Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Westport
Worn hardwood floors don’t need replacing. Most just need professional refinishing to look new again. In Westport homes, where oak is common, we’ve brought hundreds of tired floors back to life.
Our wood floor refinishing service handles everything from minor wear to serious damage. We’ve worked in every neighborhood – from beachfront properties in Compo to historic homes in Greens Farms.
Most Westport floors need refinishing every 10-15 years, depending on foot traffic and maintenance. The process strips away years of scratches, fading, and damage without the cost and hassle of replacement.
Beyond basic refinishing, we also offer specialized services like hardwood floor restoration for severely damaged floors, hardwood stairs refinishing for well-worn steps, and hardwood floor staining when you’re ready for a color change. Every home is different, and we’ll recommend what makes sense for your specific situation.
Our Professional Refinishing Process
Refinishing isn’t complicated, but it takes experience to get right. Here’s how we approach it:
Step 1: Clear The Room
First, we clear the room completely. The furniture has to go, though we can work in sections if moving everything’s not practical for your situation.
Step 2: Sanding
We remove the old finish and damage with drum sanders and edge tools, working through multiple grits to get a perfectly smooth surface. The real skill shows in how we handle corners and transitions.
Step 3: Staining
If you want color change, this is when we apply stain. We offer traditional oil-based stains and newer custom stain colors formulated for specific looks. White oak’s popular right now with very light or natural finishes.
Step 4: Finishing
Finally, we apply protective topcoats. We offer both water-based & oil-based finishes depending on your preference. Water-based dries faster with less smell but costs a bit more. Oil-based has that classic amber tone many Westport homeowners prefer.
When Your Floors Need Refinishing
How do you know when it’s time? There are pretty clear signs your floors are ready for attention.
Visible scratches that catch your sock are past the “just buff it” stage. Those white lines showing through the finish mean something’s worn through the protective layer.
Dull, lifeless appearance even after cleaning suggests the finish has worn down. You’ll notice some spots look shiny and others don’t, especially in high-traffic areas like entryways and kitchen paths.
Water marks that won’t wipe away mean moisture has penetrated the finish. Common in dining rooms where spills happen or by exterior doors where rain gets tracked in.
Gray or black areas between boards often indicate water damage that needs addressing before refinishing. We see this a lot in older Westport homes, especially around radiators or where roof leaks went unnoticed.
Finish that’s peeling, bubbling, or flaking definitely needs complete refinishing. Spot fixes won’t blend properly.
Benefits of Professional Refinishing
Eliminate Years of Damage
Those scratches from your Lab’s nails, dents from dropped pots, and scuffs from moving furniture all disappear when we take the floor down to fresh wood.
Restore Natural Beauty
Old finishes yellow and darken over time. Refinishing reveals the wood’s true color and grain patterns that have been hiding under years of wear and UV exposure.
Change Your Style
Want to go lighter? Darker? More modern? Refinishing lets you completely change the look of your home without the cost and disruption of new floors.
Extend Floor Life
Good hardwood can be refinished multiple times. We’ve worked on original floors in Westport homes from the 1920s that are still going strong after several refinishings.
Increase Home Value
Realtors tell us all the time – nothing helps sell Westport homes faster than freshly refinished hardwood. The return on investment typically exceeds the cost.
Refinishing vs. Replacement: What’s Right for Your Home
Most Westport homeowners call thinking they need new floors when refinishing would do the job for a third of the cost and hassle.
Refinishing makes sense when your floors have surface damage but are structurally sound. Even deep scratches usually sand out. We’ve refinished floors in houses from the 1800s that still had plenty of life left.
Replacement becomes necessary when boards are severely damaged, warped, or have been refinished so many times they’re too thin (happens with cheap engineered products). Sometimes older homes near the water have subfloor issues that need fixing first.
Partial replacement followed by whole-floor refinishing often works best for areas with limited damage. We recently did this for a Saugatuck homeowner who had water damage in just the kitchen – matched the new boards to the original and refinished everything for a seamless look.