We are always asked the question, “Can you refinish engineered hardwood floors?”. Yes, in a nutshell, but there are some things you need to know first. Thus, hold off on renting a floor sander just yet.

Please read on for more detailed information.

What Are Engineered Hardwood Floors?

Let’s first talk about what exactly engineered hardwood floors are before we go over the specifics of refinishing them. Every time we mention our floors on Instagram, there seems to be some misunderstanding as to what they are. I have to admit, the name can be a little misleading. I can see how the word “engineered” might make people think that there is no natural wood in the product. However, that is not the case.

Hardwood that has been engineered typically has two layers. The bottom layer is plywood-like material, which itself is made up of multiple layers running in opposite directions. As a result, the planks are stronger and are shielded from warping or cupping. Additionally, much wider planks are made possible by this. Our engineered hardwood flooring, for instance, is 10 1/4′ wide.

The flooring’s beauty is imparted by the top layer, which is the wear layer. Thin natural wood veneer in a variety of wood species makes up this layer. Therefore, once the flooring is installed, you cannot distinguish it from solid hardwood.

Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Floors?

As I mentioned above, yes you can refinish engineered hardwood flooring. The top layer’s thickness, however, is what determines everything. The typical wear layer thickness for engineered hardwoods is between 3 and 7 millimeters. The sanding process in refinishing your flooring will take off 1mm. Based on the thickness of its wear layer, this chart illustrates how many times engineered hardwood flooring can be refinished.

Wear Layer Thickness	Number of Refinishes
3mm	2
4mm	3
5mm	4
6mm	5

Don’t forget that the last 1mm of the wear layer’s thickness should not be removed with sanding. The amount of refinishing you can do is therefore 1 less than the thickness.

How to Tell If You Can Refinish Engineered Hardwood?

It’s important to make sure that your floors are actually suitable for refinishing before you get started.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding whether or not to refinish your engineered hardwood floors:

The Thickness of the Veneer Layer

The top layer of an engineered hardwood floor is made of thin wood veneer. You won’t be able to sand down and refinish your flooring if this layer is too thin, if not impossible. They can typically be refinished twice if they had 1/8″ of veneer when they were new, and 3/16″ options can be done three to four times before replacing them becomes the better choice.

The Number of Times the Floor Has Been Refinished

A small portion of the wood is taken out each time a floor is sanded and refinished. There might not be enough wood left to sand down your floors again if they have undergone multiple refinishings.

The Overall Condition of the Floor

Refinishing your engineered hardwood floors might not be a good idea if they are seriously worn out or damaged. You would have to completely replace the floors in this situation.

It’s always best to seek professional advice if you’re uncertain about whether or not your engineered hardwood floors can be refinished. A flooring specialist can evaluate your floors and inform you whether refinishing is the best option.

Ways to Refinish Engineered Flooring

Depending on the results you want from your refinished living room floors, you should choose how to handle engineered hardwood floors.

The same surface treatment may not work on all types of wood. Therefore, before beginning to surface clean and color your plank, think about the final appearance you want for your floor.

Glazing

If you have engineered floors with a thin veneer, this is your go-to technique. You can add shine and stain to your room floors without first having to sand the surface when using this method.

Refinishing With Sanding

The most common way to give your standard hardwood floors a unique touch is through this technique. On planks with a good enough thickness to allow for a proper refinish, it performs best.

Refinishing Engineered Hardwood Floors: When is It Necessary?

You only need to have your engineered wood floor refinished in two situations. First, if the floor shows significant wear through the sealer and into the wood, refinishing is the best option for restoring a brand-new appearance.

The second situation is when you want to change the stain’s color. It should be sufficient to remove 1 to 1.5mm of the wear layer from the majority of floors.

How Often Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Flooring?

You might assume that the engineered hardwood floor can have as many veneer coats applied to it as you like based on the way it looks. There is, however, a limit to it.

While solid wood can tolerate several rounds of refinishing, your engineered hardwood floors can withstand only one or two. The amount of gritting that engineered hardwood flooring permits must therefore be taken into consideration when refinishing it.

Typically, during surface treatments with veneer, a qualified flooring contractor can remove as much of the wear layer as 1/16th of an inch.

But if you’re not careful, the vigorous scraping of thinly engineered hardwood floors could harm the plywood.

Cost of Refinishing An Engineered Hardwood?

To know the exact cost for refinishing engineered hardwood flooring, you need to factor in the following:

• Room’s square footage
• Cost of the stain for plank’s square foot area

You can determine the overall budget that needs to be set aside once you have measured the entire room and have specifications for each plank. Here’s how to do it:

• Evaluate your engineered flooring in its entirety.
• 15% of the metric should be added to the total measurement of the hardwood floors.
• Add a little extra to account for waste and solid hardwood door thresholds.
• Calculate the total by multiplying it by the paint cost per square foot of engineered hardwood flooring.

That’s it!

There is your final staining price estimate for your engineered floor.

Alternatives to Refinishing Engineered Hardwood Flooring

There are steps you can take to delay the need for refinishing your engineered flooring.

Adding a layer of polyurethane sealer to the existing finish, a process known as refreshing the finish, is a good option when light wear that hasn’t penetrated the wear layer is starting to show on your flooring. A quick test is to drop a few drops of water on the floor; if they bead up, the sealer is in good shape and doesn’t need refreshing. It’s time for more sealer if the water gets inside the wood. Refreshing should be done every 4-7 years depending on how much traffic the floor receives. The price is between 25% and 33% of what it would cost to refinish an engineered wood floor. Also keep in mind that hand-scraped flooring will lose its effect if you refinish it, making it a desirable option to first refresh the finish.

When refinishing is being considered because a few planks are deeply scratched, cupped or stained, replacing the damaged planks (preferred) or repairing the scratches with stainable wood filler can be done for a far lower cost than refinishing the entire floor. The disadvantage is that the color of the new planks and the wood filler might not be an exact match to the old flooring.

FAQs

Summary: Can You Refinish Engineered Hardwood Floors?

So, is it possible to refinish engineered wood? Refinishing is a great strategy for a number of reasons, including giving your new floors a rich, opulent appearance and preserving the natural color of engineered surfaces.

They can be installed in places where real wood planks cannot, such as basements, because they are the ideal contemporary option for hardwood flooring.

With a minor adjustment to the wear layer, the natural wood lookalike not only improves the ambiance, but also offers excellent cost efficiency.

Therefore, refinish engineered wood and install a brand-new, glossy surface right away if your current home flooring is no longer to your taste.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment. My Prime Home tries to give you the best home improvement information. Don’t forget to share the post. Thank you for reading.

See also:

• Can You Put Vinyl Flooring Over Tile?
• How to Determine Which Direction Install Vinyl Plank Flooring?
• Do You Need Underlayment for Vinyl Plank Flooring?