Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky
Exceptional craftsmanship. Extraordinary service.
Are your floors scratched, dull, or just not your color anymore? There's often a beautiful floor hiding under years of wear. Refinishing removes the old, tired surface and gives your hardwood a fresh, protected finish. It usually costs much less than replacing the floor, because you keep the wood you already have. BlackHaus Flooring refinishes hardwood for homes and businesses across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Estimates are always free, and every project is quoted individually.
Recoat or full refinish?
Not every floor needs to be sanded down to bare wood.
Recoat: If your finish is dull but still intact, we lightly abrade the floor and apply a fresh coat of finish.
Full refinish: If the finish has worn through to the wood, or you want a new color, we sand the floor down to bare wood and refinish it.
We'll look at your floor and tell you honestly which one you need.
Refinish or replace?
Refinishing is usually much less expensive than replacing, and refinished floors can help your home's resale value. You only need to replace a floor when the wood is too damaged or too thin to refinish, and we'll tell you if that's the case. Solid ¾" hardwood can usually be refinished many times over its life. Engineered hardwood can usually be refinished once or twice, depending on how thick its top wood layer is.
Repairs and adding to existing floors
Need to fix a damaged area, add hardwood to a new room, or fill in the floor where a wall or doorway used to be? We can weave ("tooth in") new boards into your existing floor, staggering them into the old rows so there's no straight seam. Then we sand, stain and finish the whole floor together, so the old and new wood blend into one floor.
We do this for:
Repairing damaged, stained or rotted boards
Adding hardwood to a new room or addition
Removing a wall or doorway and closing the gap in the floor
Replacing a section of floor, such as where carpet or tile used to meet the hardwood
How closely new wood blends depends on the species and age of your floor. We'll look at it and talk it through with you at your free estimate.
Our refinishing process
Free estimate, walkthrough and prep. We check your floor's condition and moisture, make repairs, and talk through color and sheen. All furniture needs to be out of the work areas before we start. A rented storage pod or your garage both work well.
Sanding with dust control. We cover air returns in the work areas, protect cabinets and other surfaces, and sand with equipment that uses dust containment systems and HEPA vacuums.
Stain (optional). Love the natural wood? Skip this step. Want something new? We put stain samples right on your floor so you see the real color on your wood, in your light, before you decide.
Finish. We apply the topcoats you choose and lightly abrade between coats for a smooth surface.
Walkthrough and care tips. We walk the floor with you and explain how to care for it.
Finish choices, in plain English
Bona water-based polyurethane (our main choice): Stays clear and won't amber over time. It dries quickly and has low odor, which makes it a great choice for homes with kids and pets.
Oil-based polyurethane: Available if you want a warmer, amber look.
You'll also pick a sheen: matte, satin, semi-gloss or gloss. The lower the sheen, the less you'll notice everyday scratches. We'll help you choose the finish that fits your home.
A word about dust
Sanding makes dust, so no refinishing process is truly "dust-free." Our dust containment systems and HEPA vacuums capture most of it, and covering air returns and protecting surfaces keeps the rest to a minimum. We recommend replacing your furnace filters after the project.
Drying and curing
Drying isn't the same as curing. Water-based polyurethane is typically 75–80% cured within 24 hours and fully cured in about 3–5 days.
After 24 hours: Walk on the floors in clean socks.
After full cure: Put felt pads on your furniture and move it back.
Until fully cured: Keep pets off the floors.
Every job is different, and your free estimate will spell out the scope and schedule before we start. Projects that include new hardwood installation or extra work may take longer. Every project is quoted individually.
Hardwood Refinishing FAQ
How many times can hardwood be refinished?
Solid ¾" hardwood can usually be refinished many times over its life. Engineered hardwood depends on how thick its top wood layer (the wear layer) is, and it can usually be refinished once or twice.
Can I change the color of my floors?
Yes. Sanding down to bare wood is the perfect time to change color. We'll put stain samples on your actual floor so you can choose with confidence. Different wood species take stain differently, so the same stain can look different on oak than on maple. Our stains are oil-based, so expect a noticeable odor while we apply them and for a couple of days afterward.
How long does refinishing take?
Every job is different, and your free estimate will spell out the scope and schedule before we start. Projects that include new hardwood installation or extra work may take longer.
Can I stay in my home during the project?
We usually recommend staying somewhere else, because you can't walk on the floors while we're staining or applying finish. If you have a walk-out basement and don't mind construction noise, you may be able to stay home when we use water-based polyurethane. Our stains are oil-based, so there can be a noticeable odor while we apply them and for a couple of days afterward.
What do I do with my furniture?
All furniture has to be out of the areas we're refinishing before we start. We recommend renting a storage pod or moving it into the garage. Keep furniture off the floors until the finish is fully cured.
Do I need new baseboards or shoe molding?
You don't need new baseboards, though they may need some paint touch-up after refinishing. Shoe molding that matches your hardwood usually needs to be replaced. We'll match the wood species and stain it to go with your new floor finish. We can also install painted shoe molding, but we don't do the painting. Most clients have the molding painted before we install it and handle any small touch-ups afterward.
How much does hardwood refinishing cost?
Every project is quoted individually, because floor size, repairs, stain and the finish you choose all change the price. Estimates are free. Call (513) 222-8410 or request one online.
Why homeowners trust BlackHaus
BlackHaus Flooring is a proud NWFA member.
★★★★★ “They also sanded and refinished all the hardwood floors… There were some large, old black stains that they were able to sand out completely. The floors look brand new! It’s a transformation that went well beyond our expectations.” — Lisa, Google review
★★★★★ “Jon and his team did an amazing job with our over 100 year old hardwood floors. They were willing to put down stain samples in two different areas of the first floor to ensure I was happy with the decision for the whole space.” — Katie, Google review
Areas we serve
Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky and surrounding areas.
See more of our work in the Gallery, read our customer reviews, or explore our other services: Hardwood Flooring and LVP Flooring.
Ready to see what your floors can be?
Free estimates. Every project is quoted individually. Call (513) 222-8410 or request your free estimate online.