How Often Do I Have To Recoat Hardwood Floors?

Hardwood floors can elevate a room, and they often increase the value of your home. When you have hardwood floors, you want to make sure you keep them looking sparkling clean and looking fresh. Wood floors, however, inevitably show wear and tear. As you look down at your less than perfect floors, you may find yourself wondering how often you should recoat your hardwood floors.

You should recoat your hardwood floors every 3 to 5 years depending on how well they are maintained. Diligent maintenance, scratch guards, area rugs and quality floor finish can extend the amount of time between recoating your floors. The best way to know if it is time to recoat your floor is to check the floor for warning signs like dents, scratches, discoloration or splinters.

While there are certain guidelines that dictate how often you should recoat your floors, there are other things to consider. There may be times when you simply want to change the look of your hardwood floors, and other times when it is necessary maintenance. There are several factors that can affect how often you need to refinish your floors. The best way to know if it is time to do so is to look for warning signs on the floor itself.

The recoating process is different from refinishing. When you recoat a hardwood floor you are essentially trying to maintain and improve upon the finish that already exists. It’s like adding a fresh coat of paint to an already existing paint job.

One common method of reciting is called “screen and recoat.” This involves lightly sanding and cleaning the existing hardwood finish and then applying a new coat. This can be done every 3 to 5 years, or any time you decide you want a new topcoat to your floor. This does not work on a wax-based floor finish, or other types. These more involved and complex floor finishes must be refinished.

Refinishing, however, is a much more involved process. You should refinish your floors when a recoat will not solve the problem. Also, floors should usually be refinished every 7 to 12 years. It normally involves completely stripping the floor. The idea is you need to remove all the scuffs and scratches and also the entire old finish. This often involves sanding down a substantial amount of the floor itself.

The average hardwood floorboard, or plank, is a minimum of 3/4 inch thick when it is first installed. Each time you refinish your floor, however, you lose a portion of this thickness. If you refinish your floor every 7 to 10 years or so you should be able to refinish your floor at least 5 times before it needs to be replaced. Some hardwood floors are actually much thinner than 3/4 inch. Floors can be as this as 1/4 inch, meaning refinishing them multiple times is difficult to impossible.