Can maple wood floors be refinished

If your maple hardwood floor’s finish looks scratched, scuffed and dingy, you can restore its color and luster with a new finish. You can prepare the floor for refinishing by using a liquid floor refinisher, which is a type of chemical finish stripper designed to remove hardwood floor finishes.

Can you refinish maple hardwood floors?

While re-finishing your maple hardwood floors will provide some additional challenges during the sanding, buffing and staining stages, it is possible to complete the job and have your maple floor looking brand new.

How much does it cost to refinish maple floors?

Maple floor refinishing costs can average between $6 and $8 per square foot.

Can maple floors be sanded and refinished?

Sanding a maple floor is not like sanding oak. You are most likely going to refinish one maple floor every few years, so you will not get that many chances to practice. … Scratches from the big machine (with the direction of the floor)

Can you change the color of maple floors?

The answer is usually YES! Many homeowners don’t realize that you can change the color of hardwood flooring when you refinish your floors. Yes, it’s true…you can go light or dark or red tones or anywhere in between. Most are pleasantly surprised it doesn’t matter if you are going light to dark or vice versa.

How do you restore a maple floor?

Remove all furniture, window treatments and wall hangings from the room. …
Inspect the stripped floor for gouges. …
Apply maple stain to the floor with an applicator pad to highlight the grain of the wood. …
Sand away the old finish if the floor is badly worn. …
Rent a floor sander and edge sander.

Should you stain maple floors?

Simply put maple is not a hardwood flooring wood that should be stained. You can read what the Wood Flooring Association has to say about maple flooring here.. Staining maple is generally not recommended by finish manufacturers since the dense grain does not allow the penetration of most pigments.

How do you finish maple wood?

Maple Finishing Tips Coat it with a clear, water-based finish. Be sure to damp-sponge the wood to lift the grain, then sand, both before and between coats. Give maple an aged look with dye and an oil/varnish mix. Sand to 220 grit, wipe off dust, then damp-sponge the wood and sand as above.

Can you stain maple floors gray?

Yes, gray! … As background, it’s easy to get the gray color in pre-finished maple or birch floors. Because these woods are closed pored, they absorb the stains differently and some of the darker brown stains turn gray on maple and birch (see picture to the right).

Is maple hard to sand?

Hard maple is one the toughest to sand because there is minimal grain and it is very hard. I sand with my wide belt sander up to 180 grit, and then use 120, 180, and 220 with my Dynabrades and then follow that with a small amount of hand sanding.

Article first time published on

Is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?

In general, it will almost ALWAYS be less expensive to refinish your hardwood floors. If you replace them, you need to pay for additional wood as well as ripping up and hauling away existing hardwood. … Even if you have this, it will still be less expensive then replacing the whole floor.

Can you stay in house while floors are refinished?

The strong scent of polyurethane and stain lingers in the atmosphere for very long and can kick-start a migraine any time or all the time. Even if it’s not causing migraines, it’s still uncomfortable to live in a house where the floor is being refinished and there are strong odors in the air.

Is it cheaper to refinish hardwood floors or replace with vinyl?

Is it Cheaper to Refinish or Replace Hardwood Floors? Drumroll please… the answer is that it’s cheaper to refinish your hardwood floors rather than to replace them!

Can maple be stained?

Maple is one of the most difficult woods to achieve a dark, uniform stain color on because it is a dense, closed grain wood and often absorbs stain very unevenly.

What color floors never go out of style?

White and black create the perfect contrast for whatever you place it on. The two colors mesh together perfectly, while also creating definitive lines between their separation. That’s why black and white have been used for flooring designs for a long time.

Can I stain maple floors dark?

Homeowner: Can you stain my maple floor? Contractor: No, maple doesn’t take stain well. … Contractors are at a disadvantage when refinishing wood floors on site, because they cannot replicate the unique processes used in factory finishing in the field.

How do you keep maple floors from yellowing?

If you want to avoid the yellow, use a water borne polyurethane (e.g. Bona Traffic HD). They are much lighter and more clear. Oil based polyurethanes will give you a yellowish coat, so your floors will have a yellow tint.

Can you sand maple wood?

“Closed-grain” woods like maple and cherry have a smoother, more uniform texture. So they need to be sanded with higher grits before the sanding scratches will disappear. The finish matters too.

Can you Restain maple?

Maple is not at all difficult to refinish because it takes well to sanding, and staining or painting. Stripping the old stain is not necessary if it is in good condition and you only want to darken or refresh it with the same color.

Can you sand and stain maple?

Once dry, sand lightly and proceed with staining. The embedded glue will prevent excessive stain absorption. You can also use a light coat of shellac or any sealer to the same end. And remember to always test on scrap or inconspicuous areas to ensure you get the look you are after.

How do you seal a maple floor?

Thoroughly clean the floor surface prior to applying the first coat of sealer. Using a clean lambswool applicator, apply a liberal and uniform coat of penetrating sealer with at least the minimum coverage per the manufacturer’s instructions. Allow to dry completely.

Can you whitewash maple floors?

Most whitewashed floors work best with American/Canadian hardwoods such as oak (especially white oak), maple and birch. … Maples and birches are lighter/blander, so often the whitewash looks whiter on these woods. The graining on these species is smoother too,and some people prefer it.

Are GREY floors going out of style?

The Trend Is Ending. Prominent grey colored hardwood floors have been strong the last 6-7 years. With hardwood floors, strong trends usually last five years, then something else comes along or so it seems.

Can I change the color of my hardwood floors?

When you refinish your floors, you can change the color of your flooring. Most hardwood floors can be made darker, lighter, redder, or anywhere in between. If your flooring is solid hardwood, it can be sanded and refinished in a different stain for a different appearance.

Does maple need to be sealed?

No finish will keep wood from expanding and contracting over time. It’s in wood’s nature to do that, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. Also, tung oil isn’t all that great at sealing moisture to begin with. Instead, what you must do is design the piece of furniture with this limitation in mind.

Do you have to seal maple?

Finishing maple can help emphasize the natural wood grain and boost the color of the wood. … No matter what you use on your wood, be sure to sand it first and seal it afterward to protect it from any damage. When you’re finished, the maple will look like new!

What is maple wood good for?

Maple wood is commonly used in high-end furniture, flooring, cabinetry, and kitchen accessories. Because of its durability and strength, maple can be found used as flooring in bowling alleys and for bowling pins.

What is a good stain for maple?

ProductRating1 qt Minwax 61500 Clear Pre-Stain Wood Conditioner2,067 ReviewsSee More DetailsHOWARD RF2016 RF3016 Restor-A-Finish, 16 oz, Maple-Pine10,780 ReviewsSee More Details1 qt Minwax 70012 Dark Walnut Wood Finish Oil-Based Wood Stain5,079 ReviewsSee More Details

How do you finish hard maple?

Tips to Finishing Hard Maple: Maple will darken over time and develop a color that is close to maple syrup. If you want to maintain the light color of the maple, then coat it with a clear (ideally water-based) finish. To lift the grain, be sure to damp-sponge the wood.

How do you seal maple wood?

Another commonly used finishing technique on maple is to apply tung oil or linseed oil after the final sanding. These oils tend to bring out the curly or tiger looks of the maple. Follow the oil with a coat or two of shellac. For a more durable finish, top-coat over the shellac with a clear lacquer or polyurethane.