The Difference Between Refinishing Solid Hardwood and Engineered Wood Flooring

Whether you have pure hardwood floors or engineered hardwood, you’ll soon notice that your floors aren’t as shiny or seamless as they once were. With people constantly walking across it, shifting furniture and the occasional accident, your floors are one of the main surfaces in your home that will take a real beating. But instead of replacing them every few years, you have the option of having them professionally refinished, extending your investment for several more years. But can hardwood and engineered wood floors be refinished to the same capacity? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out!

Refinishing Solid Hardwood

No matter what type of flooring you choose, it’ll experience a lot of wear and tear over time. Solid hardwood floors are no exception and are guaranteed to look bad if you neglect to have them restored when they reach that point. Unless they’ve been refinished down to the point that you can see the nails that hold the planks together, you can save a lot of money refinishing them rather than replacing them entirely.

Restoring your hardwood floors to their original glory is both a satisfying and worthwhile decision. Making sure you have a consistently smooth surface that’s clear of scratches, sharp edges, warping and other damage will ensure that you and your family don’t have to worry about minor injuries and inconveniences. It also prevents dirt, debris and grime from getting stuck, making cleaning your floors a breeze. Breathe new life into your floors by having them professionally sanded, restained and coated to last for several more years to come.

Refinishing Engineered Hardwood

The signs that dictate when your flooring needs to be refinished include when they lack that typical shine after a good cleaning, when there are deep scratches that surpass the floor’s protective coating, when the planks themselves have warped or when there are stains that refuse to come out.

The good thing is that, because engineered floors can have a top layer made of solid wood, you can successfully sand and refinish them multiple times, just as you would with solid wood planks. However, you can’t refinish them nearly as many times as you can with solid wood, as you’ll eventually hit a layer of plywood or veneer within the plank’s construction that can’t be refinished.

The daily wear and tear on your floors will determine how many times you’ll need to refinish your engineered floorboards. While some floors might never have to be refinished, due to both the high-quality materials used and light wear, others will quickly show damage that you’ll want to remove as soon as possible. Properly cleaning and maintaining your floors can save you from having to restore them, but if that’s not the case, then expect to spend about three days having them professionally redone.

At Seawest Hardwood Floor, we provide the best hardwood flooring repair and restoration services across the Lower Mainland of Vancouver, British Columbia. Our expert team specializes in hardwood flooring repair, refinishing and restoration. For more information, give us a call or visit our website to receive a free job quote.