Resurfacing and refinishing, both are effective techniques to restore the appearance and functionality of hardwood floors fixing damages. Though these methods are used for the same purposes, resurfacing and finishing have significant differences.
So knowing hardwood floor resurfacing vs refinishing can help you apply the best method to fix dents, scratches, or dullness from the floor while adding a new layer of color and finish.
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Differences Between Hardwood Floor Resurfacing Vs Refinishing
Below are some main differences between resurfacing and refinishing in several aspects:
1. Customisation And Maintenance
Refinishing provides you the freedom to choose various stain finishes and colors to match your evolving design. It helps prevent wear and tear to increase the lifespan of hardwood floors. Refinishing also allows you to change the stain or color of a hardwood floor to get a fresh look whenever you want.
If your hardwood floor has very deep stains or scratches, refinishing can fix it completely. Refinished hardwood floors are also easier to clean and maintain particularly if it has fewer dents and scratches.
The resurfacing process provides a water-based finish that is more environmentally friendly than chemicals used in refinishing. It also adds value to homes and adds a great selling point for buyers.
2. Cost
The cost of resurfacing or refinishing usually depends on plenty of factors including the area, floor shape, wood type, and labor cost. On average, refinishing costs around $1100 to $2700 per square foot. Resurfacing is considerably cheaper than refinishing. It will cost around $500 to $1700 per square foot to refinish your hardwood floor.
3. Durability
In the resurfacing process, you need to replace the whole subfloor which adds a great foundation for hardwood flooring. So, resurfacing will be a more durable option than refinishing. Refinishing can also be a long-term solution as it removes the wood’s top layer and helps the new finish to attach more effectively.
However if your hardwood floor has deep stains or scratches, refinishing will be a temporary solution. Refinishing doesn’t also have same natural longevity and durability as resurfacing as it can endure decades of use.
4. Aesthetics
Hardwood floor refinishing provides more flexibility considering the floor’s appearance. It allows to application of various finishes or colors to floor during sanding down the surface and allows to change of the space’s look completely. So if you want to restore your hardwood floor look even if it has wear and tear, apply the refinishing process.
Conversely, resurfacing doesn’t provide many options to change the floor appearance. This is because the new layer can’t hide underlying faults or change the wood color. However, resurfacing adds genuine character to your hardwood floor to enhance the space’s aesthetic value.
5. Difficulty
Both resurfacing and refinishing are tiresome techniques as they need sanding and applying finish to hardwood floors. Refinishing is more tiresome than resurfacing as it needs to use heavier machinery and is a time-consuming process. In resurfacing, you don’t need to sand down on wood surface. It only focuses on the floor’s top layer. So resurfacing is a considerably quicker and less tiresome process.
6. Longevity
The refinishing process can be costlier but it’s a long-term investment to retain the beauty of hardwood floors. If you properly maintain your solid hardwood floor, you can sand and refinish it to retain its appearance for generations. But if your hardwood floor is uneven and severely damaged, the refinishing technique won’t be a suitable option.
Resurfacing also provides a fresh look to your hardwood floor and it doesn’t require much maintenance. But resurfacing won’t last longer than refinishing.
7. Installation Process
If you want to apply a fresh coat of finish on your hardwood floor, you can refinish it. To do so, remove furniture and other essentials from your room. Then sand down the hardwood boards using an orbital sander to remove scratches, dents, and old finish. Apply a stain’s fresh coat on the board to add a new finish to the floor and ensure extra protection. Finally, wait for around 24 hours to dry the stains before you use the room.
In the resurfacing process, you will need to remove the existing finish from the floor and add a new finish. While the refinishing process requires stripping old boards, sanding down, and refinishing, you can resurface your floor using a single pass of a sanding machine. This will remove the wood’s layers and reveal fresh wood underneath it. Then you can add a new layer of finish to protect your hardwood floor.
Resurfacing Vs Refinishing Method: Which Option is Better?
