Asked by: Qiu Engelshoven
hobbies and interests woodworking

Can you refinish a prefinished wood floor?

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Refinishing requires heavy sanding: While prefinished floors do not need to be refinished for a very long time, eventually the surface seal will start to fade, scratch, and discolor slightly. This cuts down on the thickness of the floor planks and limits how many times you can then refinish the floor in the future.


Beside this, can you change the color of prefinished hardwood floors?

The answer is usually YES! Many homeowners don't realize that you can change the color of hardwood flooring when you refinish your floors. Yes, it's true…you can go light or dark or red tones or anywhere in between.

Also, can you stain prefinished wood? First, the factory-installed polyurethane coating probably has not worn off on all areas of the floor but must be removed prior to refinishing. Many prefinished floors are only 1/4-inch thick. Prefinished floors cannot be refinished as many times as plank floors, which are sanded and stained in the home.

Just so, are prefinished hardwood floors better?

Prefinished floors come at a lower cost. Prefinished solid wood floors initially cost more than unfinished wood flooring—about $2 per square foot for a good grade of red oak. But once you factor in finishing costs, prefinished ends up being less expensive.

How long do prefinished hardwood floors last?

While site-finished floors last 3-5 years (6-maximum) before needing to be refinished, most prefinished floors can last for decades.

Related Question Answers

Ayoube Beloo

Professional

Can you stain over prefinished hardwood floors?

So, we naturally get the question, “Can you refinish pre-finished floors?” The answer is generally “yes,” as long as the pre-finished (or site finished) floors are solid hardwood. If the flooring is engineered hardwood, the answer is usually “No.” Rather, there is pre-finished wood and there is engineered wood.

Cenaida Illana

Professional

How long does it take to sand and refinish a hardwood floor?

Depending on the product used, and the current weather conditions, each coat could take either hours or days. Figure at least two days for the “sand and poly” job or three to seven days for a full refinishing project, plus at least one day if you're adding color.

Antidia Weispfenning

Professional

What is the average cost to sand and refinish hardwood floors?

Cost to Sand and Refinish Hardwood Floors
Sanding costs $0.50 to $3.00 per square foot to sand hardwood floors. An average 12 x 14 foot room would cost $80 to $500 depending on how many passes it needs and the area you live in.

Bastien Chasin

Explainer

Can you stain hardwood without sanding?

A good method of staining hardwood floors darker without sanding is to apply the stain directly after screening, then cover it with clear finish. If you apply a waterborne finish, which dries in a couple of hours, you can complete the entire operation in a day.

Noema Swetha

Explainer

How hard is it to Restain hardwood floors?

If the scratches don't go all the way through to the wood, you can scuff-sand your floors with a buffer and apply a fresh coat or two of finish. The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. In a few hours your floors will look as good as new.

Artur Peixinho

Explainer

What color should I refinish my hardwood floors?

The answer is usually YES! Many homeowners don't realize that you can change the color of hardwood flooring when you refinish your floors. Yes, it's trueyou can go light or dark or red tones or anywhere in between. Most are pleasantly surprised it doesn't matter if you are going light to dark or vice versa.

Armenio Patane

Pundit

How can I make my hardwood floors look good?

After recoating, this room's formerly scuffed-up hardwood flooring (below) looks good as new.

Contents
  1. Empty the room.
  2. Make any necessary repairs.
  3. Clean the floor.
  4. Allow the floor to dry.
  5. Gently scuff the old finish.
  6. Vacuum the dust.
  7. Apply your chosen finish.
  8. Additional References for Refinishing Wood Floors.

Natela Aronthal,Aaron

Pundit

What is better prefinished or unfinished hardwood floor?

Unfinished flooring is raw hardwood that must first be installed and then sanded and refinished on site. Prefinished flooring is factory-finished, and thus each board has been finished individually with sprayed-on coats of polyurethane. Unfinished flooring is raw wood with no beveled edges.

Sulaika Duñabeitia

Pundit

Should I buy prefinished wood flooring?

The Advantages of Prefinished Wood Flooring
Prefinished wood can save you money because applying the finish at the factory reduces labor costs. The process of prefinishing a wood floor also results in a more durable finish, making it a wise choice for kitchens and other high traffic areas.

Delirio Gawronsk

Pundit

Do prefinished hardwood floors scratch easily?

Refinishing requires heavy sanding: While prefinished floors do not need to be refinished for a very long time, eventually the surface seal will start to fade, scratch, and discolor slightly.

Meissa Kofink

Teacher

What is the best prefinished hardwood flooring?

Top 5 Brands for Solid Hardwood Flooring
  • 01 of 05. Bruce. Bruce. Best for quick availability and returnability.
  • 02 of 05. Carlisle. Carlisle. Best for plank sizes.
  • 03 of 05. Lumber Liquidators House Brands. Lumber Liquidators.
  • 04 of 05. Hearne Hardwoods. Hearne Hardwoods.
  • The Woods Company. The Woods Company. Best for reclaimed solid wood flooring.

Chan Terencio

Teacher

How do you restore prefinished hardwood floors?

Restoring a Worn Finish
If the wood is still in good condition, you can often restore the finish by screening. This is a process of scuff-sanding the finish with a floor buffer and 120- or 150-grit sanding screen and applying a fresh coat.

Dounya Montoto

Teacher

Do prefinished wood floors need to be sealed?

Although engineered hardwood often comes pre-finished, it is still a good idea to seal it. Sealing adds an extra layer of protection to your flooring, and can also help it last longer.

Mouctar Mujica

Reviewer

Can you polyurethane over prefinished hardwood flooring?

In general, you shouldn't apply polyurethane over a floor that has already been stained and sealed with other products. If the manufacturer indicates that the floor has been treated with polyurethane but you want to apply additional coats for added protection, you may do so after the floor has been installed.

Hafsa Garriz

Reviewer

Is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?

In general, it will almost ALWAYS be less expensive to refinish your hardwood floors. If you replace them, you need to pay for additional wood as well as ripping up and hauling away existing hardwood. Even if you have this, it will still be less expensive then replacing the whole floor.

Nouredin Goerlach

Reviewer

What happens if you stain over stain?

If the object you're hoping to stain has been sealed with a topcoat, you won't be able to restain it, but you can go over it with a coating or a colored stain blend. As an alternative, you could color the wood with an oil-based paint, but the opacity of the oil-based paints can hide the grains.

Laurentino Frigolet

Supporter

Can you stain over a polyurethane finish?

It's not a common practice, but you can apply stain -- if it's gel stain -- over polyurethane. It won't penetrate like stain, so you won't get the same grain patterns. If you really want to change the color without stripping, gel stain can do it.

Buster Czernik

Supporter

How many times can you refinish prefinished hardwood floors?

Takeaway: Your worn down pre-finished hardwood flooring can be refinished up to 5 times. You can change the color of the entire floor each time that it's completely refinished. Leave the bevel in the floor and DO NOT have the bevel filled. Pre-finished hardwoods show scratches more than site-finished hardwoods.

Soriba Torreras

Supporter

How long do prefinished hardwood floors last?

3-5 years

Co-Authored By:

EveryThingWhat Staff Editor

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2nd January, 2020

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