Is Refinishing Hardwood Floors Worth It?

The benefits of hardwood flooring are almost endless. It is durable, long-lasting, and has unmatched classic appeal. The low cost of ownership over the long-time is one of the biggest factors working its favor. Choosing to have a hardwood floor can involve a significant upfront investment, but once properly installed, you may never have to replace it. 

Hardwood floors can be sanded down and refinished several times during their lifetime. When refinishing hardwood floors professionally and properly, you may not have to re-do it for at least a decade.

So, is it worth refinishing hardwood floors compared to replacing them? We look at the different factors involved to determine the advantages of refinishing over floor replacement.

Cost Considerations

The cost of replacing your hardwood flooring can be 2 to 3 times the cost of refinishing the floor. There are many factors at play that can further differentiate the costs, such as wood essence and quality, whether you install it yourself or hire a contractor for floor installation and the particularities of your home. 

When you shop to replace a floor, you don’t have to look only at the cost of the hardwood planks, but should also calculate the cost of:

• Other materials, suchs as nails, glue, sub-flooring underlayment
• Removal of the old floor
• Installation of the new floor
• Trim
• Finishing

On the other hand, refinishing your hardwood floor can be the third to the half of this cost, and include the material and labor. 

Advantages of Refinishing

A professional hardwood floor refinishing job can fix most of the common surface problems. This includes minor dents, scratches, and gouges. Some of the key advantages working in its favor are as follows:

• You can keep your old floor intact. Most homeowners love the look of their existing floor, but want to update it with a new color or just want to restore it.
• You can choose from hundreds of stain options or create customized stains suiting your unique style.
• Refinishing also allows covering up replacement of problem planks with small areas. You can have a new finish applied to blend the repair with the rest of the area.
• Less amount of carpentry work is involved, as there is no need to remove the current trim.

Advantages of Floor Replacement

If floor replacement is an option within your budget, there are many reasons to opt for it over hardwood floor refinishing. You can change the wood species, the floor alignment, and the overall look of the floor. Some of the other advantages are as follows:

• If there is extensive damage to your floor, replacement may be the best available option. For example, damages caused by mold, moisture, and pets cannot be fixed by refinishing. 
• You can choose planks of different widths, of your own choice. With new engineered wood options, you can create almost any kind of looks you desire involving wood grains, knots, and distressing.
• You can have the boards laid down in new ways. Create new layouts for your floor including parquet, chevron, herringbone, or others.

So… should you replace or refinish your hardwood floor?

As long as your floor has excellent structural integrity, refinishing hardwood floors is worth it. It costs much less, is less labor-intensive and offers comparable results in most cases. Replacing the floor requires removing the existing floor and finding ways to dispose of the old boards. A lot of steps are involved in installing the new boards and finishing the floor – all of which may also add over the costs mentioned above. When done right, refinishing can give you a floor that looks brand new. 

If you need more information about refinishing your hardwood flooring, feel free to get in touch with International Floors. Give us a call at 514 791-5641 or send us your queries using this Online Form.