Knowing When to Replace vs. Refinish Hardwood Floors

Refinishing, rather than replacing hardwood floors is almost always the preferable option. The refinishing process of hardwood is straightforward and this flooring material may be sanded down and refinished anywhere from six to 10 times before replacement becomes necessary. During a hardwood refinishing, you can change the entire floor color and replace stained, warped, or termite damaged planks. You can also patch knots, fill gaps, and quiet squeaky floor boards. So if this is all possible, why replace hardwood before it’s necessary? At Impressions Carpet & Hardwoods, we have your hardwood floor cleaning and replacement services covered.

Some of the indications that you need to replace your hardwood floors include:

Severe Flooring Damage

If the percentage of your hardwood flooring that is damaged by staining, chipping, warping, or termite infestation is over 30 percent, then the effort, time, and money required to refinish that much of the floor would be too burdensome, making replacement much more feasible.

Floor Movement

If the floorboards move around and wiggle a lot, the issue will only grow worse over time, potentially causing larger gaps between floorboards. In this case, replacement is necessary.

Extreme Wear

Your floor is made for foot traffic, but it won’t last forever. If your hardwood floors have undergone extreme wear over time and have been refinished close to 10 times, they may need to be replaced. At some point, repeated refinishing or other wear and tear can cause the nails and grooves in the planks to show up.

Structural Damage

If structural damage is suspected, the solution is often to pull up the floor to examine the floor frame. If water damage or damage under the floor exists, it may not be beneficial to sand, stain, and refinish your current floor. Wood floor replacement then becomes necessary.

Not Enough Time

It takes time and effort to refinish a hardwood floor. The process involves removing the furniture from the room. Then sanding the wood is done to prepare the surface for staining and coating. If structural repairs are required, they must be done first, before staining and coating. While this is all going on, others must stay out of the room, including pets. If you don’t have all of this time to spare, then replacement may be your quicker, preferred option, but will be the more expensive option.

Trust in flooring professionals to take care of your home and flooring. To learn about the hardwood floor and carpet cleaning, restoration, and repair services we offer at Impressions Carpet & Hardwoods, give us a call today at 303.274.5100 or leave us a message through our contact form.