Three Reasons to Refinish Your Hardwood Floor Instead of Replacing it

One of the best things about hardwood floors is the fact that they last an extremely long time, and they can be sanded down and refinished once they become too worn in order to look as good as new. However, homeowners are often confused as to whether they should refinish the floor or simply replace it with new boards. It's normally more beneficial to simply do the former — here are three reasons why.

1. Expense

Price will always be one of the central considerations when you're thinking about flooring, and hardwood can be particularly costly, so it's worth taking the time to make the right decision.

Since replacing it means paying for labour, treatment and the wood itself, it's almost always going to be more expensive to replace than it would be to refinish. You will also be unable to offset that cost by doing much of the work yourself — hardwood installations will almost always require the attention of a professional. In contrast, you will simply need to pay for or hire the equipment necessary for sanding and refinishing, and many people will be able to do the job — or at least part of it — by themselves. Contact a business like MI Floor Sanding to learn about the costs associated with floor sanding and restoration.

2. Appearance

Try to ask yourself what you want to accomplish by replacing your hardwood floor. Too many homeowners fall for the trap of believing that the floor's original grandeur cannot be recaptured by a simple restoration job, but it's truly astounding just how close to new the floor will seem once it has been sanded and refinished.

If that's all you're after, replacement is going to be overkill. The only time you'll really need to replace the boards is when they become either warped or badly damaged, but this doesn't occur very often.

3. Time and Effort

Refinishing a hardwood floor isn't typically a job which can be completed in just one day, but it still shouldn't take as long as a full replacement. When the latter is taking place, you'll need to put aside a day or two for pulling up the boards and then even more time for the installation of new ones. Since it's a more invasive procedure, replacing can also effect the rest of the house. Refinishing is both quicker and easier.

Sometimes wood can become too old to be properly refinished — usually because it has either undergone the treatment too many times or because the surface wood has become too exposed through continuous use. However, nine times out of ten it will be far less expensive and time-consuming to simply sand the floors down and refinished them.