Sanding, staining, repair and new finishes

Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Surrey

Q: How long does hardwood floor refinishing take,and when can we walk on it?

A typical main floor takes a few days,including sanding,any stain and several coats of finish. You can usually walk on it in socks once the final coat is dry,but furniture and especially rugs should wait until the finish has cured,which varies by product. We give you the exact timing for the finish we use.

Q: Is dustless refinishing really dust-free?

Not completely,and no honest contractor should promise that. Connecting the sanders to strong vacuum extraction captures most of the dust at the source,and we seal doorways and vents as well. The result is far less dust than traditional sanding,which makes it much easier to live in the home during the work.

Q: Can engineered hardwood be refinished?

Often,yes,if the top layer of real wood is thick enough. Some engineered floors can take a full sanding once or more,while very thin ones can only be recoated. We check the wear layer at a floor vent or edge before recommending anything.

Q: Should I refinish my floor or just recoat it?

If the finish is dull and lightly scratched but the wood underneath is not exposed,a recoat is faster and cheaper. If scratches go into the wood,traffic lanes are grey or bare,or you want a new colour,the floor needs a full sand and refinish.

Q: Can you remove black pet stains or water marks?

Light surface marks often sand out. Dark black stains from pet urine or long-term water usually go deep into the wood and do not sand out fully,so the best fix is replacing those boards and refinishing the area so the new wood blends in.

Q: Can I change my floor to a lighter,darker or grey colour?

Yes,by sanding to bare wood and staining. Going darker is straightforward on most oak floors. Going much lighter is limited by the wood's natural colour,and some species such as maple and birch can look blotchy under dark stain. We test samples on your floor before you decide.

Q: Which finish is best:water-based or oil-based?

Water-based polyurethane dries faster,has less odour and stays clear,so it suits busy households and lighter colours. Oil-modified polyurethane gives a warmer amber tone and deepens over time but needs longer to dry. Hardwax oil offers a natural matte look with easy spot repairs. We recommend based on your colour,traffic and schedule.

Q: Do we need to move out during refinishing?

Usually not for the whole job. You will need to stay off the floors being worked on,so many people plan the work around a few days of limited access to part of the house. With water-based finishes and dust-contained sanding,living in the rest of the home is much easier.

Q: How do I get a refinishing estimate?

Use the refinishing estimate form or call(604)649-5404. Square footage and a few photos give us enough for a rough price. We then visit to check the floor type,thickness and finish,and confirm the scope in writing.

Bring worn, scratched or dated hardwood back with dust-contained sanding, repairs, a new stain colour and a finish chosen for your household, usually for far less than new flooring.

Request a free refinishing estimate Call us: (604) 649-5404

Surrey Hardwood

Most hardwood can be saved

Across Surrey, plenty of homes have hardwood that looks finished but is not: oak dulled by years of traffic in Fleetwood and Cloverdale family homes, original fir or oak hidden under carpet in older houses, and engineered floors in newer builds that are scratched but still sound. In most cases, the wood itself is fine. It is the finish that has worn out.

The right fix depends on how deep the damage goes and what kind of floor you have. Some floors only need a fresh topcoat, others a full sand and refinish, and a few need boards replaced first. The services below cover each of those, and we will tell you which one your floor actually needs after seeing it.

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Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Our hardwood refinishing services in Surrey

A typical job combines several of these: dust-contained sanding, a few board repairs, a stain colour and a durable finish.

Full Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Surrey

Full refinishing takes the floor back to bare wood and builds it up again: sanding out scratches, dents and old finish, filling gaps, optional stain, then several coats of new finish. It is the complete service, and the right one when wear has gone through the finish into the wood, or when you want a new colour or sheen.

Typically involves

Sanding to bare wood in progressive grits

Gap and nail-hole filling

Optional stain colour change

Two or more coats of protective finish

A good fit if the floor is scratched, greyed or worn through in traffic areas.

Dustless Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Surrey

Dust-contained refinishing connects the sanders to high-powered vacuum extraction, capturing most dust at the source instead of letting it settle through the house. No process is completely dust-free, so we still seal off doorways and vents, but the difference in cleanup is significant. It suits occupied homes, people with allergies and houses with open floor plans.

