Professional hardwood floor refinishing in Richmond.

Floor Refinishing vs. Restoration


Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Richmond

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So you know your floors need help—but how do you know if they need to be restored or just refinished? There are several factors to keep in mind when making this decision and finding professional hardwood floor refinishing in Richmond. Understanding the needs of your hardwood floors can save you thousands of dollars and a good deal of stress.

Determine What Your Floors Need

There are three main factors to consider when determining if you need floor refinishing or restoration: the condition of your floors, the age of your floors, and the type of hardwood.

Hardwood floors in homes built after the 1940s with light scuffs or scratches, some wear from foot traffic and have lost a bit of shine probably just need to be refinished. Floors installed before the 1940s with more significant signs of damage (deeper scratches from furniture, or floorboards that are warped or cracked, for instance) will likely need to be restored instead.

If you’re not sure what your floors need, consult with a professional hardwood floor refinishing company like Footprints Floors. We’ll be able to advise you on whether your floors need to be restored or just refinished and provide you with a free estimate for the work.

Footprints Floors providing beautiful, professional hardwood floor refinishing in Richmond.

The Refinishing Process


Broken down, the steps to refinish a hardwood floor are very simple.

  • 1. Strip the floor of its current finishing.
  • 2. Sand or “screen” the floor to remove scratches or other signs of wear and tear from the surface.
  • 3. Give the floor a brand–new finish!

Refinishing a floor is not just a weekend project. Weather, the type of wood and the size of the floors you need refinished are all factors that play into how long a refinishing project takes. Also, despite the simplicity of the steps, a lot can go wrong. Uneven sanding or incorrect application of a finish can make your floors look worse than before.

As a professional hardwood floor refinishing company, the licensed contractors of Footprints Floors can get the job done quickly and correctly, so you aren’t inconvenienced in your home for long. And you can feel confident about the work done, so you don’t have to refinish your floors again for a long time.

The Restoration Process


Restoration of a hardwood floor is more labor intensive than refinishing. Hiring a company that understands different types of wood and how different kinds of damage will impact the restoration process is essential.

Some restoration steps are similar to refinishing—both require stripping away a current finish, sanding and applying a new finish. However, floor restoration involves more significant repairs and may even need patches of complete replacement. Depending on the depth of restoration required, these projects can take more than a week to complete.

Both refinishing and restoring floors are time–intensive, labor–intensive processes involving heavy, dangerous equipment. It is generally much more cost–effective and time–efficient to hire an outside contractor rather than attempt to do the job yourself.

The Best for Your Floor—and Your Budget Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Richmond

Professional flooring refinishing near you in Richmond - Footprints Floors.

There are many things that homeowners can do to care for the hardwood floors in their homes. For instance, regular cleaning of your floors can help keep them looking nice and prevent long–term damage. Sweeping with soft–bristled brooms, regular vacuuming to remove dirt, and mopping with specialty hardwood floor cleaning solutions can all work wonders on your floors.

Of course, even with care, hardwood floors are not impervious to damage. Your pets might scratch the surface. Water damage might cause a section of the floor to warp or have a loose board that wobbles. You might notice gaps appearing between planks over time and as the weather changes, causing the wood to expand or contract, or you might have dents in the wood from high foot traffic areas. Perhaps your floors just don't look as shiny and new as you'd like. When your own cleaning and maintenance doesn't go as far as they used to, it's time to refinish or even restore.

While it is possible to DIY hardwood refinishing and even restoration, someone without experience can easily damage a hardwood floor. Instead of paying for a costly repair, get it right the first time by calling a professional hardwood floor refinishing company. They'll get the job done right the first time.

Footprints Floors has years of experience working on all kinds of flooring in all types of conditions. From beautiful, rare mahogany floors in Victorian homes to the stunning red oak floors of a mid–century modern suburb house and everything in between, Footprints Floors can do the job right.

We're committed to providing high–quality finishes at the lowest possible rate in a reasonable amount of time. We work to save our clients stress (and money!) as we work to give them floors that look brand new! We won't offer you services you don't need and are confident you will be satisfied with the finished project. Contact us today for a free estimate on your hardwood floor refinishing or restoration project.

This beautiful spiral staircase was refinished by Footprints Floors.

