Wood floors provide a beautiful and natural looking aspect to your home, but along with the positives come stains, squeaks and other signs of age.
As a homeowner you must decide whether to salvage your 50-year-old antique hardwood floor or simply replace it. We come across this question repeatedly on in-home consultations and homeowners must consider the options and be realistic about expectations.
Repair or Replace Wood Floors?
More often than not you can make a few repairs, replace some problems boards, sand and refinish and have a very nice floor. However, with all aspects of remodeling, the key component is expectations. You can’t go into it expecting your old floors to look like brand new again. That’s just not realistic. However, a skilled sand and refinish contractor, like the ones here at Metro, can give you a really high quality wood floor for a fraction of the costs of replacing it.
Giving Your Floor a Makeover
Squeaky boards and loose planks can be tightened. If there are small areas that have significant damage, the planks can be replaced. The sanding a refinish process can eliminate and mask stains. The homeowner can choose a new stain to freshen up the look of their home, or go with a similar look to what they already had.
As your chosen flooring professional inspects your home during the consultation, they’ll be able to determine if your wood floor is a good candidate for refinishing. Some old floors are beyond repair.
These symptoms indicate the floor is in terminal condition:
- Extreme movement between boards means the floors will need to be replaced. The significant movement will affect the sanding and finish.
- Substantial structural problems. Issues with the subfloor will require a complete floor removal.
- “No meat left on the wood.” Wood floors can only be sanded so many times before they need to be replaced. Typically, a wood floor can be sanded and refinished 6 to 7 times over its lifetime.
Sand and Refinish Your Antique Floors
Rather then replacing your wood floors, repairing a few problem areas and then sanding and refinishing them is typically the better way to go. Consider your wood floors an antique and keep their history while giving them a face-lift with a sand and refinish. The current trend is going towards rustic and older looking floors. You’ll have the best of both worlds with your antique floors and a fresh new stain.