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Professional hardwood floor refinishing in South Bend.

Floor Refinishing vs. Restoration


Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing in South Bend

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Footprints Floors of Michiana Flooring Estimate

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So you know your floors need help—but how do you know if they need to be restored or just refinished? There are several factors to keep in mind when making this decision and finding professional hardwood floor refinishing in South Bend. Understanding the needs of your hardwood floors can save you thousands of dollars and a good deal of stress.

Determine What Your Floors Need

There are three main factors to consider when determining if you need floor refinishing or restoration: the condition of your floors, the age of your floors, and the type of hardwood.

Hardwood floors in homes built after the 1940s with light scuffs or scratches, some wear from foot traffic and have lost a bit of shine probably just need to be refinished. Floors installed before the 1940s with more significant signs of damage (deeper scratches from furniture, or floorboards that are warped or cracked, for instance) will likely need to be restored instead.

If you’re not sure what your floors need, consult with a professional hardwood floor refinishing company like Footprints Floors. We’ll be able to advise you on whether your floors need to be restored or just refinished and provide you with a free estimate for the work.

Footprints Floors providing beautiful, professional hardwood floor refinishing in South Bend.

The Refinishing Process


Broken down, the steps to refinish a hardwood floor are very simple.

  • 1. Strip the floor of its current finishing.
  • 2. Sand or “screen” the floor to remove scratches or other signs of wear and tear from the surface.
  • 3. Give the floor a brand–new finish!

Refinishing a floor is not just a weekend project. Weather, the type of wood and the size of the floors you need refinished are all factors that play into how long a refinishing project takes. Also, despite the simplicity of the steps, a lot can go wrong. Uneven sanding or incorrect application of a finish can make your floors look worse than before.

As a professional hardwood floor refinishing company, the licensed contractors of Footprints Floors can get the job done quickly and correctly, so you aren’t inconvenienced in your home for long. And you can feel confident about the work done, so you don’t have to refinish your floors again for a long time.

The Restoration Process


Restoration of a hardwood floor is more labor intensive than refinishing. Hiring a company that understands different types of wood and how different kinds of damage will impact the restoration process is essential.

Some restoration steps are similar to refinishing—both require stripping away a current finish, sanding and applying a new finish. However, floor restoration involves more significant repairs and may even need patches of complete replacement. Depending on the depth of restoration required, these projects can take more than a week to complete.

Both refinishing and restoring floors are time–intensive, labor–intensive processes involving heavy, dangerous equipment. It is generally much more cost–effective and time–efficient to hire an outside contractor rather than attempt to do the job yourself.

The Best for Your Floor—and Your Budget Professional Hardwood Floor Refinishing in South Bend

Professional flooring refinishing near you in South Bend - Footprints Floors.

There are many things that homeowners can do to care for the hardwood floors in their homes. For instance, regular cleaning of your floors can help keep them looking nice and prevent long–term damage. Sweeping with soft–bristled brooms, regular vacuuming to remove dirt, and mopping with specialty hardwood floor cleaning solutions can all work wonders on your floors.

Of course, even with care, hardwood floors are not impervious to damage. Your pets might scratch the surface. Water damage might cause a section of the floor to warp or have a loose board that wobbles. You might notice gaps appearing between planks over time and as the weather changes, causing the wood to expand or contract, or you might have dents in the wood from high foot traffic areas. Perhaps your floors just don't look as shiny and new as you'd like. When your own cleaning and maintenance doesn't go as far as they used to, it's time to refinish or even restore.

While it is possible to DIY hardwood refinishing and even restoration, someone without experience can easily damage a hardwood floor. Instead of paying for a costly repair, get it right the first time by calling a professional hardwood floor refinishing company. They'll get the job done right the first time.

Footprints Floors has years of experience working on all kinds of flooring in all types of conditions. From beautiful, rare mahogany floors in Victorian homes to the stunning red oak floors of a mid–century modern suburb house and everything in between, Footprints Floors can do the job right.

We're committed to providing high–quality finishes at the lowest possible rate in a reasonable amount of time. We work to save our clients stress (and money!) as we work to give them floors that look brand new! We won't offer you services you don't need and are confident you will be satisfied with the finished project. Contact us today for a free estimate on your hardwood floor refinishing or restoration project.

This beautiful spiral staircase was refinished by Footprints Floors.

Great Floors & Great Impressions Are What We Are All About!

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What Our Customers Say

I am very impressed with their work ethic and communication. I had a strict time limit and they were able to accomplish quality work and kept to the schedule. I am very happy with my bathroom remodel and living room floors.
Alvaro Medina 09/12/23 — google
The guys were on time, ready to get to work and they not only did a quick and efficient job.
Karen Nelsen 08/11/23 — google
Ed Harris and his team was awesome they did a good job remodeling my bathroom. I would recommend them to family and friends.
dominick Harris 07/31/23 — google
Ed and his team came to do a bathroom remodel and absolutely knocked it out the park.I'm very pleased with the how it came out and the efficiency of how things were to get the bathroom done. I recommend Ed to family and friends.
Jayden Arroyo 07/31/23 — google
Ed Harris and his team are outstanding! They refinished my hardwood floor back to new. I also had new flooring installed and they are gorgeous. I will call them again and again for floors. In three months my wife plans to remodel our master bathroom, Ed and his team will do all the work. Thanks for a great Job Ed.
Matthew Weaver 07/30/23 — google
Amazing Company! Steve and his staff did an excellent job for me. Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. I definitely recommend Footprints Floors of Michiana!
Sylvia McKenna 02/5/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work, Great service and communication quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Edwin Schneider 02/1/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Edwin Schneider 02/1/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job and I'd hire him again.
Diana Holloway 01/31/23 — google
Amazing Company! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Carolyn Brown 01/30/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job, and I'd hire him again.
Diana Holloway 01/29/23 — google
This company is very professional and honest from start to finish.
Mary Huss 01/29/23 — google
The service was fast and professional. Steven did an excellent job, and I'd hire him again.
James Tanner 01/26/23 — google
They do their work professionally and take decisions like experts. Their team is highly trained for customer service. I am really impressed with the Footprints Floors company!
Charles Meyer 01/26/23 — google
I love working with the Footprints Floors team - they are more like partners in our work then anything else. Highly recommend!
Aaron Shepard 01/26/23 — google
This is the place you should go for your next Flooring job :) If I could give them ten stars, I would. Wow! What an incredible service! I feel like I'm staying in a new home, and that is thanks to the Footprints Floors Team! I was a new customer, and I will most definitely be back!!!
Dana Clark 01/26/23 — google
Two thumbs up to the Footprints Floors Team. Very professional and friendly staff. Customer service is their number 1 quality. I highly recommend the Footprints Floors Team for all your Flooring needs.
Lois Strauss 01/26/23 — google
Great Job, does what it says on label AAA+++
John Nagle 01/26/23 — google
Great customer service. Took care of everything and made the process very simple.
Tami Rotter 01/26/23 — google
Great service and communication - quicker turnaround than most of the flooring companies in the area. This company is amazing! Good work during install and left rooms nice and clean. Definitely will be using them on other projects.
Ronald Ryan 01/26/23 — google

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