refinishing
Hardwood Refinishing & Sanding
Bring a tired floor back to better-than-new.
Overview
If your floor is dull, scratched, or stained from decades of life — but the planks are sound — refinishing brings it back. We sand to bare wood, address spot damage, then apply finish that looks better than the day the floor was first laid.
Hardwood Refinishing & Sanding by Kovich & Savard starts at $4/sq ft* for labor, with material quoted separately and the final number set after a free in-home estimate. We service every Massachusetts town listed below — Greater Boston, the South Shore, MetroWest, and Cape Cod — with three generations of family experience. Every job is owner-led.
Refinishing is the highest-leverage thing you can do to a 1920s, 1960s, or 1990s home. The original wood is almost always better than what's sold today — denser, slower-grown, and milled from larger logs. A good sand-and-finish reveals it.
We use modern dust-containment systems — HEPA-filtered drum sanders connected to powered vac — so your home stays livable through the work. Our three-pass sanding sequence (40, 80, 120 grit) removes old polyurethane, scratches, and pet stains while leveling cup and crown.
After sanding we offer custom-mixed stains and a choice of premium finishes: water-based polyurethane (low odor, fast cure, pale-amber tone), oil-based polyurethane (warmer amber, deeper grain), or hardwax oil (matte, repairable in spots, European feel).
Materials we work with
Why choose this
What you get when we do this work.
Cheaper than replacement, often by 5×
Refinishing typically runs a fraction of an installation. If your boards are sound, this is the right move 9 times out of 10.
Dust-contained equipment
Modern HEPA sanders capture 95%+ of airborne dust. Your kitchen cabinets and HVAC don't pay the price for your floors.
Custom stain matching
We mix on-site to match an heirloom piece, a kitchen cabinet, or a sample swatch. Stain panels go down before any finish so you sign off on the exact color.
How it goes
The 6-step process for this work.
- 01
Free assessment
We come look at the floor in person. Some floors look beat but only need a screen-and-recoat (much cheaper). We'll tell you which yours is.
- 02
Furniture out, room sealed
We move and protect what you can't. Plastic sheeting and zip walls isolate the work zone.
- 03
Three-pass sanding
40 → 80 → 120 grit, plus edge sanders for perimeters and a buffer for uniformity.
- 04
Stain panels (optional)
Three to five stain options applied directly to your floor for you to choose from.
- 05
Finish, 3 coats
Three coats of premium poly with intercoat abrasion. Each coat cures before the next.
- 06
Cure & furniture return
Walkable in 24 hours. Furniture-safe in 72. Rugs after 14 days.
FAQ
Common questions about refinishing.
Got a question that's not here? Call (508) 962-1962 or email us. Tim and Steve answer themselves.
How many times can hardwood be refinished?
Solid 3/4" can typically be refinished 4–5 times, taking off about 1/16" of wear layer each time. We'll measure remaining tongue depth at the assessment so you know where you stand.
Do you do screen-and-recoat?
Yes — when a floor only needs to be lightly abraded and recoated (no stain, no deep scratches), screen-and-recoat is roughly half the cost and finishes in two days.
What about pet stains?
Black pet stains are tannic acid that's penetrated the wood. We can sand most out; stubborn ones get bleached with oxalic acid before staining. We'll set expectations honestly before work starts.
Where we provide this service
Refinishing across Eastern Massachusetts.
Free estimate
Walk your floors. Quote in 48 hours.
Tell us about the project. Tim or Steve drives out, walks the rooms with you, checks the subfloor, and emails a written line-item proposal within 48 hours. No salesperson, no upsell.
Mon–Sat · 9 AM – 5 PM · No after-hours calls go unanswered for long.