Full Hardwood Floor Refinish in Greater Victoria
When the wood itself is worn, stained, or deeply scratched, a full refinish sands the floor back to bare timber and builds the finish up again. It is the reset that makes a tired old floor look new.
What a full refinish involves
We sand the floor down through the old finish and into the top layer of wood, removing scratches, stains, and old coatings. We work through progressively finer grits, deal with the edges and corners by hand or with an edger, then vacuum and tack the floor before applying a stain (if you want a colour change) and several coats of finish.
Because bare wood is exposed, this is where the finish choice matters. Water-based finishes dry fast and stay clear; oil-based finishes amber over time and are slower to cure. We will walk you through the tradeoffs and match the finish to how the room gets used.
When a full refinish is the right call
Choose a full refinish when a recoat cannot fix the problem: bare wood showing in traffic paths, deep scratches or gouges, dark water stains, pet damage, or a colour you simply want to change. It is more work, more dust, and more days than a recoat, so it should be a deliberate decision rather than a default.
One thing we check first on an older Victoria home is how many times the floor has already been sanded. Solid hardwood can only be taken back to bare wood a handful of times before the wear layer runs out, and old-growth fir tends to be thinner. We measure or probe the boards before committing you to a sand-back, and we will tell you plainly if the honest answer is a recoat or, rarely, a replacement.
Have us look at your floors in person.