Engineered hardwood flooring is a fantastic substitute for solid hardwood. Because it has the same look and feel as solid wood but is built with much more stability, homeowners adore engineered hardwood flooring.
So, can engineered hardwood floors be refinished? Engineered hardwood can be refinished, and for the most part, these floors can only be done so one to three times before needing to be replaced.
I’m going to go over the things you should know before refinishing your engineered hardwood floors in this article.
What Are Engineered Hardwood Floors?
Let’s first define engineered hardwood floors before we go over the specifics of refinishing them. Every time we mention our floors on Instagram, there seems to be some misunderstanding as to what they are. The name can be a little misleading, I must admit. I can see how the word “engineered” might make people think that there is no natural wood in the product. That is not the situation, though.
Two main layers make up engineered hardwood. The bottom layer is a material that resembles plywood and is constructed of several layers that run in opposite directions. This gives the strength of the planks and keeps the boards from warping or cupping. In addition, much wider planks are now possible. Our engineered hardwood flooring, for instance, is 10 1/4′ wide.
The flooring’s beauty is imparted by the top layer, which is the wear layer. This layer is a thin natural wood veneer that is available in a wide range of wood species. As a result, after the flooring is installed, it is impossible to tell it apart from solid hardwood.
Read More: LVP vs. Engineered Hardwood
How Many Times Can You Sand Engineered Hardwood Flooring?
It’s critical to remember that over-sanding your floors can harm them when installing hardwood flooring. Sanding, however, is a fantastic way to revive the appearance of your floor and remove dents or scuff marks. How do you determine whether or not your engineered hardwood floors can be sanded? Before beginning to sand your floor if you notice wear and tear, you should take the wear layer into account.
If sanding is a wise course of action, it depends on how thick that layer is. Your new floor might not be suitable for sanding if the wear layer is less than two millimeters thick. Sanding works best on floors with a wear layer that is two millimeters thick or greater. To avoid sanding through the wear layer of your floor when sanding engineered hardwood flooring, take care whenever you do so.
Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Flooring?
Your floor can look brand-new and be given a facelift with refinishing. Even so, only a few types of engineered hardwood floors can be refinished. Following sanding your engineered hardwood floors, refinishing is frequently done. This is dependent on the wear layer’s thickness.
If your wear layer is thick, it’s best to refinish engineered hardwood floors. If your flooring’s wear layer is at least three millimeters thick, you might be able to refinish it up to three times. If you refinish a wear layer more than once, it could become damaged if it is less than two millimeters thick. In essence, you should only refinish your wear layer as necessary.
Other Things to Consider When Refinishing Engineered Hardwood Floors
Be aware that whatever unique finish or texture your engineered hardwood floors have will be lost before you refinish them. A wire brushing, hand-scraping, or natural oil finish are some examples of this. When you first refinish your floors, these two textures will almost certainly be removed by sanding.
I adore the cool vintage texture that the wire brushing on our white oak engineered floors gives them. If we ever consider refinishing them, it will be a difficult choice.
The bevel or microbevel between the flooring planks is something else to be aware of. The edges of almost all prefinished flooring have this. The microbevel’s function is to conceal any discrepancies in plank height.
The depth of the bevel will vary depending on how much sanding is done, and it may even disappear entirely. Depending on your personal preferences, this might be good or bad. Some people prefer the grooved appearance, whereas others favor a flush, smooth appearance throughout their flooring. Your flooring will appear more like solid hardwood without the bevel.
Summary
Engineered hardwood is a wonderful product that imitates hardwood in appearance while being less expensive, simpler to install, more moisture resistant, and softer underfoot. The durability and adaptability of engineered hardwood boards, however, aren’t quite as high as those of full hardwood planks.
Even though many engineered hardwood floors can be refinished two to three times or more, some cannot, and none can be refinished as frequently as real hardwood.
In order to avoid wasting any refinishing when working with engineered hardwood, it is a good idea to make sure you love the stain and finish.
FAQs
Can Engineered Hardwood Be Refinished and Stained?
In general, most engineered hardwood floors can be refinished 1-3 times at most before they need to be replaced.
Is It Cheaper to Refinish Or Replace Engineered Hardwood Floors?
The fact is that refinishing your floor is almost always less expensive than replacing it. When replacing, you must take into account the cost of the new wood as well as the installation as well as the expense of removing the old wood floors.
How Do You Tell If Engineered Hardwood Can Be Refinished?
If your wear layer is thick, refinishing engineered hardwood floors is the best option. If the wear layer is at least three millimeters thick, you may be able to refinish your flooring three times.
