This time of year the same question comes up on almost every estimate. Can the floors be done before the family comes for the holidays, or is it better to wait until spring? Some people have heard that floors cannot be refinished in winter at all.
They can. Refinishing happens indoors, and what the finish cares about is the temperature, humidity and airflow in the rooms where it is drying, not what the calendar says. So the real answer to the best time of year to refinish hardwood floors is whichever time lets you keep the house in good conditions and stay off the floor long enough for it to cure. Here is how each Kansas City season plays into that.
What the Finish Actually Needs
Every floor finish lists the conditions it wants on the label: a temperature range for the room and the floor, a note about humidity, and drying and recoat times that assume those conditions are met. Outside that range, finish dries slowly, stays soft longer, or does not bond properly between coats. We follow the manufacturer's directions for the product on your floor, and we will tell you before the job what the house needs to be kept at.
Two things matter most. The heat or air conditioning has to stay running at a normal setting through the whole job and the cure, and the rooms need some fresh air moving through them. Everything else about the season comes back to how easy those two are.
Spring and Fall
The mild months are the easiest. The furnace and air conditioner are barely working, the humidity is usually moderate, and windows can often be cracked for ventilation, which helps with odor, especially with an oil-based finish. Drying times tend to land close to what the label says.
The catch is that everyone else knows this too. Spring and early fall are when most people decide to get their floors done, so they are the seasons to plan ahead for rather than call the week before.
Summer
Kansas City summers are humid, and humidity slows drying. Oil-based polyurethane is the most affected. A coat that would be ready to recoat in one stretch of time on a dry day can take noticeably longer on a sticky one. Running the air conditioning helps, because it pulls moisture out of the air, so the house stays closed and cooled rather than opened up.
Wood is at its fullest in summer, having taken on moisture from the air. That is not a problem for refinishing, but it is worth knowing that a floor that looks tight in August may show thin gaps again in January.
Winter
Winter works well as long as the heat stays on. Furnace-dried air actually helps water-based finishes dry. What winter changes:
- Ventilation is harder. Nobody wants windows open in January, so odor lingers longer, which is one reason many winter clients choose a low-odor water-based finish. Water-based or oil-based polyurethane compares the two.
- The heat cannot be turned down to save money. A cold house slows the cure, and turning the thermostat way down while you are away for a few nights is one of the more common ways a winter job goes wrong.
- Gaps are at their widest. Solid wood shrinks in dry winter air. Gaps that open every winter and close every summer should not be packed with filler, because it cracks out when the boards swell again. Why gaps open in your floors every winter explains how we tell seasonal gaps from permanent ones.
- Pilot lights. With an oil-based finish, pilot lights and open flames in the work area are turned off while it is applied and drying. In winter that can mean a furnace or water heater, so we plan around it ahead of time.
Refinishing Before the Holidays
A floor can be dry enough to walk on in socks long before it is fully cured. Holiday hosting is about the hardest test a new finish can get: the dining table pulled out and pushed back, chairs scraping, rugs laid down, a houseful of shoes and maybe a visiting dog. If the floor has only just been finished, that is how it gets marked.
So work backward from the date you need the house. Count the days for the work itself, then the cure time for the finish we use, before furniture, rugs and guests. If that does not fit, it is better to move the job to after the holidays than to squeeze it in and then spend the season worrying about it. When the timing is tight, a screen and recoat is a much shorter job than a full sanding, if your floor qualifies for one.
Our guide on how to prepare for hardwood floor refinishing walks through the order for putting furniture and rugs back.
The Best Time Is Often an Empty House
More than any season, the easiest refinish happens in a house nobody is living in yet. Between closing and move-in, or while a family is away, the floors can be done all at once with no path to keep open and nothing to move. If you are buying a home with hardwood under the carpet or worn floors, it is worth getting an estimate before the moving truck is booked.
The same logic applies to other projects. Paint before the floors, not after, and finish any work that involves ladders, drywall dust or heavy tools before the final coat goes down.
Pick a Time That Works for You
We refinish floors across the metro, including Kansas City, Overland Park, Lee's Summit and Liberty. Our hardwood floor refinishing page covers the process, and the complete refinishing guide goes deeper. Get a free estimate, tell us the date you are working toward, and we will tell you honestly whether it fits.
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