Colorado Springs Wood Floor Resurfacing
Restore Your Floor’s Beauty Without Refinishing
We also install Hardwood and LVP Flooring
Wood Floor Resurfacing vs. Complete Refinishing In Colorado Springs
When living at 6,000+ feet elevation in Colorado Springs, your hardwood floors face unique challenges. Did you know that Colorado’s extreme humidity fluctuations—from bone-dry winters to monsoon summers—can cause your hardwood floors to expand and contract up to 10% more than at sea level?
For Colorado Springs residents in established neighborhoods like Broadmoor, Briargate, or Old Colorado City, this climate reality presents a common dilemma – do your tired, scratched, or dull hardwood floors need a complete refinishing, or could the less invasive process of resurfacing extend their life?
Understanding the difference between wood floor resurfacing and complete refinishing isn’t just about semantics—it’s about making the right investment for your home’s specific needs.
Whether you’re dealing with pet scratches from your outdoor-loving furry friends, sun fading common to our high-altitude sunshine, or preparing your home for Colorado’s competitive real estate market, this guide will help you make an informed decision.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the differences, benefits, costs, and considerations specific to wood flooring in Colorado Springs’ unique climate and elevation.
What is the difference between resurfacing and refinishing hardwood floors?
Wood floor resurfacing is a less invasive process that addresses surface-level wear by lightly sanding the top layer of finish and applying a new coat of polyurethane.
This process typically takes 1-2 days and costs approximately 40-50% less than complete refinishing in Colorado Springs. It’s ideal for floors with light scratches, minor dullness, or those needing a refresh.
Complete refinishing is a more thorough process that involves sanding down to bare wood (removing all finish and stain), repairing damaged boards, and applying new stain and multiple coats of finish.
This process takes 3-5 days and requires a higher investment. Refinishing is necessary for floors with deep scratches, significant discoloration, water damage, or warping—conditions often accelerated by Colorado’s extreme humidity fluctuations and high altitude.
The right choice depends on your floor’s current condition, your budget, timeline, and long-term goals.
Understanding Wood Floor Conditions in Colorado Springs’ Unique Climate
How Altitude and Climate Affect Your Hardwood Floors
Living in Colorado Springs means your hardwood floors experience conditions unlike almost anywhere else in the country. At over 6,000 feet elevation, the atmospheric pressure is lower, which affects how wood behaves. This high-altitude environment creates several unique challenges for your hardwood floors:
First, our extremely dry winter air—often with humidity levels below 20%—can cause wood to contract and shrink, potentially creating gaps between boards.
Then during our summer monsoon season, when humidity can spike dramatically, those same boards absorb moisture and expand. This continuous cycle of expansion and contraction puts extraordinary stress on your hardwood floors.
Additionally, our high-altitude sunshine delivers approximately 25% more UV radiation than at sea level, leading to accelerated fading and color changes in wood flooring. This is particularly noticeable in homes with large south-facing windows in neighborhoods like Broadmoor and Briargate, where sunlight exposure is extensive.
Homes in established neighborhoods like Old Colorado City, where many properties are 30+ years old, often show these climate effects more prominently. The original flooring in these historic homes has endured decades of Colorado’s unique climate cycles, making proper assessment crucial when considering restoration options.
Signs Your Floor Needs Attention
Recognizing when your hardwood floor needs professional attention can save you both money and future headaches. Here are key indicators to watch for in your Colorado Springs home:
Surface-Level Wear Signs
- Light scratches that don’t penetrate through the finish
- Dullness or loss of shine, especially in high-traffic areas
- Minor scuff marks from everyday use
- Slight fading from UV exposure, common in our high-altitude environment
Deeper Damage Requiring Refinishing
- Deep scratches that expose the bare wood
- Significant discoloration that can’t be removed by cleaning
- Cupping or crowning of boards (often caused by Colorado’s humidity fluctuations)
- Gray or black discoloration indicating water damage (particularly common after snow melt)
- Warped or squeaky boards that indicate structural issues
In homes 15+ years old, which represent the majority of Colorado Springs housing stock, it’s particularly important to distinguish between surface wear and deeper issues.
Many homeowners in neighborhoods like Briargate mistake normal surface wear for serious damage, leading to unnecessary refinishing when resurfacing would suffice.
