Natural oil hardwood floor refinishing

Sanding and refinishing existing wood floors with a plant-oil hardwax finish that can be maintained in spots for years afterward.

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How the job runs

  1. Assess the floor

    We check board thickness, previous sandings, nails and damage, and test a small area for how the wood takes oil.

  2. Contain the dust

    Sanders with dust extraction, rooms sealed with plastic, HVAC returns covered.

  3. Sand to bare wood

    Coarse to fine grit sequence, edges and corners detailed by hand.

  4. Apply hardwax oil

    Osmo Polyx-Oil in thin coats with drying time between, with the windows open for ventilation.

  5. Cure and hand over

    Guidance on the curing period and a maintenance kit plan for traffic areas.

Why oil instead of polyurethane

A film finish looks great for years, then wears through in traffic lanes and needs a full sanding to fix. Osmo Polyx-Oil soaks into the wood and can be refreshed in just the worn areas. Over the life of a floor, that means fewer full sandings and less wood removed each time.

Hardwax oil compared with polyurethane film finishPolyurethane forms a film on top of the wood, so worn areas usually need the whole floor sanded. Hardwax oil penetrates the wood fibers and leaves a breathable wax surface, so worn spots can be re-oiled on their own. Polyurethane film Sits on top of the woodWorn lanes break the film;the fix is sanding the room Hardwax oil Soaks into the fibersBreathable wax surface;worn spots are re-oiled
Why a hardwax oil floor can be repaired in spots. Schematic.

Old floors in the DMV

We see heart pine in Capitol Hill and Shaw rowhouses, red and white oak strip in Chevy Chase and Cleveland Park, and hundred-year-old floors in Old Town Alexandria. Old boards have often been sanded several times already. We check the remaining wood above the tongue before quoting, because a floor that is too thin needs a different plan.

What oil will not do

An oiled floor has a lower sheen and feels like wood rather than plastic. It is less resistant to standing water than a thick film finish, so it needs mats at sinks and prompt wiping. We are clear about that trade-off before you choose.

Replacing rather than refinishing? See hardwood flooring installation.

Common questions

Can you refinish a floor that already has polyurethane with oil?

Yes, but the polyurethane must be fully sanded off first. Oil will not bond to an existing film finish.

How long do I need to stay off the floor?

Light traffic in socks is usually fine the day after the final coat. The finish keeps curing for two to three weeks, so rugs go down after that.

Get an installed price

Tell us the rooms and the floor you are considering. We will measure, test the subfloor and send a written installed price.

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