50-grit cut — to close the gaps between boards that had moved. After the final grit, the floor was water popped to open the grain before the oil.
Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C is a hardwax oil that colors and protects the wood in a single coat. The color was chosen on the sanded floor itself: Linen and a 50/50 blend of Linen and Pure were taped out side by side beside the oak paneling we had refinished in the same home, and Linen was selected to match it. After a 72-hour cure — longer than the 48 hours Rubio allows once the surface is dry — Universal Maintenance Oil in Pure was applied over it. The custom wood vents were made to the openings, finished in the same Rubio system, and set flush with the floor. See the Buckhead Rubio Monocoat floor project and the oak wall paneling it was matched to.
Reclaimed Heart Pine Restoration with Wide-Gap Filling — Big Canoe, GA
Service: Whole-house sanding, repair, gap filling, and refinishing across three species
Wood: Century-old reclaimed heart pine and a white oak herringbone entrance (existing), and new southern yellow pine that had never been sanded
Finish: DuraSeal stain chosen from samples on the floor, Berger-Seidle AquaSeal FlexSealer, and Berger-Seidle AquaSeal CeramicStar
Scope: About 2,400 sq ft — roughly 1,200 sq ft of heart pine, 950 sq ft of southern yellow pine, and 250 sq ft of white oak herringbone; a crew of three, ten working days, completed July 2026
The reclaimed heart pine in this North Georgia mountain home carried an old failing finish, resin through the heartwood, broken splinters, and gaps between the boards from 1/8 to 5/8 inch. The floors were sanded with a Lägler Hummel belt sander and an FG Floortec Discus planetary sander; the heart pine’s resin loaded the sandpaper, and the machines were stopped about seven times to clean the drums. Broken splinters were glued back into the boards before the final sanding.
The wide gaps were filled with Berger-Seidle AquaSeal PAK-Stop mixed with AquaSeal PafukiPowder, a permanently elastic trowel filler that stays flexible as the boards move through the seasons. A dewaxed shellac wash coat evened the pine’s absorption before stain, and the colors were chosen from samples placed at both junctions, where the heart pine meets the southern yellow pine and where the white oak herringbone meets the heart pine. Berger-Seidle’s data sheet for CeramicStar allows foot traffic after 24 hours and rugs after seven days. See the full Big Canoe project.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth refinishing old hardwood floors?
In most cases, yes. Refinishing costs less than replacing a floor, and a solid floor, or an engineered floor with enough wear layer, can be sanded and refinished more than once. What decides it is the floor’s condition and what you expect from the result. A floor with decades behind it keeps its character after refinishing — the grain, knots, and old nail holes read through the new color — rather than looking new, and deep pet stains stay in the wood, which pushes the color darker. On a Hoschton home, we refinished a white oak floor we had installed about 20 years earlier; in Big Canoe, century-old reclaimed heart pine was restored rather than replaced. For a line-by-line comparison with replacement, see our refinishing cost article.
How much does it cost to change the color of hardwood floors?
Changing the color is part of a full sand and refinish: the floor is sanded to bare wood, the color chosen from samples is applied, and the finish system follows. At Classy Flooring ATL, refinishing starts at $6.00 per square foot for projects of $4,500 and up, and smaller projects are priced by the job. The written estimate lists the stain or color-setting sealer, any tinting, and the finish coats as part of the scope. On our Hoschton project, the color change from amber to neutral came from two coats of Bona NordicSeal; in Dunwoody, it came from one tinted coat of LOBA 2K Duo.
How much to refinish 300 sq ft hardwood floors?
A 300-square-foot floor falls under our $4,500 project threshold, so it is priced by the job rather than per square foot. The price covers the same sanding sequence, dust collection, color work, and finish coats as a larger floor, and it is set in a written estimate after Claudiu sees the floor. For projects of $4,500 and up, refinishing starts at $6.00 per square foot.
How much does dustless floor sanding cost?
