Prefinished hardwood flooring doesn’t last forever—it doesn’t hold up against heavy foot traffic due to its aluminum oxide finishing coat, and scratches can appear boldly. But prefinished hardwood is made of natural solid hardwood, so can you sand and refinish prefinished hardwood floors? Let’s find out!
What Is Prefinished Hardwood Flooring?
Prefinished hardwood flooring consists of finished wood that has been sanded, stained, and coated with polyurethane. Once the polyurethane coating has been sprayed on in the factory, each board is baked with aluminum oxide to create a sturdy, hard acrylic finish. The beveled edges along the sides of the wooden boards allow for easy interlocking, and they also mean you can treat the panels all at once rather than individually. This is also true of prefinished wide-plank flooring, which can hold up for years to come.
What Does Sanding and Refinishing Do?
Sanding hardwood flooring removes any imperfections and leaves behind a smooth finish. It also removes dents, scratches, scuffs, and other cosmetic marks.
After the sanding is done, the refinishing process coats the hardwood with a sealer or stain, leaving it looking shiny and brand new. You can leave some wood species unfinished, but unfinished hardwood tends to wear down more quickly than refinished hardwood.
Can You Sand and Refinish Prefinished Flooring?
So can you sand and refinish prefinished hardwood floors? Yes, you can. Since most prefinished flooring has a bevel in between each board, you can sand it flat and refinish it. However, prefinished hardwood flooring does require additional sanding, there’s a limit to the number of times you can refinish your flooring through its lifetime.
Having beautiful prefinished hardwood flooring doesn’t have to stop at installation. If you want to sand and refinish it with a new stain and polish, go ahead and do so!