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Deciding whether to refinish or replace hardwood floors? This guide gives a fast decision checklist, clear damage signals (water, pet stains, thin wear layers), realistic cost/timeline ranges, and when color goals or factory-finish warranties make replacement the smarter play.

Hinsdale whole-home refinish with a full staircase makeover: we swapped red Brazilian-cherry treads for oak, matched floors and stairs in Espresso, and sealed it extra-matte with Loba 2K Duo—one calm, cohesive look from foyer to bedrooms.

Refinishing hardwood floors can erase years of wear, restore rich grain, and protect your investment for decades—without the cost of full replacement. This step-by-step guide covers everything from testing if your floor is a refinishing candidate to choosing the right tools, stain, and finish for lasting results.

What started as a simple refinish turned into a full floor replacement — see how we gave this century-old home a fresh start with white oak hardwood.

Thinking about staining your hardwood floor? Learn exactly what water popping wood floors means, when to use it, and how to do it step by step to get deep, even stain results without costly mistakes.

In this article you’ll learn the best way to clean hardwood floors, what to use (and avoid), how to mop hardwood floors safely, and how to handle everything from daily dust to deeper stains and scuff marks.

If you try researching this topic, you might be surprised by how confusing the answers are. That’s because there are many factors to consider, and the shortest answer is “Sometimes yes, sometimes no.” In this guide, we’ll share the knowledge we’ve acquired during our 15 years of experience and discuss the details you need to understand to determine whether you can refinish engineered hardwood floors in your home.

At Big Bro Hardwood, we often have clients wondering whether their floors need just recoating or full sanding. This guide will show you how to find the answer by examining your floor. We’ll also describe how to screen and recoat hardwood floors on your own and answer other popular questions.

This guide will walk you through every step of polishing hardwood floors, from choosing the polish to the final maintenance tips. Bonus: top reasons why the floor still looks dull despite your best effort and which “natural polishes” damage the finish.

Can you refinish prefinished hardwood floors? Yes, but it can be a bit more complicated. Here we’ll cover when refinishing is a good option, the full process, mistakes to avoid, and whether DIY or professional option is best for you.

Here we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about drying and curing times for polyurethane!

Is refinishing expensive? What will it actually cost to give your floors a fresh start? Let's find out today!