The "Surgery" Guide for Old Floor Refinishing – Which Floors Are Worth Saving?

After ten or eight years, wood flooring at home becomes full of scratches and dull in appearance, and many people's first reaction is "rip it out and replace it". In fact, a considerable number of old floors can be restored to new life through refinishing, at only 30‑50% of the cost of replacement. However, not every floor is "savable" – before deciding, a "pre‑operative assessment" is needed.

First, check the "constitution": only solid wood, engineered wood and bamboo floors with a top layer thickness of 4 mm or more are suitable for refinishing. Typically, the total floor thickness must be at least 18 mm, with at least 3 mm of sanding allowance. Floors that are too thin will expose the substrate after sanding. Laminate flooring has an aluminium oxide wear layer that would be destroyed by sanding, leading to accelerated aging – so it cannot be refinished.

Second, check the "condition": if the floor has severe mould, deep insect damage or extensive warping, refinishing cannot help. If parquet patterns are only surface‑stained rather than fully penetrated, sanding will ruin the design. For qualifying floors, the refinishing process includes: coarse sanding → medium sanding → fine sanding (using 40‑grit, 80‑grit and 120‑grit paper sequentially); then filling gaps with wood filler; then applying primer and topcoat (multiple thin coats); and finally waxing and buffing.

Refinishing can usually be done 3‑4 times, with each round removing about 0.5‑1 mm of thickness. Water‑based eco‑paints are recommended, and allow 7‑10 days of ventilation before moving furniture back. One refinishing gives the floor another ten years of life – saving money and the environment.