Refinish or replace hardwood flooring?

Should I refinish or replace my hardwood floor?

Refinish if the boards are structurally sound and thick enough to sand, because refinishing costs $4 to $7 per square foot against $9 to $18 for a new hardwood floor. Your floor can be refinished if there is at least 3mm of wood above the tongue, which you can check at a floor register or inside a closet, and if the boards are not cupped, crowned or water-damaged beyond isolated repairs. Replace if the wear layer is too thin, if there is widespread water or pet damage, if boards are loose over a failing subfloor, or if you want a different species, width or layout. In practice most Canadian homes built before 1960 have ¾ inch solid strip flooring that has been sanded once or not at all, which means refinishing is available and is almost always the better value.

How to check thickness

Lift a floor register or look inside a closet where a cut edge is visible. Measure from the top of the board to the top of the tongue. More than 3mm means a full sanding is possible; 1 to 3mm allows a light screen and recoat only; less than 1mm means the floor is finished. An installer will do this check as part of quoting.

When refinishing wins

Sound boards with surface wear, scratches, dullness or an outdated colour. Refinishing also lets you change the colour completely, and sanding out a century of wax and grime often reveals a floor far better than the owner expected. Old-growth wood in pre-war homes is also simply better material than most of what is available new.

When replacement wins

Widespread cupping from moisture, pet urine that has penetrated into the wood, boards that have been sanded to the nails, subfloor failure, or a desire for wider boards or a different layout. Replacement is also the answer where previous repairs have used mismatched species that will never sand to a uniform colour.

The screen and recoat middle ground

If the finish is worn but the wood is undamaged, a screen and recoat abrades the existing finish and applies a fresh coat for $2 to $4 per square foot. It will not remove scratches that reach the wood or change the colour, but it refreshes a tired floor for a fraction of a full sanding.

Dust and downtime

Modern dustless sanding with vacuum-attached equipment captures the great majority of dust. A typical main floor takes three to five days including cure time between coats, during which the space cannot be used. Water-based finishes cure faster and smell far less than oil-based ones.

Common questions

How many times can hardwood be refinished?

Solid ¾ inch hardwood can typically be sanded five to ten times over its life, though each sanding removes roughly 1mm. Engineered depends on wear layer: 4mm allows two or three sandings, 2mm allows one, and a thin veneer allows none.

Can I refinish only one room?

You can, but matching an adjoining older floor exactly is difficult because wood ages and ambers with light exposure. If rooms flow into one another visually, refinish them together. If a doorway breaks the sightline, doing one room alone is reasonable.

How much does refinishing cost in Canada?

Four to seven dollars per square foot for a full sand and three coats of finish, and $2 to $4 for a screen and recoat. Staining adds roughly $1 to $2 per square foot. Heritage softwood floors cost more, typically $5 to $9, because they need a gentler process.

Get a free quote