How long does the hardwood floor refinishing process take?

Most refinishing jobs take 2–4 days from start to finish: one day for sanding and staining, then 1–2 days for finish coats with dry time between each coat. Water-based finishes dry faster and can speed up the timeline.

Can we stay in our home during the refinishing?

We recommend staying out of the work area while sanding and during finish coat applications. With water-based finish, you can often return to non-refinished areas of the home the same day. Oil-based finish has stronger fumes and may require a full night away.

How many times can hardwood floors be sanded and refinished?

Most solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished 5–10 times over their lifetime depending on the wood thickness. Engineered hardwood varies by the thickness of the wear layer. We assess your floors on-site and tell you exactly where you stand.

What is the difference between oil-based and water-based finish?

Oil-based finish adds a warm amber tone, dries slower (24–48 hours between coats), and is extremely durable. Water-based finish dries clear, has low odor, dries in 2–3 hours, and won't yellow over time. Both are excellent the right choice depends on your timeline and the look you want.

My oak floors turned orange. Can you fix that?

Yes. Orange floors are caused by reactive chemistry in old oil-based polyurethane, not the wood itself. We sand back to bare wood, apply Bona Red Out to neutralize tannins if needed, and restain to your chosen color. The result is a completely transformed floor.

Do I need to move all my furniture before you start?

We ask that you remove small items, breakables, and rugs before we arrive. We can assist with moving standard furniture. Large, heavy items like pianos or built-ins should be arranged separately. We'll walk through expectations when we do your estimate.

How do I know if my floors need refinishing or full replacement?

If your hardwood has surface scratches, a dull finish, uneven color, or minor staining, refinishing is almost certainly the right answer. If boards are cracked, cupped, or structurally damaged or if the wood has already been sanded down to near the tongue replacement may be needed. We assess this for free at every estimate.

How long before we can walk on the floors and move furniture back?

With water-based finish: light foot traffic in socks after 24 hours, furniture after 48–72 hours. With oil-based finish: light foot traffic after 24–48 hours, furniture after 5–7 days. We go over exact timelines with you before we leave.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing | Gorsegner Brothers

The Heart of Our Business

Give Your Old Floors a Second Life

From our very beginnings, bringing old hardwood floors back to life has been the backbone of our business. At Gorsegner Brothers, we specialize in professional hardwood floor sanding and refinishing that restores worn, scratched, or outdated floors to beautiful, like-new condition.

Hardwood floor refinishing before and after

Professional Finishes

Our team uses high-performance finishes from Bona along with one of the most advanced dust containment systems available. This allows us to refinish your floors while dramatically reducing the amount of dust created during the sanding process, so your home stays cleaner while we work.

Bona professional finish being applied to hardwood floors

What Is a Dust Containment System?

Our dust containment system is a powerful vacuum system connected directly to our sanding equipment. It captures up to 99% of the airborne dust created during the sanding process, making it one of the cleanest and most efficient systems available today.

Dust containment sanding equipment in use

Why This Matters for Your Home

Dust-controlled sanding means less mess, a healthier home, and a better final result. Without sanding dust settling into wet polyurethane, we deliver a smoother, more beautiful finish — and you won't be scrubbing furniture or cleaning air filters when we leave.

Clean, freshly refinished hardwood floors

Our Hardwood Refinishing Process Includes

Removal of scratches, stains, and worn finishes

Up to five custom stain samples applied directly on your floor

Dust-controlled sanding equipment

Professional-grade water-based finishes

Why Gorsegner Brothers

Built on 75 Years of Trust

Dustless Sanding

Professional containment captures dust at the source. Your home stays dramatically cleaner than traditional sanding.

Color on Your Floor

We apply stain samples directly on your actual floor, not a paint chip. You choose in your real lighting.

75 Years of Experience

Refinishing has been the heart of our business since 1951: thousands of NJ homes, one family, one standard.

Bona Certified

Our crews are certified by Bona USA in their Master Craftsman Program and continue to train with Bona annually.

What Our Clients Are Saying

Official Bona DriFast® Color Palette

26 Stain Colors. We Bring Samples to Your Floor.

We apply up to 5 samples directly on your floor so you can see the exact color in your home's lighting. Custom blends available on request.

Metropolitan

Cool grays & neutrals

Aged Pewter

Driftwood

Graphite

Grey

Classic

Warm browns & walnuts

Antique Brown

Bark

Cocoa

Early American

Jacobean

Medium Brown

Nutmeg

Provincial

Special Walnut

Spice Brown

Essentials

Reds, mahoganies & cherries

Cherry

Red Mahogany

Rosewood

Sedona Red

Twig

Naturals

Light & natural tones

Birch

Ebony

Golden Oak

Natural

Puritan Pine

Sand Dune

White

Bona DriFast Stain colors shown for reference. Actual results vary by wood species and lighting conditions.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Refinishing costs in NJ typically range from $3–$7 per square foot depending on floor condition, stain choice, number of finish coats, and accessibility. We provide free in-home estimates so you get an exact price for your specific project.

Most refinishing jobs take 2–4 days: one day for sanding and staining, then 1–2 days for finish coats with proper dry time between each coat. Water-based finishes dry faster and can shorten the overall timeline.

We recommend staying out of the work area while sanding and during finish coat applications. With water-based finish you can often remain in non-refinished areas the same day. Oil-based finish has stronger fumes and may require a full night away from the home.

Our equipment captures the vast majority of sanding dust at the source using professional containment systems. Some fine dust may settle in adjacent rooms, but nothing like traditional open sanding. Most customers are genuinely surprised by how clean their home stays throughout the process.

Most solid hardwood floors can be sanded and refinished 5–10 times over their lifetime, depending on the thickness of the planks. Engineered hardwood varies by the thickness of the wear layer. We assess your floors on-site and tell you exactly where you stand.

Oil-based finish adds a warm amber tone, is extremely durable, and dries in 24–48 hours between coats. Water-based finish is crystal clear, low-odor, dries in 2–3 hours, and won't yellow over time. Both are excellent. We'll help you choose on-site based on your goals and timeline.

Yes, and it's one of the most common jobs we do in NJ. The orange comes from reactive chemistry in old polyurethane, not the wood itself. We sand to bare wood, apply Bona Red Out to neutralize tannins where needed, then restain to the color you want. The result is a completely transformed floor.

We ask that you remove small items, breakables, and rugs before we arrive. We can help move standard furniture. Large or very heavy items like pianos or built-ins should be arranged separately. We walk through expectations at the estimate so there are no surprises on day one.

If your floors have surface scratches, dull finish, uneven color, or minor staining, refinishing is almost certainly the right answer, and far more affordable. If boards are cracked, cupped, structurally damaged, or sanded down near the tongue, replacement may be needed. We assess this at every free estimate.

Water-based finish: light foot traffic in socks after 24 hours, furniture after 48–72 hours. Oil-based finish: light foot traffic after 24–48 hours, furniture after 5–7 days. We go over the exact care instructions with you before we leave so your new floors stay perfect.

Also From Gorsegner Brothers