I have gorgeous (to me!) hardwood floors and I want to make sure they are properly maintained. They look great and I wouldn't do anything to them, but there are a few high traffic areas where the coating is really wearing through. The floor guy recommended to me said that he can't really do recoating for spot areas: he needs to do whole rooms. My wife is worried that doing whole rooms comes with a lot of risk that the whole thing will look bad when we're done. So, some questions (and thanks for the help!):
1) Can spot refinishing be done or is the floor guy right that it needs to be done in whole rooms?
2) Can I just do spot refinishing myself and, if so, what should I do?
3) Is there any risk with a buff and recoat that it will look worse when we're done, or that we'll regret doing it?
4) Is there a "best" finish or anything else I should know?

Thanks!

Re coating the floor will seal them up and layer of protection. It will not remove scratches or gouges that have penetrated the finish layer. It is best to have a pro do the entire room. Their is really not a risk of them looking worse by recoating the floor. Bona traffic is a good finish to use, but they should first be coated with a sanding sealer.

Spot repair CAN be done, but there are a few things to consider:
1. It's gonna be difficult to blend in the repaired area with the rest of the floor, especially if you weren't responsible for installing/finishing the floor.
2. Finishing is SUPER tricky, so all though you CAN DIY, if you're not a professional there's a good chance it won't turn out exactly right.
3. If you sand down to the bare wood, you will need to reseal before you finish.
4. There isn't really a "best" finish (each finish type has its own pros and cons), but some finishes aren't compatible with each others. If you don't know what kind of finish was previously used, you might have to do the entire room to make sure it matches. Oil-based urethane is easiest to work with as it is slow-drying and won't leave brush strokes, but it ambers significantly. Water based finishes won't amber, but are fast-drying and hard to get looking even. Solvent bases are kind of hazardous (toxic odors and such) so I'd steer clear of them.

Bottom line: you can certainly try to spot-refinish the room and if it doesn't work you'll have to do the whole floor anyway. Be sure to tape down individual boards to protect the ones you won't be working on.

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hi,

As if you have the time and don't mind doing the work, then refinishing your floors yourself is a great option but before starting out, it's not a bad idea to get an estimate from a professional so you can compare the cost of doing it yourself to what they would charge.

The task of refinishing your floors need not be overwhelming. Think of it as giving your room a manicure. Take it one step at a time and use care in the process and you can have a great looking floor.

edited by admin: read the rules

Hope it will help you a lot...