Hardwood Floor Restoration vs Replacement
Should you get new flooring or restore the existing one? When the floor is all dull and dilapidated, with extensive wear, deteriorated aesthetics, scratches, gaps and other imperfections on the surface, which will be the right approach to deal with the issue? Different factors are considered before making your decision. Let’s get right to them:
Selecting Between Restoring or Replacing Your Wood Floor
- Aesthetics
Do you want to change the sheen of the wood floor – like giving it a higher gloss or getting a more matt effect? Here, restoration will be enough. Simply have a floor sanding carried out, and the required new treatments applied. There are cases where the existing finish coats have just become dull, and the chemical makeup of the finish allows for an extra layer to be top-coated onto it, which will be much faster. This will depend on the particular product selected. If you want to change the colour of the wood by having a particular wood stain applied, then this will also require floor sanding, getting to the bare wood and applying the new treatment. However, if you want a different aspect like changing the direction of the wood planks, or even the wood material itself, then this will require replacement.
- Age of the floor
Over the decades, the level of wear that the wood floors witness weakens their structural integrity, and it gets to a point where the best recourse is simply changing it. Signs like the floor boards bending or buckling as people walk, cracks that have got so deep into the surface of the boards that filler agents aren’t effective in resolving them, all through to situations where there have been multiple rounds of floor sanding and refinishing carried out, depleting the wear layer. For instance, with the solid wood installations, the floor sanding can be done 5 to 7 times, while for the engineered wood floors they usually range at 3 sanding and refinishing cycles. If a floor can no longer be successfully sanded, then the boards will need to be replaced.
One of the benefits of hiring a professional floor sanding contractor is to ensure that only the required amount of wood tissue is removed. Oversanding drastically reduces the lifespan of the installation, cutting down the number of times that the floor can be successfully restored in future.
- Water damage
The extent to which water has affected the floor will determine if remedial measures can be taken to rectify the issue, or if the entire structure will need to be removed. For instance, with the cases of cupping and crowning, the floor is allowed to stabilise and then the surface evened out with some light sanding. Note that it is paramount to ensure that the floor has been stabilised, since premature sanding before this will the floor to become uneven afterwards. On the other hand, if the water damage has got to the point of black patches forming on the installation, then it will need to be replaced.
- Costs involved
Replacement is definitely more expensive than restoration. If you’re on a tight budget, carrying out the routine maintenance in the home or having a renovation project in a commercial space, having the floor sanded and refinished will save on the money you spend. DIY is not recommended, since it will be easy for the floor to get damaged, and the required repairs will ramp up the costs.
- Deeply set stains and Greying floors
When spills are allowed to remain on the floor surface for long, they penetrate into the structure. If you’re implemented powerful cleaning methods and still the stains refuse to budge, then this can be resolved by sanding the surface. For the grey floorboards, this is a pointer to the existing polyurethane coats being so worn out that the wood keeps absorbing water. Here the restoration is a matter of urgency. If the floors are not sanded and new finishes applied, then the greying boards will become black, after which you will have to change them and have new boards installed.
Implement The Changes That Your Floor Needs
Whether you’re fed up with having a damaged floor, or want to change up the decor of the space, having it restored through a sanding and refinishing process will get you the desired results without having to change the actual wood. This is especially the case if the floorboards are still structurally sound. Having this done comes with several benefits, including repairing the existing damage, accentuating the indoor space, getting rid of pests, all through to increasing the resale value of the property. Speaking of real estate spaces, for landlords or property managers, one of the means of ensuring that your premises continues getting occupancy is by ensuring that is maintained in good condition, and that includes taking care of the floor. With protective finishes applied on the surface, this wards off wear effects from the tenants who have taken up residency, and also prevents spills from penetrating deep into the wood and ruining it. With strong finishes, you will be able to increase the time period between successive floor sanding and restoration cycles.
Looking for a local wood floor sanding and restoration expert? We’re here for you. Having been in the business for years, catering to both residential and commercial establishments, our team has the expertise needed to take on your project and bring new life to your floor. We have invested heavily in powerful sanders, as well as the professional development of our crew, keeping them up to date with the latest developments in the industry, that way they will apply optimal measures when dealing with your particular floor, and the obstacles encountered along the way. We also use dustless floor sanding systems, making it a much cleaner process, which also speeds up the time before the subsequent finishes are applied. Our costs are set to your particular situation, taking Ito account factors such as the current state of the floor, size of the area to be covered, and the finishing processes that will be required afterwards. Get in touch with us to discuss your needs.
