The beauty of a hardwood floor with fantastic color, aesthetic wood grain, and shining polyurethane finish is well known. The choice to either replace or refinish a hardwood floor, however, might not be so simple. Refinishing has drawbacks like creating a ton of dust. It also doesn’t fix other problems like some people expect it to.

Some homeowners believe they can refinish a wood floor by themselves at a much lower cost than hiring a flooring expert. However, the commercial tools required and the time polyurethane takes to cure can make this a much more cost-prohibitive and arduous process than most DIYers realize.

What Refinishing Hardwood Doesn’t Solve

Over the years, your wood floor expands and contracts in response to heat and cold, creating gaps between the floorboards. The refinished panels will still be in need of alignment, and the age of the floorboards could make this hard for the DIYer. In addition, the boards may be squeaking, and refinishing won’t fix this especially if the squeaks are from the wood the floorboards are resting on.

Fixing the ‘Squeaky’ Wooden Floor

Taking up the old floor and tightening the sub-flooring to the joists is usually preferable to just placing a new floor over the old one or just refinishing the top boards and adding throw rugs to muffle the squeaks. Flooring professionals can analyze which is the better method for controlling the squeaking. They are also best equipped to handle a refinishing job.

Second-Story Hardwood Floor Tips

Another consideration whether you want to pull up the old boards is if the flooring is on the second floor. Improve noise reduction by adding a sound-dampening product under the floorboards, and the home will be quieter on both levels.

It’s not a clear-cut answer which is best: replace or refinish hardwood floors. It comes down to your budget, the age of the floors, if gaps exist between boards, and if it’s squeaking.

Replace or Refinish Hardwood? We Do Both

Ken’s Custom Floors has over twenty years’ experience in custom hardwood floor installation and refinishing. We have the equipment to make the refinishing process as dust-free as possible and can advise on how to best care for the newly finished floor. Call us at 360-775-2134 for a free estimate.

Hardwood Floor Refinishing or Replacement in Bellingham

Serving Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Everson, Lummi Island, Sudden Valley, Anacortes and all of Whatcom County for over 20 years

Posted on June 10, 2020 | Published by Ignite Local | Related Local Business