If you’re familiar with the process of sanding down old, worn-out wood floors, you know that it’s a huge undertaking. It’s time-consuming, messy, and the cost can add up quickly.

Likewise, some hardwood floors don’t require a complete sand and finish at all to refresh and rejuvenate them.

The first thing you need to find out is what kind of finish you have on your floor -

Refinish Hardwood Floors Without Sanding

Here are a few tips on how to refinish hardwood floors without sanding. Remember to perform your due diligence by finding the right professional to assist you, and knowing what kind of finish is on your floor to begin with.

URETHANE FINISHES

Screen and Recoat

Screening and recoating involves scuffing the finish of your hardwoods with a floor buffer, and then applying a new top coat.

This process does not require sanding down to raw wood and removing part of the floors wear layer. 

This method involves a sanding screen, but it’s not the messy and time-consuming process that comes with traditional sanding.

By abrading the existing top coat of finish, you allow for the new coat of finish to adhere.

This new coat of finish helps to maintain the long lasting-beauty of your newly refinished wood floors.

Chemical Abrasion

If you want to avoid roughing up and screening your floors altogether, you can try the chemical abrasion route. For this method, you’ll use a chemical solution to prep your floors. This gives the new finish the opportunity to bond to the existing wood finish.

However, it’s not perfect. Refinishing floors via chemical abrasion is not an easy job. 

WAX / OIL FINISHES

Deep Clean & Rejuvenate

Rejuvenating a floor with a Wax / or Oil Finish can be much easier than the above.  This process can also be done without moving all of your furniture out of the house.  A quality deep cleaning solution is required to break down the old finish / grime  and build up over time.  Depending on how long one has waited to do this process, it can sometimes require doing this process two or three times, depending on how dirty the floor is.  Once cleaned, the new application of Wood Polish can be applied.  Note also, that color repair and adjustments can be made as well before this final coat.  It should be noted, that floors with a Wax / Oil Finish should be maintained regularly.  At a minimum high traffic areas should be done 1x per year.

Final Thoughts on How to Refinish Old Wood Floors Without Sanding

If you’re looking to refinish hardwood floors without sanding, these are the best ways to go about it, depending on the type of finish you have.

When trying to choose a refinishing option, take into account the current condition of your floors, your budget, and the time required to have the job doone correctly. Once you’ve determined these factors, you’ll be in a much better position to decide the best method to refresh your hardwood floors without sanding.