Interiors by Design
Hardwood Floor Refinishing New Life for Old Floors
By Robyn V. Powell
Hardwood flooring is by far the preferred flooring choice among homeowners. When properly maintained, a beautiful, durable, and hypoallergenic natural hardwood floor will last well over a century. One of the advantages of hardwood flooring is that it can be sanded and refinished several times over the life of the floor. Having an old floor doesn’t mean it has to look old! If styles or preferences change, you can completely change the look of your hardwood floor. That said, hardwood flooring, like everything else, needs to be replaced eventually. How do you decide whether to salvage and refinish that decades-old wood floor or just start fresh? The answer often comes down to personal preference and cost. Nearly all of the time, wood floors can be restored and refinished with excellent results—that’s one of the reasons they last so long. Skilled contractors can repair or replace individual boards damaged by insects, pets, or accidents, and squeaky or loose boards can be tightened and quieted. Damaged areas can be patched by matching wood to the original. Once the entire floor is sanded and re-stained, the new section will blend in and look as if it’s always been there. Refinishing a wood floor is generally less expensive than replacing it. In some cases, a floor can’t be refinished. If there are substantial structural floor issues that would require the wood floor to be removed to repair the subfloor beneath the wood, you’ll likely need to put a new floor on after the subfloor is repaired. Where
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March 2021
there is extreme movement between the boards, refinishing is not recommended because the movement will impact the sanding and finish over time. Some floors have already been sanded so many times that there’s not enough wood left to sand again. Once a floor reaches this stage, when the tongue and groove is falling apart and nails are popping up, it’s time to pull it up and start anew. Understanding what goes into refinishing hardwood floors will help you decide what your floors need. First, the surface is sanded down to remove the top coat and any light scratches and irregularities between boards. Sanding does not always remove deep scratches, gouges, or heavy discoloration caused by water stains and pet urine. While stains can be minimized, achieving a satisfactory result depends on your expectations. A good idea
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