A hardwood floor is elegant and long-lasting and is considered one of the oldest creations in any home. Realtor.com says that hardwood floors can raise the worth of a home by up to 2.5%. It gets to a point when you begin noticing signs of wear on your floors and trying to decide whether to refinish or replace them poses some sort of difficulty. This guide is written to shed light on the benefits of refinishing hardwood floors rather than replacing them, or otherwise.
Refinishing Hardwood Floors: Pros and Cons
Removing the top layer and applying a new coat refinishes the hardwood flooring to regain its appearance. It’s a common alternative if one wants to keep the appeal and lifetime of current flooring.
Pros of Refinishing Hardwood Floors
- Affordably: Comparatively to new flooring, the average hardwood floor refinishing cost runs from $3 to $8 per square foot, much less.
- Maintaining Original Floors: Refinishing preserves the original flooring of your house in all its originality.
- Sustainable: Environmentally friendly. Reusing already existing materials helps reduce waste and reduce the demand for fresh wood.
- Customizable Finish: Finish that is customisable: Refinishing lets you choose a fresh stain colour or finish to alter the appearance of your flooring.
Cons of Refinishing Hardwood Floors
- Time-Consuming: Time-consuming activity: Including drying and curing times, the procedure can last several days.
- Not Always Feasible: Refinishing floors that are too thin or badly damaged could not be candidates.
- Dust and Fumes: While experts employ dust containment devices, refinishing can still cause some dust and odours during the process.
Replacing Hardwood Floors: Pros and Cons
Removing the current flooring and laying new planks is what replacing hardwood floors entails. When a total change is sought, or on flooring beyond repair, this is the best choice.
Pros of Replacing Hardwood Floors
- Complete Transformation: Whether with another wood kind, colour, or plank size, replacing lets you have a brand-new look.
- Fixes Structural Issues: Replacement covers basic problems such as water damage or damaged subfloors.
Long-Term Investment: New flooring improves the general value of your house and offers longevity.
Cons of Replacing Hardwood Floors
- Increased Prices: Replacement hardwood flooring is more costly than refinishing, usually costing $6 to $12 per square foot.
- Disruption: The technique requires more labour and supplies and is more intrusive.
Eliminating old flooring and acquiring fresh wood adds to waste and resource depletion.
Factors to Consider When Deciding
Whether one chooses to replace or refinish hardwood floors will rely on a number of important considerations. Examining the state of your flooring, finances, and long-term objectives will help you decide what best fits your situation.
- Condition of Your Floors: Examine your flooring right now. Should they have major wear, water damage, or deep scratches, replacing could be the best choice. If the damage is only surface-level, though, refinishing hardwood floors can bring back their natural beauty.
- Budget: Refinishing is the most sensible option if your budget is limited. Replacement could be well worth the cost for more ambitious projects or when the style is totally changed.
- Longevity: Hardwood floor refinishing removes the top layer of the fragile and old layer and brings back a layer that has a life of about 10-15 years more, while new floors in comparison, have a durability of 20-30 years based on material and usage.
Conclusion
However, a few positive and negative aspects come with having new hardwood floors by using replacement services from floor refinishing service. While replacing provides a whole makeover and solves more underlying problems, refinishing is affordable and ecologically benign. To choose what’s best for your house, evaluate the state of your floors, financial situation, and long-term plans.
Hiring a professional guarantees the best outcomes, whether refinishing or replacement. To locate reliable suppliers, search “floor refinishing near me” or “hardwood floors refinishing near me“.
Professional services like Flooring Butler guarantee proper sanding, staining, and sealing for refinished floors or precise installation for new ones.