Can I Refinish My Prefinshed Hardwood Flooring?

Copyright AC Flooring Inc.

The Question:

We get questions about re-staining and refinishing prefinished hardwood flooring all the time. This is a great question to ask. The quickest answer is that it can be done, but is it worth it?

Types of Wood Flooring:

If you have an engineered hardwood flooring, we highly recommend against trying to refinish the floor. There is only a very small layer of wood that can be sanded and re-stained. This usually doesn’t end well!

If you have a full solid prefinished wood floor, this can be done. But at what cost?

The Analysis:

These prefinished manufactured coatings are usually comprised of an aluminum oxide finished with urethane. This coating is usually extremely durable and hard to sand off. So re-sanding and staining an entire hardwood floor can cost the same as replacing it, with a new pre-finished floor. You will need to weigh the options, if you love the wood you have and do not want to part with it, this may be the costlier of the decisions, but also more environmentally friendly!

Final Comments:

Keep the same floor, but will have higher or same costs as replacing the hardwood floor,, in most instances.