Typically involves

Sanders connected to vacuum extraction

Doorways and HVAC vents sealed off

Far less dust on walls, shelves and furniture

Faster cleanup at the end of each day

A good fit if you're living in the home or someone has allergies.

Hardwood Floor Sanding in Surrey

Sanding is the step that decides how the floor will look. A drum or belt sander does the open floor, an edger reaches the perimeter, and a final pass with a finer grit or buffer removes the machine marks that show up under finish. The goal is to remove only as much wood as needed, which matters most on older and engineered floors.

Typically involves

Drum, edger and detail sanding

Progressive grits for a smooth surface

Minimal wood removal to preserve thickness

Final buff to remove swirl and chatter marks

A good fit if you need scratches, cupping or old finish taken off.

Hardwood Floor Restoration in Surrey

Restoration is for floors that need more than a sand and coat: original oak or fir uncovered from under carpet, pet stains, water marks, damaged boards and decades of patchwork repairs. We assess what can be saved, replace boards that cannot, match species and grain as closely as possible, then refinish the whole floor so repairs blend in.

Typically involves

Floors uncovered from under carpet or vinyl

Pet and water stain treatment or board replacement

Species and grain matching

Refinishing so old and new boards blend

A good fit if the floor is old, damaged or has been hidden for years.

Hardwood Floor Staining in Surrey

Staining changes the colour of a floor without replacing it, from lighter natural tones to rich browns or cool greys. Colour depends on the species, so we test samples on your actual floor before choosing. Oak takes stain evenly, especially with water-popping to open the grain, while maple and birch can blotch under dark stains and need a different approach.

Typically involves

Sample boards tested on your own floor

Natural, light, dark and grey tones

Water-popping for even colour on oak

Advice on species that blotch

A good fit if you want a different colour without new flooring.

Not sure how much work your floor needs?

Send a few photos and the approximate square footage. We’ll tell you whether it looks like a recoat, a full refinish or a repair, with a rough cost before the business day is out.

Request a free refinishing estimate

Hardwood Floor Finishing in Surrey

The finish is what you actually walk on, so it decides how the floor wears and how it looks. Water-based polyurethane dries quickly, has low odour and stays clear. Oil-modified polyurethane gives a warmer amber tone but takes longer to cure. Hardwax oils give a natural matte look and allow spot repairs. We match the finish and sheen to your household.

Typically involves

Water-based and oil-modified polyurethane

Hardwax oil finishes

Matte, satin, semi-gloss or gloss sheen

Finishing new unfinished hardwood installs

A good fit if you're choosing a finish for new or newly sanded floors.

Hardwood Floor Repair in Surrey

Some floors only need part of the job. We replace cracked, stained or water-damaged boards, fix squeaks and loose boards, close gaps, and repair damage from appliances, furniture or leaks. Where possible we weave new boards into the existing floor so there is no obvious patch, then blend the finish over the repaired area or the whole room.

Typically involves

Board replacement and weave-in repairs

Squeak and loose-board fixes

Gap filling and edge repairs

Water and pet damage repair

A good fit if the damage is in one area rather than across the whole floor.

Hardwood Floor Resurfacing in Surrey

If the finish is dull and lightly scratched but not worn through to bare wood, resurfacing (often called a screen and recoat) may be all you need. The existing finish is lightly abraded and a fresh coat applied, with no full sanding. It costs less and is faster, but it cannot fix deep scratches or change colour, and some factory and waxed finishes will not accept a recoat.

Typically involves

Light abrasion of the existing finish

A fresh protective topcoat

No full sanding or wood removal

Adhesion test on factory or older finishes

A good fit if the floor looks tired but the finish has not worn through.

Wood Floor Refinishing in Surrey

Not every wood floor is solid oak. Engineered hardwood can be refinished if its top layer is thick enough, which we check first. Softwood fir, common in older Surrey homes, dents easily and needs a gentler sanding approach. Parquet needs sanding in multiple directions, and stair treads, nosings and railings are done by hand to match the floors around them.

