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Professional hardwood floor refinishing.

Floor Refinishing vs. Restoration


Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing

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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. 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.

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

Professional flooring refinishing near you - 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.

Great Floors & Great Impressions Are What We Are All About!

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What Our Customers Say

Terrific service installation and communication!
David Calderhead 04/24/25 — google
Our floors had some staining & discoloration prior to refinishing. They now look better than brand new!
Therese Chenevert 04/24/25 — google
We love the floors, Tom was spectacular, and installers were very good! I would only suggest to them that they should advise a customer who has not had demo before of how bad it can be.
MIKE GREENBERG 04/24/25 — google
I am so happy with my refinished floors and staircase! Alissa was very professional and was in contact with me throughout the entire process . The workers showed up on time and completed the job in a very timely manner. I was so impressed with their work, I am having them do my kitchen floors too. Great company.
Julie 04/24/25 — google
Adam and his team at Footprints exceeded all our expectations! Adam was quick to respond to our bid request and came out to our home that same week. The quote we received was very reasonable. The install team was professional, respectful of our home, and worked incredibly hard. Our tile looks absolutely impeccable! We’ll definitely be using Footprints for all our future bathroom and tile projects.
Jessica L 04/24/25 — google
I had Footprints Floors refinish my hickory floors. They turned out fabulous and am very happy at the way they look! Aaron the owner was very nice and easy to work with! I would recommend this business for your flooring needs. The picture with my dog in it is before the floors were done.
Laureen Waud 04/24/25 — google
Excellent work, very satisfied with the end product.
Dave Paul 04/24/25 — google
We needed a wood floor repaired in a pinch. Footprint not only came in and saved the day quickly but the work was flawless! They had some great ideas to help us reach the outcome we wanted. Trust them with all my floor repairs and replacements. Great people.
Brice Beck 04/24/25 — google
Great business! Had a quick fix that took less than thirty minutes and on short notice had someone out to handle it. Did not have to schedule out a long time. Easy in and out. No attempts to upcharge or sell anything else. Great customer service and would recommend to anyone, minor job or major renovation! The owner is a great guy and the work quality I received was 10/10
Chris Frady 04/24/25 — google
These guys are fantastic. They restored our quite old wood floors beautifully. Also great to work with. I really do highly recommend them.
Displaced Films 04/24/25 — google
We had a fantastic experience with Footprints Floors for our hardwood floor resurfacing project. From start to finish, the team was professional, punctual, and attentive to detail. They took the time to explain the entire process, answered all of our questions, and worked efficiently to deliver a flawless result. The floors look brand new—smooth, clean, and beautifully restored. We were especially impressed with how respectful they were of our home and how thoroughly they cleaned up afterward. Highly recommend Footprints Floors for anyone looking to breathe new life into their hardwood floors!
Lisa Stolzenberg 04/24/25 — google
A 5* rating for Footprints Floors Nashville and their crew is justly earned. Footprints Floors are very customer-oriented and will ensure you are completely satisfied throughout the entire duration of the project. Upon my initial contact with Footprints Floors, an appointment was scheduled with Tim to provide an estimate for my tile installation project. Shortly thereafter, a date was confirmed to begin the job. Kyle was the project manager who arrived promptly on the start date with his crew. Also, he was diligent being onsite daily at times during the project to make certain it was completed to our satisfaction. Footprints Floors installed a tiled kitchen backsplash including an accent wall and kitchen island wall. Marvin was the tile installer for the backsplash who did an exceptional job. His work is outstanding and there is nothing that Marvin cannot accomplish as a tile installer. He is extremely meticulous, highly skilled and an exceptional craftsman in his trade. Marvin’s co-worker also did an excellent job installing the tile on the island. I am so pleased and impressed with the final result of the tile installation project which was completed to perfection. I highly recommend Footprints Floors who are now my go-to contractors and look forward to hiring them again for future projects.
Rosemarie P 04/23/25 — google
I highly recommend Dave and Footprint Floors! It was a pleasure working with Dave and his team. The installation of wood floors in my basement was exceptional and was completed on time. Dave was extremely professional and very responsive throughout the whole process, always quick to answer questions and keep things moving. From start to finish, the installation team led by Ricky was courteous, communicative, and genuinely cared about making sure everything turned out beautifully. Thank you, Dave!
Kimberly Donaldson 04/23/25 — google
We had laminate flooring installed in our living room, dining room, kitchen & 2 hallways. The 2 installers were very professional & polite. They worked very hard for 12 hours straight until they got the job done. Their cleanup was great & they did an amazing job with the installation. We would highly recommend!
Jim Riley 04/23/25 — google
Floor looked great after final finish Workers were always on time The price was very good for the amount of work they had to do Would highly recommend
kenneth kowaleski 04/23/25 — google
I had a fantastic experience with the company. They were professional, punctual, and very accommodating throughout the entire process. Martin, the owner, truly went above and beyond. He not only understood the needs of the project and applied his expertise thoughtfully, but he also made sure I was completely satisfied with the results. He graciously shared his knowledge and advice, and when I reached out to have him take a final look before using the floor, he came personally and took care of the last touch-ups. It’s clear he takes great pride in his work and stands behind it. My sunroom looks gorgeous!😍 Highly recommend!
Dee Brac 04/23/25 — google
Great experience with the laminated flooring installation with Footprints Floor of Tacoma. Clint was quick submitting the quote and scheduling us in. Josh, the installer assigned to our project was pleasant, professional and knowledgeable. We are very please with the final product and outstanding service.
Rollande Scolari 04/23/25 — google
Highly recommend Footprints Flooring. Adam and his team were fantastic from start to finish. The communication was clear, the estimate process was smooth, and the quality of the work exceeded our expectations. We're looking forward to working with them again on future home projects.
Tyler Pascoe 04/22/25 — google
Adam was communicative on time, clean (smelled good, etc.) professional, straightforward, honest and and gave me a very reasonable and competitive quote, explaining in simple terms what he and his company could offer me at a budget price, which is exactly what I asked for. I highly recommend Footprints Flooring for your restoration needs. Thank you Adam.
Jason Silvia 04/22/25 — google
Good people, project completed and finished as was estimated to satisfaction. BK 👍.
Brian Kilmer 04/22/25 — google

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