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Do It Yourself or Not: Restore a hardwood floor

Gene and Katie Hamilton, Tribune Content Agency on

The durable, long-lasting surface and good looks of a hardwood floor make it one of the most popular features in a home. However, it can become an eyesore when the wood develops surface scratches or loses its sheen. That’s when you can revive, instead of the more complicated job of refinishing, the floor surface. The Hardwood Floor Reviver by Minwax is a sandless system that eliminates the sanding process, making it less of a mess and ordeal. This is not designed for damaged floors or those with a worn away finish.

To restore the finish of a hardwood floor with a sandless system is the easy part, removing rugs and furnishings in the room will be the most daunting task of the project. When the room is empty the job begins with a thorough cleaning of the floor with a vacuum. Then apply the cleaner with a new painter’s pad on a pole to create a receptive surface that bonds the underlying finish to the new topcoat.

A floor service refinisher will charge $1,818, which includes labor and material, to restore a 10–by-12-foot floor using a sandless system. You can do it yourself for $275, the cost of the product, and save 85%. Let the finish thoroughly dry and wait at least a day before replacing rugs and furniture.

Pro Cost: $1,818 — DIY Cost: $275 — Pro time: 13.3
DIY Time: 19.0 — DIY Savings: $1,543 — Percent Saved: 85%

 

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To find more DIY project costs and to post comments and questions, visit www.diyornot.com and m.diyornot.com on smartphones.

©2025 Gene and Katie Hamilton. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


 

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