Having your floors refinished can be a dusty and noisy project, but the result is worth the effort.
One of the most common questions we’re asked is whether you can stay in your house while the floors are being refinished. In this article, we answer that question and provide tips on how you can prepare your home for professional floor restoration!
The Short Answer:
Yes – you can usually stay in your home while the floors are being refinished. However, refinishing floors is a big project and it may get in the way of your day-to-day life. Here are some of the things you should consider:
- Refinishing timber floors creates lots of dust. While our sanding machines capture most of the dust, you should cover any delicate items, like art or rugs.
- You can’t access the floors we’re working on for the duration of the project. For example, if we’re refinishing the floors in your bedroom, you’ll need to stay in another part of the home for a few days.
- You can access other parts of the home as normal.
- The sanding process is very noisy. We complete all sanding during normal daylight hours, but this could be an issue if you have young children or if you work from home.
- All the coatings Quicksand Flooring uses are non-toxic and low VOC, but this may not be true for all companies.
- Floor coatings need to cure properly before you can walk on them or put furniture back in the room. This can take several days, depending on the weather and the coating that was used.
We find that most of our clients prefer to move out or even go on holiday while we complete their floors. When you come back, the work will be done and you’ll be able to use your floors as normal!
When Can I Use the Floors Again?
You can usually walk on refinished floors after 24 hours, and begin using the room again over the following day or two. It can take up to 10 days for floor coatings to fully cure, so floors should not be mopped or scratched during this time. Avoid moving furniture while the floor is curing.
This table shows the curing time for the products we generally use when refinishing timber floors:
| Product | How long until I can walk on the floor again? | How long until I can put furniture in the room? |
| Berger-Seidle AquaSeal CeramicStar | 12 hours (under normal conditions) | 48 hours Light use only. Avoid covering floors and moving heavy furniture |
| WOCA Diamond Oil Active | 24 hours (under normal conditions) | 48 hours Light use only. Avoid covering floors and moving heavy furniture |
| Ciranova Hardwax Oil Titan | 24 hours (under normal conditions) | 4-5 days Light use only. Avoid covering floors and moving heavy furniture |
| Blanchon Intensiv | 24 hours (under normal conditions) | 48 hours Light use only. Avoid covering floors and moving heavy furniture |
| Blanchon Iceberg | 24 hours (under normal conditions) | 48 hours Light use only. Avoid covering floors and moving heavy furniture |
We recommend wearing socks and being gentle with your new floors for the first week after refinishing. Socks protect the soft, fresh coating against scratches and scrapes from shoes and ensure the result looks good for as long as possible.
How to Prepare Your Home for Floor Refinishing
When you have your floors professionally refinished, our team handles most of the hard work. There are a few things you can do to prepare your home for our arrival, including:
- Please make sure all furniture is removed and the space has been cleared.
- We need your home’s mains power connection. We are unable to use builder’s boxes or temporary power due to the volume needed for the sanding machines.
- Although there is minimal dust we recommend covering fragile items like artwork.
- We take great care while we work, but please note that skirting boards and walls may need a paint touch up.
- We love featuring our work and there might be some photos/filming for social media.
That’s all you need to do – our team will handle the rest!
Tips for Staying in Your Home While the Floors Are Refinished
If you choose to stay in the house while the floors are being refinished, there are a few things you can do to make your life easier:
- Tape off the area – Most hardware stores sell light plastic drop sheets that can be taped to the walls, ceiling and floor to seal parts of the home where sanding will occur. This helps control the spread of dust throughout your house.
- Plan to be out of the house – Even if you’re staying in the house while we complete our work, you should plan to leave home while sanding is occurring.
- Keep pets and children safe – Floor refinishing is dusty and it requires the use of tools and electrical equipment. Make sure kids and pets can’t access parts of the home that are being sanded.
- Clean dust as you go – We do our best to control the spread of dust, but you should still protect delicate items. If an area is getting dusty, you can clean it up with a broom or vacuum.
Get Your Floors Looking New Again With Quicksand Flooring!
Having your timber floors refinished can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your home. It’s a big project, but it shouldn’t interrupt your daily life too much.
Quicksand Flooring are the specialists in floor sanding in Melbourne. We’ve built a reputation for high quality and fantastic workmanship, and we’d love to revive your old timber floors.
While most of our clients take the excuse to go on holiday, you’re welcome to remain in your home while we work. We’ll coordinate things around your schedule as best we can to make your life easier.
Contact us to learn more about our process and whether you can stay in your house while the floors are being refinished.
With over 25 years of experience, Clinton Tracy is a Melbourne timber flooring expert dedicated to delivering exceptional results. He and his team constantly test new products and finishes to ensure the highest quality.
Clint’s commitment to excellence includes traveling to Europe to stay updated with the latest industry trends and best practices, ensuring every project meets the highest standards.