The short answer
Most worn hardwood floors don't need replacing. Scratches, a dull finish and gray traffic paths usually come out with sanding and refinishing, which costs less and takes less time than tearing out the floor.
Which job does your floor need?
Refinishing will likely fix it
- Scratches and scuffs, even ones you can feel with a fingernail
- A dull, cloudy or yellowed finish
- Gray or bare paths where people walk most
- Small surface stains
- You want a new color
You may need repair or replacement
- Boards that feel soft or spongy, or move underfoot
- Cupped or warped boards from a leak that's still wet
- Dark stains deep in the wood, like old pet stains
- Nails or tongue-and-groove edges showing through
- Engineered wood with a top layer too thin to sand
Check what kind of wood floor you have
Solid hardwood is one piece of wood all the way through. It can usually be sanded and refinished several times over its life.
Engineered hardwood is a thin layer of real wood glued on top of plywood or another core. Some engineered floors can be sanded once or twice; some can't be sanded at all.
The middle ground: repair, then refinish
If only a few boards are damaged, a refinisher can often cut out those boards, weave in new ones, then sand and finish the whole room so the patch blends in.
Ask whether the company does board repair. Many listings in this directory show it under services.
Key takeaways
- Surface wear almost always means refinish, not replace
- Soft, wet or worn-through boards need repair first
- Engineered floors can be sanded only a limited number of times, sometimes not at all
Common questions
Can every hardwood floor be refinished?
No. Solid hardwood usually can, several times. Engineered hardwood depends on how thick its top layer of real wood is. Floors with soft, rotting or badly warped boards need those boards repaired first.
Is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?
Refinishing is usually much cheaper than replacing, because you keep the wood you already have. Prices vary by company and job size, so get two or three written estimates.
Can I refinish only part of a floor?
Usually the whole room is sanded and finished so the color and sheen match. Spot repairs often look patchy once the new finish dries.
Find a refinisher near you
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