Q: I have a house, over 60 years old, with the original hardwood floors. I’d like to refinish them, but several friends have said that refinishing such an old floor would only last a couple years before it would have to be done again. Are there any concerns with refinishing an older floor with gaps?
Should I be concerned that it will have to be redone in a the near future? I suppose the question is do I go with refinishing old hardwood floors, or replace them?
A: If your floors have enough surface thickness to tolerate being sanded again, then the main concern is having them done properly with good finishes. There really is no reason a floor should not be easy to maintain and last decades, even an old 3/8 thick strip floor. Maintenance would be, if it is finished well, to keep it clean and free of abrasive grit and buff-re-coat as needed. So, those 2 issues are key: the floor must have structural integrity (not too thin) and it must be finished with good products and proper procedure (eg. No lacquer sealers used as a base coat).
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