Floor Refinish, Cover, Replace?
I’m trying to decide if I should refinish, cover, or replace my old hardwood floors. Refinishing is the cheapest, but won’t fix the floor being uneven in certain spots. Replacing is the the most expensive, but will fix the all the problems, however may reveal additionally costlier issues. Covering I always thought was a shortcut,…
I’m trying to decide if I should refinish, cover, or replace my old hardwood floors.
Refinishing is the cheapest, but won’t fix the floor being uneven in certain spots.
Replacing is the the most expensive, but will fix the all the problems, however may reveal additionally costlier issues.
Covering I always thought was a shortcut, but it was recommended to me as a budget-conscious strategy. However, I am worried (despite the contractor’s assurances) that covering will only work for a short period of time before the new floor is effected by the weaknesses of the old floor. I also do not want the creaking and “bounce” that is associated with going on top of the old floor.
The floors are not in horrible shape, but are old and are no longer level throughout.
Thoughts?
Have the floors been refinished many times in the past? Try to determine the remaining thickness above the groove, because this is where a scraping could expose a gap or tongue.
You should be able to get used to the un-eveness, but the finish quality will be a decicing factor. Oftentimes the floor puttying and refinishing of old hardwood can make dramatic improvements, over shadowing crookedness.
Putting new flooring over uneven old flooring is the one choice you would be most unhappy with. Any contractor’s attempt to level or flash patch over the old flooring will not last.
Part of the rationale for the expense of high quality solid 3/4″ flooring is its long useful life and capacity for future refinishings. Take away that long useful life by scrimping on strong sub-flooring and you are wasting money.
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If your floors are uneven, it may have nothing to do with the floors and everything to do with the structure of the house, such as sagging beams and joists. You should get that looked at. Also, if it is the case, you don’t want to change the structure, since that will cause cracks and other problems in the walls and floor. I would just get the floors refinished and live with the unevenness. Or look for a house with even floors.