There is no specific time allocation to indicate when you should or should not refinish your wood floor. It all depends on personal preferences. Some customers will prefer their flooring to constantly look brand new, while others prefer their floor to have a look of character and age. Most manufactures recommend that you should oil your flooring straight after installation. Flooring can sometimes be stored for long periods of time before being delivered to its final destination, storing and transporting flooring can cause the oil to wear away. If you oil the floor after installation then you gain a new finish and immediately make the product extremely hard wearing.  Sanding is always advised before refinishing especially when using oil, this allows the oil to seep further into the wood. After purchasing solid or engineered flooring it should not need sanding or refinishing for the first 15 – 20 years. If a time scale had to be allocated then we would recommend after the original sanding, the flooring should be sanded and refinished every 10 years.

However as well as personal preferences there are other factors that can affect this time 10-year time frame. A floor may need refinishing more frequently if it is located in a high foot traffic area or if damage has been caused. Although if a floor is rarely used then you may be able to wait longer than the 10 years recommended as the finish should still be in relatively good condition. Scratches can make a floor look unattractive but that doesn’t always mean you have to sand the whole floor.  Buffering the floor and applying a coat of finish can save you time, money and reduces the amount of sanding you have to complete

Another factor is whether the flooring is solid or engineered wood. Traditionally solid wood can be sanded more often as the wood above the tongue is slightly thicker than the wear layer on an engineered product.  If you refinish an engineered floor too frequently then the wear layer will thin quicker, reducing its life span. It is advisable to check the thickness of the wear layer as if the wear layer is 5mm or more, then the floor can be sanded just as often as a solid wood product.

We would also recommend that if you were thinking about sanding your floor, make sure that you are organised. It is fair to say, dust goes everywhere. Everything in the room should be removed and if the room is regularly used then it may be advised to leave the house until the sanding and refinishing is completed. Once you have finished a floor it should be left to dry for at least 24 hours before being walked. It is also advised to only wear socks on the flooring for 2-3 days while the flooring dries, bare feet and shoes may reduce the quality of the finish. For the best results from the refinish you should ideally wait 3-4 days before moving any furniture back into the room, this is essential to allow the floor to fully dry and cure.

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