Hardwood floors are a classic look that never go out of style. We love hardwood floors for both of those reasons! Homes that have hardwood floors that are well-kept can ideally keep those floors for many, many years (like, 100+ years!). During the course of that time, the floors will likely need to be refinished to maintain the integrity of the floors, so the question is -- is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?
The answer really depends on how well-kept the hardwood floors are in your home. If they have normal wear and tear, chances are, refinishing floors is the way to go. To give you an idea on cost, a 12x12 room could cost around $700, give or take. But you need to realize that you will have a lot of time you cannot enter that room (or rooms) for many days. The process takes some time because the floors have to be sanded down, cleaned up of the sawdust, stained (more than once) and then applied with a few coats of polyurethane. From start to finish, it can take anywhere from 5-10 days. We recommend not walking or putting furniture down on newly-refinished floors for at least 7 days. In addition, once you refinish floors, you need to wait 30 days before putting down any area rug. This is because the floors naturally lighten (ever so slightly), and having a darker square in the center of your room will be an eyesore for the next homeowners.
Installing new hardwood floors allows you to pick from a wide range of beautiful floors on the market now. Wide planks, planks of varying lengths, wire brush look, etc. When you decide to install new hardwood floors, you can either get pre-finished wood floors or custom wood floors for your home. There's also the idea of getting engineered hardwood floors which is a combination of hardwood flooring and plywood. It can tend to be a little less expensive than solid hardwood floors but they cannot be refinished nearly as many times over the course of the lifespan of the floors. Hardwood floors and engineered hardwood floors can range in price. A 12x12 room can cost around $600 just for material.
There is no right or wrong answer for which is cheaper because it truly depends on your lifestyle, how long you think you will be in the home, and what look you're going for with your new floors. The best thing to do is to speak with a flooring professional about your options and which makes the most sense for you. We have plenty of flooring experts who can answer any question you may have! Give us a call or stop in to one of our four locations today.
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