Refinishing or replacing hardwood flooring is a common debate that often leaves the majority of homeowners and condo owners in a state of confusion. While dents, scratches, and other issues can cause a lot of problems, you should know when it is time to refinish or replace your hardwood flooring. With the industry knowledge of home addition contractors, we will help you know the difference between the two and what you should pick between them.

What Does Hardwood Refinishing and Replacing Mean?

Before we can dive into the hardwood refinishing vs replacing debate, you should know what they entail. Hardwood refinishing as the term suggests is all about giving the existing floor a fresh look. You can refinish your hardwood flooring by sanding the top layer and then apply stain and lacquer.

The best thing about refinishing hardwood floors is that you do not have to put in days’ worth of effort and time to make the floor look brand new. Plus, you do not need special skills or tools either. All you need is a stain, drum sander, and lacquer. Furthermore, there are many different ways of refinishing the hardwood floor.

To make it easier to understand, consider the example of painting a house. You remove the existing layer of paint and repair damages before applying a fresh coat. Refinishing a hardwood floor is only feasible if there are minor cracks or damage. You can apply some cosmetic repairs to make it look new.

However, replacing the hardwood floor is completely the opposite. It simply means tearing up the existing floor and replacing it with a new one. For this, you are going to need expertise, tools, and special equipment. Plus, you will need to put in a lot of time and effort.

Generally, such tasks are carried out by professionals who can do it in much less time while ensuring quality. This means it would be better if you hire a team of professionals as well who can remove and replace the existing floor with a new one without you taking out time of your busy schedule.

Why Do You Need To Refinish Or Replace The Hardwood Floor?

When it comes to refinishing or replacing the hardwood floor, what majority of the homeowners fail to realize or simply ignore is that they can prevent both. Hardwood floors require a bit of upkeep to prevent damage, scratches fading, etc.

You need to keep in mind that hardwood floors are primarily made of wood. And, wood tends to be vulnerable to moisture. This means that if your house or the floor is experiencing moisture problems, you will need to replace the entire floor.

Furthermore, water systems can also create issues in some cases. If there is a water system under the flooring, it can create water problems. There are chances of water spills below the subfloor. It can also take place between the flooring and subflooring.

In some cases, the subfloor does not dry properly, which can lead to water being introduced to the flooring. This means, if you have water problems and you do not attend to them immediately, you might have to replace the entire floor soon.

Moreover, the quality of the hardwood flooring depends how it’s installed. If an amateur installed it, the installation will be poor and it will cause issues within a few months. That said, it is very important for you to choose a professional and for them to install the floor with precision and accuracy the first time.

If the case is otherwise, do not be surprised if you need to replace the entire floor again. In addition to that, sometimes, refinishing the floor may be the best option depending on the circumstances. For instance, if there are scratches due to heavy foot traffic, you are going to need to refinish the floor.

However, if the boards turn gray, you might need to replace them. Gray boards mean the stain has worn off causing the wood to absorb water. If the problem is ignored for long, the wood will absorb water to the point where it will turn black. At this point, refinishing it won’t be an option.

What Are The Pros And Cons Of Refinishing Vs Replacing Hardwood Floors?

Now that we have discussed the difference between refinishing and replacing the hardwood floor in detail along with why you will need to do it, let’s discuss the pros and cons of both to help you make an informed decision.

Hardwood Flooring Refinishing

The biggest advantage of refinishing your hardwood flooring is that you get to improve the aesthetics of the existing floor without spending much money. Doing that also increases the value of your house. But, if you do not know how to do it, it would be better to hire a professional who can do it for you.

And, the only downside to hardwood refinishing is that hiring a professional is going to be expensive. Considering the fact that refinishing does not require much work when compared to replacing the floor, sometimes, the costs can come near to what you had originally spent on installing the existing floor.

Hardwood Flooring Replacement

Hardwood replacement done by the experts from home addition companies McLean is the best option if you can afford to spend some money and time. You have the opportunity to change the existing look of the floor into something completely new. With a new flooring in place, you won’t have to worry about scratches, damages, or other factors for some time.

However, you will need to make sure the floor is maintained and protected from certain elements that can directly influence its lifespan.

How To Maintain Hardwood Floors?

Maintaining hardwood floors is not rocket science. People may think it is difficult but all you need is physical inspection, repair, and maintenance. With time, it is normal for hardwood floors to experience problems. But, if you were to fix them on time, you would be able to avoid the problems from getting worse.

In many cases, hardwood floors are savable but negligence and ignorance lead to expensive replacements. This is why you need to keep a close eye on unusual signs and symptoms and have them fixed by a professional.

How Long Do Hardwood Floors Last?

Hardwood floors can last a significant amount of time if they are maintained and looked after. With time, they are bound to fade and scratch due to heavy foot traffic and other external factors. Keeping that in mind, you should always opt for a high-quality hardwood floor and choose a professional to install it.

As mentioned earlier, the installation is key to ensuring the hardwood floor lasts for years to come. Plus, if there are any underlying issues, the professional will have to fix them first before laying the new floor. This ensures that not the hardwood floor last but is also worth spending money on.

Conclusion

It can sometimes be hard to decide between replacing and refinishing the hardwood floor when performing condo remodel DC. However, considering the information mentioned above, you should be able to make the right decision having consulted with an expert as well. Tricky situations call for being patient and thinking things through. If you are double-minded, do not hesitate to ask for help.