Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Flooring?

So you’re looking at your engineered hardwood flooring and wondering “can this be refinished?” This is a common question and really depends. In short, yes you can refinish engineered hardwood flooring but there are things to consider are how many times has it been refinished and how thick your wear layer is. Let’s take a closer look. Reach out to our team for more expert advice.

How Many Times Can Engineered Hardwood Flooring Be Refinished?

The thick, solid hardwood layer, or wear layer, typically ranges between 1mm and 8mm thick. This also depends on the quality of your flooring. When refinishing, the expert doing the refinishing may remove .75mm up to 1mm of your wear layer. Doing the math, here are the number of times you can refinish your engineered hardwood flooring.

If your wear layer is:

• 1mm or less - You should not refinish your engineered hardwood flooring.
• 2mm - 1 or 2 refinishes.
• 2.5mm - 2 to 3 refinishes.
• 4 mm - 4 to 5 refinishes.
• 6 mm - 6 to 8 refinishes.
• 8 mm - 8 to 10 refinishes.

Other Factors to Consider

• Deep scratches or stains - they may require removal of more wear layer.
• Moisture Damage - If plank edges are lightly cupped or there is severe cupping, they can’t be refinished.
• Uneven Flooring - If your flooring has low spots, it can’t be sanded down. The dips within the flooring can cause much more of the wear layer to be removed than advised.

How Do You Know If Refinishing Hardwood Flooring Is Necessary?

If you can't add another layer of seal and damaged planks can't be fixed with wood filler refinishing may be the only option for getting your flooring back into shape. There are two huge reasons a refinishing would be necessary. The first is if you want to change the colour of the wood. Simply removing just 1mm to 1.5mms of the wear layer will do this for you. Second, is widespread damage or significant wear and tear. If it’s showing through the sealer and onto the wood, it’s time to refinish to get your wood looking new. 

Can Your Existing Hardwood Flooring be Refinished?

If you’re not sure about your flooring, you’ll need to investigate a bit further. You can remove a floor grate to expose the edge profile. This will allow you to measure your remaining wear layer. The simplest place to check is by removing baseboard trim or door trim to expose the edges or by using a small dental mirror into the gap. At the end of the day, if you’re unsure, ask an expert for help. They will be able to help determine the best plan of action and if you will need refinishing at all. 

Refinish or Replace Your Hardwood Flooring?

There are a number of factors that determine whether you can refinish your hardwood instead of replacing it. Among these are scratches, water exposure, and previous refinishes. If you're not sure where to begin or need help to figure out the status of your wear layer, we are here to help! Visit us today!