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What Our Customers Say

Footprint Floors did a phenomenal job repairing my floor! Their customer service was excellent. Scott contacted me to let me know what to expect. On the day of my initial visit Scott called ahead and arrived on time. When he arrived he didn't walk on our grass and took his shoes off when he entered our home. After inspecting the damage and taking photos he gave me a great estimate. He told me he was going to his car, when he returned he had tools in hand and said "I may be able to fix it today!" To my surprise he sat down and began to work. As I watched him, I teared up. Not only was he professional, personable, kind and respectful he's also skilled. Scott Thank You so much! Footprint Floors thank you for saying yes to this job when others said no!
Vee T 03/24/23 — google
The men who did the work came on time, worked professionally, did a great job, cleaned up all of the area after the installation, helped us move furniture around to allow for the installation, and took away all rubbish from the job. They were great. Each one was very polite, respectful, patient with our questions and needs, and left a very positive impression on us. The job was estimated to take two days, but they finished in one. That's unusual, but it was nice to have it completed ahead of time instead of later. Thanks!
carolyn rutman 03/14/23 — google
Footprints did a great job on my floor. They were able to start quickly and finished when they said they would. The price was competitive and when they found old staining once the floors were sanded, they helped me choose the best path forward. The floors look great now!
Allyson Reynolds 03/13/23 — google
I called Footprints eight days before I was moving into my home. Scott came out to look at my project the following day (Friday), had his crew mobilized on Monday, and the project completed on Wednesday so the floors had time to dry before my movers arrived on Friday. I was truly amazed that they were able to squeeze me in and get my floors refinished before I moved it - it would have been a huge pain at any other time. The floors turned out great and I have nothing but positive feelings toward the experience!
Samantha Geraci 03/8/23 — google
We had a subway tile backsplash installed in our kitchen by an “artist” from Footprints Floors. I use artist because his work was meticulous and beautiful. The backsplash makes a huge difference in the look of our kitchen in addition to protecting the wall from splashes. I recommend this business wholeheartedly!
Valerie Cemprola 02/16/23 — google
Footprints Flooring took out our old tile floor and laid a new floor. From the estimate to the work, they were communicative, efficient, and professional. The work was done well and even faster than we anticipated. The crew cleaned up after, and the project manager communicated with us during the install and came to check the work after completion. Definitely recommend!
Annette Foster 02/10/23 — google
I contacted Footprints Floors after a botched installation AND reinstallation of our bathroom floors through a big box store. We had lived without toilets and half finished floors for two months at this point and the quotes I was getting from other companies were astronomical and they were booked out for months (a lot of companies wouldn't even call me back or provide a quote after they heard how small the job was). I was contacted promptly after requesting a quote online and Mike came out to measure our bathrooms within the week. The quote was very reasonable and he was able to get me scheduled for installation in TWO WEEKS!! Scott (the owner) and his team were able to get the old tile and vanities out, LVP installed, and molding/quarter round installed in both bathrooms in roughly six hours (and even arrived early because I had to get my daughter to an appointment that morning). I am so thankful and in love with my floors and can't wait to have them come back to do our kitchen floors! Update: We had Footprints Floors return in March 2022 and replace the carpet on the landing and two bedrooms with the same LVP. Again, a seamless process and we love our floors! There's supposed to be a fee for any furniture you leave in the room that they have to move around, but they were gracious enough to not charge us for my daughter's crib and a large cabinet that we couldn't get out of her room. Thank you, Scott and team!
Molly Templeton 11/27/22 — google
These guys did an amazing job refinishing our floors. I originally called to get a hole repaired in the floor where DISH drilled in the wrong place, and after calling every hardwood floor company in town, these guys were the only ones that responded, did a perfect job with the hole, so we decided to have them refinish the floors and never called another sole
Brad Bradley 11/18/22 — google
I am extremely pleased with the job Footprints Floors did installing my LVT. Scott was very professional, responsive to questions, and reliable. The men who did the work did an outstanding job. They were on time, did high quality work, were respectful, and cleaned up after themselves. I would highly recommend them!
Theresa Lennon 11/18/22 — google
Footprints Floors did an excellent job on my flooring project. Footprints installed engineered hardwood flooring for me. Before doing so, Footprints had to remove some old carpet, vinyl, and wood flooring. Footprints did an amazing job removing the old flooring and preparing the subfloor for the new wood. This was a critical step because a flawed subfloor can wreck a flooring installation. I was impressed by the speed and attention to detail the installers showed. Scott told me my flooring replacement project would take a day and the installers delivered. Speaking of Scott, I have rarely worked with a company owner who is more responsive. When Scott looked at my job, he gave me some excellent advice on product selection. Overall, this flooring project was a great experience.
Daniel McRae 11/13/22 — google
Footprints Floors removed the old wall to wall carpet from our three upstairs bedrooms and installed LVP flooring. It is so beautiful and feels good underfoot. The team did an excellent job of working the flooring around the radiator pipes, as I knew that wouldn't be easy. They cleaned up thoroughly when they were finished. Scott the owner checked in with the crew several times throughout the day. The team worked hard and only took a break for lunch. I highly recommend this company.
jim schoonover 11/8/22 — google
I had a great experience with Footprints Floors. Their employees are hard working and nice. The owner of the business even worked with me when the installation had to be delayed to treat termites. I will definitely use them again for my flooring needs.
Deauna Brown 11/7/22 — google
Footprints floors refinished our hardwood floors and installed new shoe molding. Scott, our sales rep, gave me good advice at the beginning of the project on the scope of work and color of stain. Alejandro and crew finished the job quickly and did high quality work. After we did some DIY painting inside, it feels like we are living in a new house. Would recommend!
David Kimbriel 11/6/22 — google
Scott did a great job in repairing gouges in our hardwood floor.
Bill Poorbaugh 11/4/22 — google
Excellent service; installed my wood flooring and it was beautiful. Flooring was on time and done effficiently. Price was good and the qualitif work exceptional. Cree worked independently and finished quickly and as promised. Thank you.
Yolanda Pertuz 10/25/22 — google
Our request was handled quickly and efficiently. We got a prompt quote, directions on what was needed, date time for installation, on time start, excellent work. Thank you, Scott and George.
Sandy Carle 10/21/22 — google
Love Scott and his team! Awesome work and great experience.
Danielle Smith 10/20/22 — google
Scott suggested no stain, just sealer and poly on an old pine floor. Good call, the refinished floor perfectly matches the rest of the upstairs.
John Ficor 10/14/22 — google
Footprints Floors did an amazing job installing hardwood floors in our kitchen! They kept us up to date on how the project was progressing and every single person involved in the project was kind and professional. We will definitely be using them again-our floors look absolutely incredible!
Marie Dawson 09/30/22 — google
Fair, professional, and a great company to work with. 10/10
Jade Sullivan 09/30/22 — google

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