Maybe it's because of the emergence of do-it-yourself websites and countless DIY television shows, but more people than ever seem to be thinking about refinishing their hardwood flooring themselves.
But before you make the decision to try it yourself, consider these six reasons why it’s usually better for professionals to do the job.
1. You might be very skilled at home-improvement projects, but that doesn’t mean you’re as skilled at refinishing as someone who’s been doing that specific job for years.
Ask yourself, even if you get the job done, will it look as good as it could? Remember, you might save some money, but if you’re dissatisfied with the results, did you really spend your money wisely? It takes experience to get it just right.
2. You can damage the hardwood flooring.
If you don’t have experience with refinishing, there’s the real possibility that you’ll make mistakes while sanding, staining, or applying the finish—mistakes that harm the flooring and can’t be simply (or inexpensively) undone. Without experience with hardwood floor refinishing, this is easy to do, even if you’re good with DIY jobs.
3. The savings probably aren't as much as you think.
You may save a little in a upfront cost because you're not paying for labor, but when you compare the cost of a professional job to what you'll spend on equipment and materials to do it yourself—and then add in your valuable time—you may very well find that you're not really saving much, if anything at all.
4. You will probably take longer to do the job than a pro.
The length of the job will depend on whether sanding and staining are involved, as well as other factors, but however long it takes an experienced hardwood flooring company to do the job, it will certainly take you longer doing it on your own.
And if your time for the project is interrupted by your normal daily life (work, children, etc.) then you could easily find yourself with a drawn-out project, while the rooms being refinished are unusable and the furniture and other stuff you’ve moved out are taking up space in the rest of your home.
5. If you need to sand, you won’t have access to the same equipment as a hardwood flooring company does.
The sanders you can rent are smaller machines that operate on 110 electricity. The professional machines are heavier and operate on 220 electricity. The smaller, less-efficient rental sanders can get the job done however they are harder to use and and will take much longer to complete the project.
Traditional sanding produces a lot of dust. We are not aware of any rental machines that have satisfactory dust containment. So, if you plan on doing the floor sanding process on your own, you will need to plan a few extra days of cleaning. Professional companies that have dust containment trailers will control about 98% of the dust. A simple household dusting will be all that is needed after a professional sanding job.
