Once upon a time, refinishing a floor was a simple Saturday project or a quick call to a local pro. They’d sand, finish, and leave your house in a cloud of dust, but for less than $2.00 per square foot, it was a bargain.
Those days are long gone. Professional labor costs have gone through the roof—expect to pay upwards of $5.00 per square foot for a standard sand and finish job, and even more if you want a custom stain. When you realize that you can often buy a brand-new, American-made floor for less than the cost of refinishing an old one, the math starts to point toward a total refresh instead of a repair.
Is It Time To Redo the Floor In Your Home?
Once upon a time, refinishing a floor was quite simple. You just called a professional and they would come out and sand and refinish your house. No more scratches or dents. Sure, their sander would cover the entire house in dust but it was worth it to get one or two coats of finish on your wood. And you could have this work done for less than two bucks per sq ft.
Those days are gone. While all labor costs have gone up, professional labor is now astronomical. Expect to pay up to $5 a sq ft now for a sanding and finish job. Add one more dollar if you want a coat of stain added.
If you pay to refinish your floor today, you’re likely using a finish that won't hold up to real-life wear and tear. Most site-applied finishes just can't compete with a factory-cured product. At Really Cheap Floors, we offer first-quality, American Home solid Hickory—made right here in the USA by Bruce—for as little as $2.49 sq. ft. It features a water-based finish with aluminum oxide, making it significantly more durable than what a contractor will mop onto your floor.
Refinishing your floor doesn’t have to be expensive! ReallyCheapFloors.com offers the most competitive prices for wood flooring in the United States. We purchase seconds, overstock, and discontinued varieties from big companies and sell these boards for a fraction of what you would typically pay for a wood floor. If you’ve been wondering how to refinish a floor cheap, watch the following video to learn how to order a wood floor from us.
Research Hardwood Floors
The internet is a great place to research your next flooring project. Whether it is carpet, Vinyl, LVP or wood floors, the process need not be arduous. From the plethora of flooring blogs meticulously written by yours truly, to product reviews, manufacturer instructions, and reports from finished projects, there are plenty of opportunities for an inquisitive homeowner to transition into a well informed shopper. And the secret to saving money on a floor while being satisfied with what you purchase is knowing what you want before you begin your shopping journey.
1. Determine Your Floor Footage
The first step for refinishing your floor is determining the footage of the room or rooms that will be covered with hardwood. To calculate the square footage of a room, simply multiply the length of the room by the width. If you don’t know the dimensions of your home or apartment, a tape measure will do the trick. If you will be refinishing your floor in multiple rooms, just add the square footage of the rooms together.
Anyone with experience in installing a new floor knows that you always order about 5 or 10 percent extra boards in case of cutting mistakes. However, you don’t want to add in this extra flooring at this stage.
Whether you choose to refinish your existing wood or install a brand-new floor from our warehouse, you want that finish to last. If you have a busy household, you know that little ones can be particularly tough on your surfaces. To keep your home looking its best, check out our guide on how to protect hardwood floors from children. Taking a few preventative steps now can save you from having to "refinish cheap" all over again in a few years!
2. Decide Between Solid Floors or Engineered Floors
The next step is deciding whether you want a solid floor or an engineered one. While a solid floor is made from a solid piece of wood, an engineered floor consist of a top layer of wood and three to nine sublayers of plywood. If you will be installing your floor on a concrete slab, in a basement, or in an area that experiences large swings in humidity, we recommend choosing an engineered floor. For more information about the strengths and weaknesses of each type of flooring, check out our guide to solid hardwood vs. engineered hardwood.
3. Consider Grade vs. Price For Your Flooring Project
When our customers ask us how about refinishing their floor cheap, we usually tell them to consider purchasing lower grade boards. As you probably guessed, lower grade boards cost much less than high-end boards. Deciding which grade is right for your home depends on how much you want to spend and what type of aesthetic you are looking for.
4. Get a Freight Quote On New Floors
Once you’ve chosen your grade, it’s time to get your freight quote. At this point, you will want to add in the 5 to 10 percent extra boards you will need. To find out the cost of shipping, simply fill out the form on the product page with your footage, your name, address, and contact information. The freight cost and the cost of materials will determine the total cost of your order.
5. Check Availability Of Your Floor
Before you order your flooring, make sure that we have enough of your chosen product in stock. Also, be sure to note whether your desired flooring is a “take all” lot. In these instances, you will need to purchase our complete inventory of that product. For instance, if we have 1,200 ft. of a certain type of floor, and you only need 1,000 ft., you will still need to purchase all 1,200 ft. This “take all” policy is how we keep our costs down and offer affordable pricing.
6. Give Us a Call To Order New Floors
If you’re looking for more advice about how you can refinish your floor cheap, don’t hesitate to give us a call! Our friendly staff is always happy to answer any and all questions. You can also send us an email by visiting the ReallyCheapFloors.com Contact page.