Nothing on top of the refinishing price. Dustless sanding is included in every Classy Flooring ATL refinishing project and is never priced as its own line; refinishing starts at $6.00 per square foot for projects of $4,500 and up, and smaller projects are priced by the job. Every sanding machine runs connected to an FG Floortec dust-control vacuum with a DUSTIN separator, which captures the dust at the machine. Some fine dust remains near edges and corners, and the work area is cleaned at the end of each day.
How to choose the color of your hardwood flooring?
Choose it on your own floor, in your own light. The same stain reads differently on different species, on old and new boards, and under each room’s light, so samples are applied directly to the sanded floor and the decision is made from those. In Roswell, the homeowner chose from six samples against the floor’s original color, still preserved under the refrigerator; in Buckhead, DuraSeal Jacobean was chosen over Dark Walnut on the client’s own floor; on our Red Oak Atlanta project, two sealers were sampled side by side a week before the start. Bona also calls for sampling NordicSeal before it is used on a floor.
What is the best tool to sand hardwood floors with?
Three machines, each for its own part of the floor, all connected to dust extraction. We sand the field with a Lägler Hummel belt sander at 40, 60, and 80 grit, the perimeter with an edger, and then refine and flatten the floor with planetary sanders — the American Sanders Epoch and the FG Floortec Discus — at 100 and 120 grit. The planetary heads turn independently and cross the boards in every direction, which flattens the surface and reduces visible sanding marks before finishing. Every machine runs connected to an FG Floortec dust-control vacuum with a DUSTIN separator. On parquet and herringbone, NWFA’s sanding guidelines call for sanding at opposing angles before the multi-disc pass.
Is there a low-VOC polyurethane?
Yes. Water-based two-component finishes are the low-VOC route, and the Bona and LOBA systems we use publish their numbers. Bona Traffic HD lists 150 grams per liter of VOC and carries a UL 2818 Gold emissions certificate, and Bona rates its odor as non-offending. LOBA 2K Duo lists under 130 grams per liter of VOC with an EMICODE EC1 Plus low-emission rating, and LOBA’s data sheet calls for adequate ventilation in every phase of the work. For a hardwax oil option, see our Rubio Monocoat page.
What is the most durable floor finish for hardwood floors?
For a site-finished floor, a two-component water-based finish. Bona Traffic HD and LOBA 2K Duo are both mixed with a hardener on site — LOBA specifies 10 parts base to 1 part hardener — and Bona recommends a third coat of Traffic HD in heavy-traffic residential areas. A hardwax oil such as Rubio Monocoat can be spot repaired without refinishing the whole floor. The right choice depends on the traffic the floor carries and how you want to maintain it; Claudiu sets it in the written estimate with the reason for the choice.
What is the best time of year to refinish hardwood floors?
Any time of year, as long as the heating or air conditioning is running. Finish dries and cures according to the conditions inside the house, so we refinish year-round with the HVAC on. Where the finish manufacturer gives no range, NWFA’s guidelines call for 30 to 50 percent relative humidity at 60 to 80°F.
Related pages
- For cost, how long a refinish takes, staying in the house, odor, and furniture, see Refinishing Hardwood Floors: Cost, Cure Time, and Can You Stay in the House?
- For how dust is controlled during sanding, see our dustless refinishing article.
- For how finish types affect color and maintenance, see water-based vs. oil-based floor finishes.
- For pine and heart pine floors — wear layer, blotching, and finish selection — see our pine and heart pine refinishing page.
- For matching a refinished floor to an existing one, see our hardwood floor color matching page.
- For hardwax oil finishes, see our Rubio Monocoat page, and the Buckhead oak wall paneling project for an orange tone refinished to a natural Linen color.
- For a new floor sanded and finished on site with Bona NordicSeal and Traffic HD, see the Chateau Elan project.
- For questions about how we work, see our hardwood flooring FAQ.
Plan your refinishing project
If you are planning a hardwood floor refinishing or restoration project in Atlanta, Claudiu will visit the floor, measure the wear layer, and prepare a written estimate with the repairs, the color work, and the finish system. Request a consultation or call (770) 401-3659.
See more of our completed floors on our Our Work page and in our project gallery.