If you have engineered hardwood floors that look a bit dull or worn, you may be wondering if refinishing them is possible to restore their beauty. At Dalton Flooring Center, we often get asked if engineered hardwood can be refinished. The short answer is yes—but there are a few important things to understand first.
How Engineered Hardwood is Constructed
Engineered hardwood has a plywood or HDF core topped by a layer of solid oak, maple, or other wood veneer. This construction makes it more dimensionally stable than solid hardwood, meaning it handles temperature and humidity fluctuations better than solid wood.
The veneer layer varies depending on the specific engineered hardwood. However, this durable wood surface layer can be lightly sanded and refinished multiple times, allowing you to refresh engineered floors and eliminate scratches or wear over time.
Refinishing Limitations
When engineered wood is newly installed, its veneer layer is often around 4 to 7 mm thick. This leaves plenty of thickness for light sanding as part of the refinishing process.
However, you can’t aggressively sand engineered hardwood repeatedly. Over years of refinishing, the veneer will eventually become too thin and reach the limit of how many more times it can be redone.
At that point, the floor must be replaced rather than refinished further if you want to retain that like-new appearance.
Leave Refinishing to the Experts
Refinishing hardwood floors properly is a multi-step process requiring specialized equipment that sands floors efficiently without over-sanding the wood or rounding over edges.
Our technicians at Dalton Flooring Center use professional equipment, top-quality stains, sealers, and finishes to refinish engineered wood floors. We carefully sand just deep enough to refresh the floor’s appearance while retaining enough thickness for future refinishing.
Unlike DIY kits, we can match the new floor stain color to your existing stain, blending repair sections beautifully. And our high durability finishes allow the refinished floor to better withstand pets, kids, and high-traffic areas.
For engineered hardwood, it’s especially critical to have an expert do the work in order to maximize future refinishability. We keep detailed notes on flooring veneer thickness so we never sand thinner than is safe if further refinishing is desired.
Refresh Your Floors at Dalton Flooring Center
If your engineered hardwood floors are looking worn, dated, or scratched, refinishing is a fantastic way to update their appearance and add years of life at a fraction of the replacement cost. As Southeast Michigan’s top flooring provider for over 40 years, we offer professional refinishing services that restore the beauty of your floors. Contact us today for a free in-home consultation!
Engineered Hardwood Floors FAQs
How long does refinishing engineered hardwood floors take?
The refinishing process typically takes 2 to 3 days from start to finish. However, it depends on your floor’s condition, size, and other factors. Contact our experts to get an accurate estimate.
Can you change the color when refinishing engineered hardwood?
Yes! Part of the refinishing process is staining or painting the sanded bare wood, so you have the flexibility to update your floors to a whole new color, create custom staining effects, or simply match the existing stain. Our experts can guide you through the possibilities and make recommendations based on current flooring conditions.
How often can you refinish engineered hardwood?
Engineered wood floors can typically be refinished 2 to 4 times over the years before veneer thickness is diminished and replacement is required. Many factors impact the exact refinishing frequency, which our installers evaluate carefully. We help maximize future refinishability by sanding lightly and maintaining protective finishes.