Should You Refinish or Replace Your Wood Floors?

Those beautiful hardwood floors you fell in love with are looking a little worse for the wear.

Those beautiful hardwood floors you fell in love with are looking a little worse for the wear.  Or, perhaps, you are purchasing a new home and it has hardwood floors but they have clearly seen better days.  Hardwood floors can last decades when well cared for but if they have been neglected, or seen damage for other reasons, you may be looking at your options so that you can take pride in your flooring once again.  When it comes to hardwood floors there are two options, they can either be refinished or they can be replaced.  While it is always ideal if you can simply refinish flooring, there are a variety of factors to consider when making your decision so that you end up with the best possible flooring in your home.

The obvious advantage of refinishing floors rather than replacing them is that it cost significantly less.  Purchasing and installing hardwood floors can be a costly investment and if it is possible to refinish it is advisable.  Wood floors need to be in relatively decent condition with minimal damage to make this possible.  They can be scuffed, scratched, worn out looking and even have a few warped boards.  A general rule of thumb is that if less than 30% of your hardwood floors are damaged you can refinish. But, if there is much more damage than that it may be impossible to simply refinish and replacement may be required.  While refinishing will be less costly, it will be more time consuming and more work.  All furniture has to be removed wherever you are refinishing the floors.  The floors must be sanded and stripped bare before applying stain which can bring with it a lot of chemical odor.  While the refinishing process is going on nobody can walk on the floors which, depending on how much wood flooring you are refinishing, may make it impossible to live in your home for a short period of time.  But, giving your floor a facelift is very doable and there are a variety of finishes that can be achieved to give you whatever look you desire.  A truly beautiful hardwood floor can come from some of the dingiest and most worn out hardwood flooring with refinishing.

If you are ok with spending more, or there is significant damage to your flooring, you may be interested in replacing your hardwood flooring.  Replacing hardwood floors not only provides the opportunity to select exactly the kind of wood and finish you want but to start completely fresh.  One other reason it may be ideal to replace instead of refinish is the age of the floor.  While old floors provide charm, they also bring some baggage.  For instance, decades old flooring may have already been refinished multiple times and may now be resistant to refinishing.  If damage is not a problem, determining whether or not to refinish or repair is dependent on two things – aesthetics and budget.  Whatever your choice, you will have beautiful hardwood floors that will add value to your home and that guests will admire for years to come.