Even the best finished hardwood flooring starts to look worn out over time. When this happens, you have several options to get immaculate flooring again:
- Recoating (A fresh coat of finish with no sanding).
- Sanding and refinishing.
- Replacement.
When you’re deciding between these choices, you should consider three fundamental issues.
1. Cost
By far, the most expensive option is replacing your finished wood flooring, while the least expensive is recoating. Your decision may be limited at the outset by what you can afford, but working with an expert hardwood flooring company, you might be surprised at how inexpensive new or re-sanded floors can be.
You can try to lower cost by doing the sanding, finishing, or installation yourself, but unless you really know what you’re doing, this can easily end up wasting money and time. Even if you get the project done, will it look as good as a professional job? Ask yourself if you can live with the results before deciding on DIY.
2. Age & Damage
Solid plank finished hardwood flooring can be sanded more often than engineered wood flooring, but even solid plank gets to the point where it doesn’t have enough thickness to be sanded anymore. If you can see the tongue and groove where the boards join, it’s time for replacement.
However, if you have enough wood for sanding, dustless sanding works great to remove signs of normal wear and tear before refinishing.
In fact, sanding might not even be necessary. If your floors aren’t scratched, stained, or dented, a simple recoating can restore their luster.
Sometimes a particular section may show extreme damage—such as warping due to water damage, pet stains, exposure to sun, or gouging—but the rest of the floor is relatively fine. In that case, you might be able to get by with replacing only that section. Talk to a finished hardwood flooring expert to find out what’s feasible.
3. Appearance
When it’s time to refurbish or replace their hardwood flooring, it’s also an opportunity to change the look and feel of your floors.
Keep in mind that staining after sanding can dramatically alter appearance. Staining can produce countless hardwood colors to create the new mood you want.
But sometimes replacement is the only way to get the look you envision. For example, if you have oak flooring but you want an exotic wood floor, you’re obviously going to need an entirely new floor! Likewise, if you want to change the width or length of boards, or their direction, you’ll have to rip up the old floor and replace it.
For many people, however, this cost is well worth it—it buys them the finished wood flooring that will truly make them happy.