Typically involves

Engineered hardwood (wear layer checked first)

Douglas fir and other softwood floors

Parquet and patterned floors

Stairs, treads and nosings

A good fit if your floor is engineered, softwood, parquet or on the stairs.

Refinish, recoat, repair or replace?

Match what you see on your floor to the treatment it usually needs. We confirm on site.

What your floor looks like

Usually needs

Dull, with light surface scratches only

Resurfacing (buff and recoat)

Scratches into the wood, grey or bare traffic lanes

Full sand and refinish

You want a lighter, darker or grey colour

Sand, stain and refinish

A few cracked, stained or water-damaged boards

Board repair, then refinish the area or room

Old floor uncovered from under carpet or vinyl

Restoration

Engineered floor with a very thin top layer

Recoat if possible; replacement if worn through

Widespread rot, deep cupping from moisture or boards too thin to sand

Replacement with new flooring

What hardwood refinishing in Surrey costs

Refinishing is usually priced per square foot, and it is typically well below the cost of new hardwood. What changes the price:

Square footage and how many rooms are connected

Whether it is a recoat or a full sand to bare wood

Stain colour, and extra steps like water-popping

Number of finish coats and the finish type

Board repairs, gap filling or pet and water damage

Stairs, which are sanded largely by hand and priced separately

Price my floor refinishing

What we check before any sanding

A floor can only be sanded so many times, so the first job is to understand what is there and how much wood is left to work with.

These checks decide whether we recommend a recoat, a full refinish or repairs, and they are part of every free assessment.

Book a free hardwood floor assessment

Floor type and remaining thickness, especially on engineered hardwood

The existing finish, since wax and some factory finishes change the approach

Moisture, cupping or signs of past leaks

Protruding nails, staples and loose boards that could damage the sander

Stains that will not sand out and need board replacement

Furniture, pets and HVAC planned around the drying and curing days

How hardwood refinishing works

A typical main floor takes a few days from start to finish, with drying and curing times that depend on the product used.

Protect and prepare

Furniture is moved, doorways and vents are sealed, and nails, staples and loose boards are dealt with.

Stain, if chosen

Colour is applied evenly after samples are approved, then left to dry fully.

Sand and repair

The floor is sanded through progressive grits, with repairs and gap filling done before the final pass.

Finish and cure

Coats of finish are applied with drying time between them, followed by a cure period before furniture and rugs return.

Homeowner reviews

Reviews from homeowners we've worked with.

Vancouver homeowners who entrusted us with their biggest investment — and what they had to say afterwards. Every review on this site is verified and linked to a real Google profile.

Delivered our full-home reno on time and on the original quote. No surprise change-orders. The PM texted photos every Friday — best contractor experience we've had in Vancouver.

Sarah K.

Kitsilano - Full-Home

Renovation

We added a legal basement suite to help with the mortgage. They handled every City of Burnaby permit. Tenant-ready in 12 weeks — now rents for $2,300/mo. They paid for themselves.

Mike & Rita G.

Burnaby - Legal

Secondary Suite

Our 1970s ensuite became a spa. Heated floors, walk-in shower, custom vanity. The design studio nailed our vision and the trades were respectful of our home every single day.

Jenny L.

North Vancouver

Bathroom

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Where we work

From Surrey to Vancouver, White Rock and Burnaby.

Total Renovations, a trusted renovation company located in Surrey, proudly works with homeowners across the Lower Mainland, offering comprehensive renovation services designed to enhance the comfort, functionality, and value of their homes.

Refinishing FAQ

Surrey hardwood refinishing questions

Timing, dust, engineered floors, stains, colours and finishes.

How long does hardwood floor refinishing take, and when can we walk on it? j

A typical main floor takes a few days, including sanding, any stain and several coats of finish. You can usually walk on it in socks once the final coat is dry, but furniture and especially rugs should wait until the finish has cured, which varies by product. We give you the exact timing for the finish we use.

Is dustless refinishing really dust-free? i

Can engineered hardwood be refinished? i

Should I refinish my floor or just recoat it? i

Can you remove black pet stains or water marks? i

Can I change my floor to a lighter, darker or grey colour? i

Which finish is best: water-based or oil-based? i

Do we need to move out during refinishing? i

How do I get a refinishing estimate? i