This is a common question among homeowners with engineered hardwood flooring. The answer is; it depends on the wear layer. If you are looking at installing new engineered wood floors, this might be a consideration in which specific floor you choose. Also, you’ll need to keep in mind that you may not be able to change the color of the flooring, only restore its original beauty.
The Wear Layer
Most people understand that engineered hardwood flooring is made up of layers. When discussing refinishing your floors, it’s the wear layer we’ll need to look at to determine if we can and to what extent. The higher the quality, the thicker the wear layer. It’s usually measured in millimeters (mm) and can range from .8mm to 4 or more millimeters. Any flooring with less than a 2mm wear layer shouldn’t be refinished. A 4mm wear layer floor can be refinished multiple times.
Types of Refinishing
When it comes to hardwood floor refinishing, there are two processes, one is referred to as screening and the other as refinishing. The screening process uses a screen rather than sandpaper to remove the top layer. This won’t remove deep scratches and is most often the choice of homeowners with engineered hardwood flooring that has minimal damage where the goal is to restore the look of the flooring without changing it. It’s a great option for floors with a small wear layer. This process is also sometimes called buffing or recoating.
Actual refinishing will involve sanding and creates a bit more dust as it removes the finish from the flooring. It’s the only option if you want to change the color of the floors. This process will remove a greater percentage of the wear layer. That means once you do it on a floor with, for example, a 3mm wear layer, you may not be able to do another total refinish again.
Authentic Hardwood Flooring, Inc. can evaluate your engineered hardwood flooring and let you know the best option for refinishing. If you have the original packaging information or a sample piece, be sure to let us see that when we come for your consultation. Call us today at (727) 786-6330 to schedule your free, no obligation estimate.
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