Engineered hardwood flooring is a popular choice for homeowners. It has many of the benefits of solid hardwood but without the cost. If your home has engineered hardwood floors, you likely love them. What do you do if they are showing wear and tear after many years of use or if you aren’t wild about the color? Can engineered hardwood be refinished? The answer is, generally, yes!
What is Engineered Hardwood?
Engineered hardwood is made by using a veneer of real wood–oak, maple, hickory, or another type–as the top layer. This veneer can be anywhere from 3mm to 6mm thick. Below that is a core of high-quality plywood, often placed crosswise from the top layer, to add stability and prevent warping (this is especially nice in areas with high humidity, or in the kitchen).
Engineered hardwood can be nailed in place, glued down, or even installed as a floating floor. It can also be placed over just about any type of subfloor. Engineered flooring has the look and feel of regular hardwood (it is real wood, after all), adds durability and ease of installation, and is easier to maintain than regular hardwood.
Why Refinish Engineered Hardwood Floors?
There are a few reasons you might want to try to refinish your engineered hardwood floors. First, if there has been damage or heavy wear that has worn through the sealer and into the wood veneer, sanding it down and refinishing it might be the best way to deal with the damage.
Second, if you don’t care for the color of your floors, refinishing might be a great option to change them. You can add new stain and transform the look of your floors, depending on what type of wood veneer you have, to just about anything you can imagine.
How Do I Know if I Can Refinish My Engineered Hardwood Floors?
It all comes down to how thick the wood layer is and how level the floor is. If your flooring is buckled or cupped, when you sand it, there is a chance that you will sand down to the plywood, so you want to make sure it is level.
When you sand your floors, you will remove about 1mm to 1.5mm of wood. You need to make sure you have at least 1mm of wood veneer left, so whether or not you can refinish your floors will depend on how thick your veneer is to start, and how many times it’s already been sanded and refinished. It is recommended that you only sand engineered hardwood if the veneer is at least 3 mm in thickness.
You will need to consider the current shape and condition of your flooring before making the decision to sand and refinish your floors. Depending on the severity of the damage, replacing the flooring may be your best option.
If the damage is just normal wear and tear, refinishing may be a great choice for you! If the engineered wood has a hand-scraped finish, while it is still possible to refinish it, the job will be more challenging because the deep hand scraping may limit the amount of sanding you can do and still leave the necessary minimum of 1mm thickness.
How Do I Refinish My Engineered Hardwood Floors?
If you decide that your floor is a good candidate for refinishing and you’re up for a satisfying but messy DIY project, get ready to refinish your floors yourself. To sand and refinish your floors, you will need:
- Cleaning products: a vacuum, a broom, a mop, some gentle floor cleaner
- 30 – 40 grit sandpaper
- 60-grit sandpaper
- 100-grit sandpaper
- A palm sander
- Wood stain
- Polyurethane sealer
- Paintbrushes, a rag, and a roller
- Gloves, a mask, and safety glasses
Step One: Clean Your Floor
You want to make sure your floor is as clean as possible. Sweep or vacuum thoroughly, making sure the surface is free of lint and debris. Then mop the floor with gentle wood floor cleaner. Allow it to dry completely.
Step Two: Sand the Floor
This is probably the most time-consuming step. You need to sand off the top layer of wood carefully, using an orbital palm sander. You will want to use a 30 – 40 grit sandpaper for the first pass, a 60-grit for the second pass, and 100-grit for the final pass.
Step Three: Clean Your Floor Again
Clean the floor well to remove all the wood dust. You can do this by sweeping or vacuuming. Then use a damp mop or cloth to remove all the remaining dust. Allow to dry again.
Step Four: Apply the New Stain
You actually don’t have to stain the wood if you don’t want to–you can leave it natural and just apply a sealer. But assuming you do want to stain it, make sure you test the stain you want to use in an inconspicuous spot first. Apply in the same direction as the wood grain, and do very thin coats, wiping the excess with a rag immediately. Apply more coats to make the stain darker. Allow the stain to dry completely before moving on to the next step.
Step Five: Apply the Polyurethane Sealer
Again, apply the liquid in the same direction as the wood grain, using a paintbrush or roller. Allow to dry, then add a second coat. This will seal the wood and protect it from dings and scratches. After you finish this step, you need to let the floors sit and cure for a while–at least 48 hours. Then open the rooms and enjoy the gorgeous new floors!
What if I Can’t Refinish My Engineered Hardwood Floors?
In some cases, you may not be able to successfully refinish your floors. If the wood veneer is too thin, either from being refinished too many times, or because it was thin when it was originally installed, or if your floor is too damaged, refinishing isn’t the best idea. But you still have options!
- Paint your floors: While this might seem like a dramatic option, a quick Pinterest search will show you a lot of great-looking painted wood floors. You can paint your floors white or cream for a country or farmhouse vibe, dark green or black for drama, or a bright color like blue for an unexpected pop of fun.
- Add a glaze: You can do this without having to sand your floor, so if it’s too thin to refinish, but you still want the wood grain to show through, consider adding a glaze. It won’t last as long as a refinished floor, but it will allow you to modify the look of your floors. Remember that the glaze will be on top of the existing stain–it will need to work with it, rather than covering it up.
- Get area rugs: If you can’t change the flooring, consider changing your perception of it. Strategically placed area rugs can distract your eyes from the color of the floor, lighten or darken a room, and allow you to get the feel you want while keeping the flooring that isn’t your favorite.
- Replace the flooring altogether: You may need to bite the bullet and replace your flooring with something different. If you choose to have new engineered hardwood floors installed, opt for the thickest veneer you can, and consider avoiding the hand-scraped finish if you think you may want to refinish them someday in the future. We installed Padua by ADM Flooring, and we have loved it. (If you decide to order from them, use the code “thisrenovatedhouse” and you’ll save 5% on your order!)
Summary
So can you refinish engineered wood floors? In many cases, the answer is yes! Make sure it is thick enough to be sanded down and still retain a layer of wood, and then go for it. I am sure you will love your new floors!
