When do I refinish hardwood floors?

[Holli Harrison]

At what point do you diy pros sand down and refinish the hard wood floors in a remodel? After tap bed and texture? Before ?? We have always ended up laying new flooring but this house we are working on now actually has wood floors in good condition.

[William Hiday]

A lot of the pro floor refinishers have dustless sanding equipment.  These guys are set up to go into occupied homes and refinish the floors without making a colossal mess.

We've refinished our own floors before and I'd like to think that we're pretty good at what we do, but the finish level isn't nearly as nice as what you'll get with a professional outfit that does it day in and day out.  Add in the fact that they're typically doing it for $2.50+/- (Indy market) a square foot and you're borderline crazy for trying to do it yourself.  Remember, you have to rent the machine, buy the sanding discs, buy the stain, buy the clear coat, etc.  After you add all of that up, take into consideration what your time is worth.  If you've got the extra time, then go get you a piece of the floor refinishing action.  For me, I'm letting the pro do it so that a) I don't burn up a week of my time and b) the finished product looks top notch and not DIY.  Just my two cents.