Choosing between resurfacing and refinishing depends on plenty of factors including your budget, the floor’s existing condition, and your preference. If you want a durable hardwood floor even within your budget, choose the resurfacing process. This technique is relatively cheaper and replaces the entire subfloor to provide extra durability.
You won’t also need to maintain your hardwood floor regularly after resurfacing. Even if you prefer genuine and long-term investment, resurfacing original hardwood floors is also a better choice.
But if your hardwood floor has signs of wear and tear like stains, scratches, or dullness, you should refinish your hardwood floor. This technique will change the color and finish of your hardwood floor. However, you’ll need to refinish your hardwood floor every 3 to 5 years depending on its foot traffic and maintenance. This can increase the overall cost of refinishing hardwood floors.
When Should You Refinish Your Hardwood Floors?
Refinishing is a great way to restore the beauty of hardwood floors fixing the wear and tear. Track these signs to decide the right time to refinish your hardwood floor to make the technique more effective:
Noticing Visible Wear And Damage
If your hardwood floor has obvious signs of lots of wear and damage including dents, scratches, deep stains, and gouges, you should apply the refinishing technique. This method will restore the beauty of your hardwood floor by sanding down its surface and adding a new finish.
Fading Or Discolouration Of Floor
Hardwood floors can lose their color and shine over time due to UV rays of sunlight, dullness, and other environmental factors. So your hardwood floor can become discoloured and faded and turn into gray or back. If so, refinishing can turn back your hardwood floor’s original look.
Water Damage
Water can cause your hardwood floor to cup, warp, or develop stains. In this case, you’ll notice separation, cupping boards, or dark areas on the hardwood floor. If your hardwood floor causes water damage, address the reason immediately and finish it to prevent further damage.
Hearing Creaking Or Squeaking Noise
If your wood floor makes a squeaking noise when walking, it can be the result of a shifted or loosened board. If so, refinishing will help tighten the hardwood boards and eliminate noise.
Desiring New Look
If you want to update your hardwood floors look, refinishing will be an effective option. Refinishing will allow you to choose a new stain color or finish to improve your current interior design. Refinishing will also extend the lifespan of your hardwood floor and retain its beauty with minimal maintenance.
When Should You Resurface Your Hardwood Floor?
If your hardwood floor wears out due to heat or moisture, you can restore its durability and appearance by resurfacing technique. It’s an effective process to restore your hardwood floor from deep cracks and severe scratches particularly when the refinishing process becomes useless. The resurfacing process allows to remove the floor’s top layer including frayed and damaged surfaces.
You can also apply a resurfacing process to your hardwood floor to restore it from extensive damage. In this process, you’ll need to remove floorboards or straighten wood planks using nails. So if the sanding process or refinishing scratches can’t fix heavy scratches or cracks on your hardwood floor, you can apply the resurfacing process to get effective results.
FAQs on Hardwood Floor Resurfacing Vs Refinishing
What Hardwood Floors Cannot Be Refinished?
You can refinish or sand down your refinished hardwood floor particularly if they are solid wood. But you cannot refinish most of the engineered wood.
How Many Times Can You Refinish Hardwood Floors?
If your hardwood floor is thick enough, you can refinish it up to ten times. However, it may take over a decade to apply multiple refinishing on your hardwood floor as it lasts quite a long time. If your hardwood floor is thinner, you can refinish it once or twice.
How Long Does it Take To Resurface Hardwood Floors?
Most standard companies take around 2 to 6 days to resurface 1000-square-foot hardwood floors. However, you may wait up to 12 days to move furniture back into the house after resurfacing. The exact time may vary depending on the floor areas, sanding duration, and drying time required between multiple coats.
Final Words
Hope you understand the key difference between resurfacing and refinishing techniques of hardwood floors. When you decide between these two wooden floor repair options, consider your floor areas, the condition of the floor, your budget, and your preferences. However, if you want the best result out of wood floor installation avoiding damaging the floor, resurfacing, or refinishing, you should hire an expert professional
