Price of Refinishing vs. Buying New Hardwood Floors

One of the benefits of hardwood flooring is its long-term durability. At some point, however, all flooring needs some attention. You may be wondering if you’re in a position to refinish your hardwood flooring or if you should buy an all-new floor.

Let’s take a look at all the benefits and drawbacks and which choice might be right for your home.

Determine the type of floor you have

If you’re in a position where you’re not sure what kind of hardwood flooring you have, there are some methods you can use to figure it out. First, find a floor vent that you can lift up to take a good look at the flooring. If there are clearly delineated layers with a thin veneer, then you have engineered floors. If it’s one type of wood all the way through—about an inch thick—then it’s likely solid hardwood.

Let’s say you’re still not sure what kind of flooring you have. Your best bet is to remove a plank from the floor, ideally in an out-of-the-way spot like the closet. You can then take this plank to a flooring store where an expert will be able to help you.

Assess the damage

Now it’s time to take a hard look at how much damage there is to your floor. It’s possible that the floor may not be damaged but, instead, just appears so due to improper cleaning. You may be able to restore the floor with a proper cleaning using a hardwood vac and dust mop.

If that doesn’t do the trick, then you’ll want to refinish the floor. This is the best course of action if the floor has damage consistent with traffic patterns like discoloration, scuffs, dents and scratches.

For floors that have more damage, like major gouges, significant dents, buckling, splitting or extensive structural damage, then refinishing isn’t going to do the trick. In these cases, you’ll want to start shopping for a new floor.

Benefits and drawbacks of refinishing

For homeowners who are on the fence about refinishing, let’s consider the pros and cons of the situation. There are quite a number of issues that refinishing can fix with an older floor that has just seen a lot of use.

The biggest advantage is you get to keep the floor intact. In many situations, refinishing will give you the look and feel of a new floor without having to rip up the old one. If you want a new texture or a different color or general restoration, then refinishing is the option for you.

In cases where there are only a few problem planks, these can be replaced during refinishing as well—but it won’t do things like reverse the effects of flood damage or split planks.

For the best services in hardwood flooring, turn to the pros at The Wholesale House. We offer a full range of hardwood flooring styles and all of the expertise you need to understand them. Call us right now or stop by our store to discover how we can meet all your flooring needs.

Categorised in: Hardwood Flooring

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