One of the potential benefits of hardwood flooring is that you can often refinish it when it starts to look a little worse for wear. Taking a few things into consideration will help you determine whether Wood Flooring Refinishing in New York City is possible or if you have to replace it. If the floor has too much damage, it may be cheaper to replace it than to refinish it.
Solid Versus Engineered Wood Flooring
The first thing you need to do is determine what type of hardwood flooring you have. Solid hardwood flooring is the type that can be refinished. Engineered wood floors typically only have a thin veneer on top and can’t be refinished.
The Depth of the Damage
If the damage to the floor consists mainly of minor scratches and scrapes, you may be able to get away with Wood Flooring Refinishing in New York City. However, if there are deep gouges or cracks in the floor, replacing it often makes more sense. The same is true if the boards are warped or water damaged.
Whether the Floor Has Been Refinished Before
You can typically refinish hardwood floors between six and ten times. If your floor has been refinished multiple times, it may need to be replaced. Refinishing it again would mean making it so that the tongue and groove wouldn’t fit together well and the nails might show.
Whether There Are Structural Issues
If the boards move around a lot or there is a major problem with squeaking when you walk across the floor, there may be a structural issue with the floor. Removing the existing flooring may be necessary to fix these issues, although sometimes adding a few nails and making a few minor adjustments may take care of the problem.
Your Tolerance for Dust and Noise
The refinishing process means sanding the floor down to remove all the finish and then refinishing it. This is a dusty, smelly, and noisy process. You may have to stay off of the floor for a while as well while it’s drying. Consider whether this is something that you can deal with at this time.
New York Wood Flooring can handle all of your wood flooring installation, refinishing, and repair needs. They can also install borders or medallions to make your floor unique.
