The number of times a wood floor can be sanded depends primarily on the type of wood flooring and the thickness of the wear layer .
Here’s a breakdown:
Solid Hardwood Floors:
- These floors are made of solid pieces of wood and can generally be sanded multiple times throughout their lifespan.
- A typical 3/4-inch thick solid hardwood floor with a 1/4 to 5/16-inch layer above the nails can withstand, on average, 4 major sanding jobs that remove a significant amount of material or up to 10 minor sandings that mostly affect the finish.
- The thicker the wood above the tongue and groove, the more times it can be sanded. Some thicker solid wood floors might even tolerate more than 5 sandings.
- It’s crucial to assess the remaining thickness of the wood before each sanding to avoid sanding down to the tongue and groove, which would compromise the floor’s integrity
Engineered Hardwood Floors:
- Engineered wood floors have a top layer (veneer) of real hardwood bonded to a plywood core.
- The number of times these floors can be sanded is limited by the thickness of this top veneer layer
- Thicker veneers (e.g., 3-6 mm) can typically be sanded 2-3 times, or possibly more.
- Thinner veneers (e.g., 2 mm or less) might only withstand one or two very careful sandings, or might not be suitable for sanding at all.
- It’s essential to know the thickness of the wear layer of your engineered floor before attempting to sand it. Sanding past the veneer will expose the plywood core, which cannot be refinished.
Other Factors to Consider:
The amount of material removed during each sanding: More aggressive sanding to remove deep scratches will reduce the number of times the floor can be refinished overall.
The amount of material removed during each sanding: More aggressive sanding to remove deep scratches will reduce the number of times the floor can be refinished overall.
The condition of the floor: Heavily damaged floors might require more aggressive initial sanding.