Unless your floors are very old and thin or have structural or water damage, chances are they can be saved. If you want a new or exotic type of wood or are unhappy with the current pattern or thickness of your floorboards, you may want to consider replacing them.
"Refinishing a wood floor is cheaper than putting in nice $50-$60-a-yard carpeting," Lessick says. Besides, a properly maintained wood floor can go 20 or 30 years or more before needing to be refinished, says Lupresto. And it can be sanded and refinished "easily six or seven times" over its lifetime, he says.
You can install a hardwood floor that has a locking system allowing it to "float" over your existing hardwood floor. The second option is to install your new flooring either diagonally or perpendicular to your existing flooring.
In the same respect, most properly maintained hardwood floors can go anywhere from 20 to 30 years without needing any significant work done. Their longevity makes hardwood floors a great investment for any house. However, there will come a time when every hardwood floor will need to either be refinished or replaced.
Generally speaking, it is almost always less expensive to refinish your hardwood floors than to replace them. That's because replacing them involves paying for additional wood, the installation itself, as well as labor costs for tearing up and hauling away the existing hardwood.
After installing such beautiful natural flooring, you may wonder if it is really necessary to apply wood stain and finish products. Is it okay to leave hardwood floors unfinished? The answer is yes, you do not have to finish a hardwood floor! We call these raw wood floors.
Laminate flooring can be installed on top of hardwood boards that are in fairly good condition with no preparatory work at all. If the laminate has a built-in underlayer, you could simply lay it on top of the hardwood flooring.
You certainly do not want to attach or glue your new floor right to the existing one, as your new installation will only be as sound as the one before it, and most manufacturers will void their warranty if you do so. In short, layers can cause problems.
While there are many factors that influence a home's value, hardwood flooring can certainly increase its worth. Not only does it add a warm and inviting aesthetic to any living space, but it also makes a home easier to sell and can even add resale value when the time comes.
Hardwood flooring can last a lifetime, but the glossy shine of original wood flooring will fade over the course of its life. You'll notice fading after about 25 years. Hardwood floors, if installed properly, can last 100 years.
Check for warped boards, low spots, ugly gaps, bad stains or squeaky spots indicating loose boards. You may have to get a contractor to replace some wood for the floor to look good again.
You may love the look of your hardwood flooring, but it's really not a good idea to put it in your laundry room. Foyer– All manner of things can be tracked in from outside, and the foyer of your home will bear the brunt of all of them. Sand, dirt, mud, water, snow, and more can all damage hardwood.
Yes, vinyl is flexible enough to be placed over most anything, including hardwood, but you will need to be mindful of special requirements. Luxury vinyl, especially plank, needs a smooth surface, so the installer may need to sand it to level any uneven spots.
Refinishing hardwood floors increases your home's value tenfold. It could very well be one of the best decisions you can make for yourself. If you want to sell your home, then consider refinishing the hardwood floors or installing new ones.
If it makes a bad impression, buyers may decide that the house isn't for them, no matter how attractive and updated the rest of it is. If you're thinking about selling your home and it has hardwood flooring that's scratched and worn, you would be wise to have it refinished before listing the property.
If you followed along on the One Room Challenge, you already know that we refinished our 100 plus year-old hardwood floors ourselves. And oh what a difference it made! We went from paint-splattered hardwoods hidden under stained, rust-colored carpets...
Classic medium-toned browns such as cherrywood, mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, birch wood, and hickory are all timeless colors that never go out of style.
Wood flooring can be an acceptable surface for vinyl tiles, but you might have to take steps to ensure that it's as smooth and even as possible. For example, you'll probably have to sand the wood in order to level any uneven seams or rough areas.
There is absolutely no need to change flooring from room to room. We often work with homeowners who feel the urge to pick a different flooring for every room of their home, but there is absolutely no need to do this. Your home will look best if you create one consistent look that travels from room to room.
For oil-based polyurethane, it can take up to 24-48 hours for the finish to dry and up to 72 hours for the fumes to dissipate completely. Therefore, it is recommended that you stay out of your home for at least 72 hours after applying an oil-based polyurethane finish.
One question you may have is, "can I stay in my house while the floors are refinished?" For one, keep in mind that it's not the best idea to stay in your home during hardwood floor refinishing.
REFINISHING CONS
- Dust, dust, dust. While many companies claim to have excellent dust mitigation systems that really do limit the amount of dust that will inevitably collect in every nook and cranny of your home, no system is 100% dust free. - Smell. Staining floors is stinky and toxic.
Laminate is inexpensive, yes, but keep in mind you'll have to replace your laminate several times over while your refinished hardwoods will remain in good shape for years to come. It's almost unrecognizable. Costly upgrades are not your friend. According to experts.