Resurfacing Your Hardwood Floors – When It’s the Right Choice
The Resurfacing Process Explained
Floor resurfacing, sometimes called “screening and recoating,” is a less intensive process designed to address surface-level wear while preserving the integrity of your existing floor. Here’s what happens during this process:
First, professionals lightly abrade the top layer of polyurethane finish using a buffer with a fine screening mesh—without cutting into the stain or wood beneath. This creates a textured surface that allows the new finish to adhere properly. Unlike refinishing, this process generates minimal dust, a significant advantage in Colorado’s already dry air where dust can be particularly problematic for those with respiratory sensitivities.
After screening, contractors thoroughly clean the floor to remove all dust and debris. Then, they apply a fresh coat of polyurethane finish. In Colorado’s high-altitude environment, water-based polyurethanes often perform better as they adjust more effectively to our dramatic humidity changes.
The entire process typically takes just 1-2 days, with minimal furniture displacement and household disruption. Most Colorado Springs homes can have their main living areas resurfaced while the family continues to occupy other parts of the house, a significant advantage for busy families or those working from home.
Ideal Candidates for Resurfacing
Not every hardwood floor is a candidate for resurfacing. Here are the scenarios where this less invasive approach makes the most sense for Colorado Springs homeowners:
Your floors show primarily surface-level wear
Floors with light scratches, minor scuffs, or general dullness that haven’t penetrated through to the wood itself respond extremely well to resurfacing. These surface imperfections are often more common in our region due to the gritty outdoor lifestyle that brings sand and small rocks into homes.
Your finish is worn but the stain and wood are intact
If your floor’s color still looks good and the damage hasn’t reached the wood, resurfacing can restore the protective layer without altering the color.
Your home is preparing for the Colorado Springs real estate market
With our competitive housing market, refreshed hardwood floors can significantly impact buyer interest. Resurfacing provides the visual impact at a fraction of the time and investment of refinishing—often increasing perceived value while keeping pre-selling costs manageable.
You need a quicker, less disruptive solution
For families seeking less disruption in their homes for extended periods, the shorter timeframe of resurfacing (typically 1-2 days versus 3-5 days for refinishing) makes it an attractive option.
Your floors have been previously refinished but not excessively
Homes in established Colorado Springs neighborhoods like Broadmoor or Old Colorado City often have older hardwood floors that have been refinished multiple times. If your floors still have adequate wood thickness, resurfacing extends their life without further reducing this limited resource.
Complete Refinishing – When Your Colorado Home Needs More
The Refinishing Process in Detail
When your hardwood floors have suffered more substantial damage—a common scenario in our challenging Colorado climate—complete refinishing becomes necessary.
The process begins with the removal of all furniture from the work area. Next, our specialists use professional-grade sanders to remove all existing finish, stain, and a thin layer of wood—typically about 1/32 inch.
This aggressive sanding eliminates deep scratches, water damage, and sun fading common in Colorado Springs homes.
After the initial sanding, professionals progress through increasingly finer sandpaper grits to ensure a perfectly smooth surface. This meticulous approach is particularly important in our region, where the intense sunlight can highlight even minor imperfections.
With bare wood exposed, damaged boards can be properly assessed and replaced if necessary. When board replacement is required, the entire floor must be refinished to ensure color consistency—there’s simply no way to match new boards to existing flooring without this comprehensive approach.
Following repairs, stain is applied if desired. The dry Colorado climate actually provides an advantage here, as stain typically dries more quickly than in humid regions. Finally, multiple coats of protective finish are applied, with adequate drying time between each application.
The entire process typically takes 3-5 days, during which the area cannot be used. Additionally, furniture should not be replaced for at least 24 hours after the final coat, and area rugs should be kept off for a minimum of two weeks—particularly important advice for our region where area rugs are common insulators against cold floors in winter.
When Refinishing Is Necessary
While resurfacing is often sufficient for maintaining hardwood floors, there are specific scenarios where complete refinishing becomes the only viable option for Colorado Springs homeowners:
Deep damage that penetrates the wood
When scratches, gouges, or dents have penetrated through the finish and into the wood itself, resurfacing cannot address these deeper issues. This type of damage is particularly common in homes with active pets and children who enjoy Colorado’s outdoor lifestyle.
Water damage from Colorado’s freeze/thaw cycles
Our region’s dramatic temperature swings can lead to pipe freezes and subsequent water damage. When water penetrates hardwood, it can cause darkening, cupping, or even mold growth beneath the surface. Complete refinishing is necessary to remove the damaged layer and restore the floor’s integrity.
Significant sun fading
Colorado Springs’ intense high-altitude sunlight causes more severe UV damage than lower elevations. Floors near large windows often develop noticeable color differences that can only be corrected by sanding down to fresh wood and applying new stain.
Excessive wear in high-traffic areas
Many Colorado homes have distinct traffic patterns—from entries where outdoor boots are removed to pathways toward mountain-view windows. When these areas show significantly more wear than surrounding areas, complete refinishing ensures a uniform appearance throughout.
Previous coatings that have failed
Some older homes in established neighborhoods have floors that were treated with wax or older finishes that are incompatible with modern polyurethanes. In these cases, complete refinishing is necessary to provide a clean slate for new, more durable finishes.
Board replacement requirements
As mentioned earlier, when damaged boards need replacement, complete refinishing is the only way to achieve a consistent appearance across the entire floor. This is particularly relevant in older Colorado Springs neighborhoods where finding exact matching wood species and grain patterns can be challenging.
Frequently Asked Questions About Resurfacing
Is it better to resurface or refinish hardwood floors?
The best choice depends on your floor’s current condition. Resurfacing is better for surface-level wear when the stain and wood remain in good shape. It’s more affordable, less disruptive, and completed in 1-2 days—ideal for busy schedules or pre-sale preparation.
Refinishing is necessary for deep scratches, water damage from Colorado’s freeze/thaw cycles, significant UV fading, or when boards need replacement. While more expensive and time-consuming (3-5 days), it addresses serious damage and can add decades to your floor’s lifespan in our challenging climate.
What does resurfacing floors mean?
Resurfacing (also called “screening and recoating”) refreshes hardwood floors without removing existing stain or cutting into the wood. Our specialists use a buffer with fine screening mesh to lightly abrade only the top polyurethane layer, creating a textured surface for new finish adhesion. After cleaning, they apply a fresh polyurethane coat.
This process generates minimal dust, can be completed quickly while you remain home, adds years of protection against Colorado’s extreme UV exposure and humidity fluctuations, and costs significantly less than complete refinishing.
How to make old hardwood floors look better without refinishing?
For Colorado Springs homeowners looking to improve hardwood floors without refinishing or resurfacing:
- Deep clean with specialized products that won’t strip moisture from the wood.
- Apply revitalizer products to restore shine to sun-damaged finishes.
- Use strategic rug placement to hide worn areas, moving them periodically in our variable humidity.
- Try touch-up kits for minor scratches from our outdoor lifestyle.
- Consider professional cleaning and polishing services that maintain existing finishes.
- Control your home environment with humidity management during extreme seasons.
These solutions can extend time between more intensive treatments while addressing the unique challenges of our Colorado Springs environment.
Get Your Free Quote Today
Ready to determine whether your Colorado Springs home needs wood floor resurfacing or complete refinishing? Our high-altitude flooring specialists offer free in-home assessments designed specifically for the unique challenges facing Colorado Springs homeowners.
During your consultation we will:
- Evaluate your current floor conditions accounting for our elevation’s effects
- Provide honest recommendations based on your floor’s specific needs
- Outline timeline expectations tailored to your schedule
Let’s make your home beautiful!
Call us for a Free Quote at 719-660-2671
Service Area
We proudly serve Colorado Springs and the following neighborhoods:
Bear Creek · Black Forest · Briargate · Broadmoor · Broadmoor Bluffs · Cheyenne Mountain · Constitution Hills · Cordera · Cottonwood Creek · Deerfield Hills · Downtown · Flying Horse · Fountain Valley · Gleneagle · Interquest · Ivywild · Memorial Park · Mountain Shadows · Northgate · Oak Valley Ranch · Old Colorado City · Old North End · Park Vista · Peregrine · Pine Creek · Pleasant Valley · Ridgeview · Rockrimmon · Sand Creek · Skyway · Soaring Eagles · Southgate · Spring Creek · Springs Ranch · Stetson Hills · Stratmoor · Stratmoor Hills · Stratton Meadows · University Park · Venetian Village · Vista Grande · Wolf Ranch
We also serve the following communities:
Cascade · Chipita Park · Eastonville · Falcon · Fountain · Green Mountain Falls · Manitou Springs · Monument · Peyton · Security · Widefield · Woodland Park
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