Hardwood floors are incredibly durable and can be refinished many times before they’re spent. So how do you know when it’s time to replace your hardwood floor? Well there’s a number of things that factor into this, so let’s break it down into aspects you’ll need to consider.
Appearance
One of the key indicators that it’s time to replace your floor is its appearance. If it is severely damaged beyond being refinished, it will be obvious from looking at it.
If you see large gaps between the planks, extreme wear in the planks, etc, it is most likely time to replace your floors. However, it may still be able to be refinished so you should check the other factors in addition to this one.
Age
In all honesty, if your hardwood floor was installed within your lifetime, you probably won’t outlive them. So age is usually a pretty good indicator of whether or not it’s time to replace your hardwood floor.
If your floor was already there when you bought your house, however, it may not be clear what age the floor is. Which is why you may have to look to other clues to see if it’s time to replace it.
Wear
The easiest and most common indicator of when it’s time to replace your hardwood floor is by seeing how worn the planks are. This doesn’t mean worn on the surface, necessarily.What you can do is pull up one of your planks and see how thin the plank is.
If it’s been worn down and refinished many times, it will be very thin. It may even be filed down so much that the lip of the plank doesn’t click with the lip of the planks around it. There’s no saving a floor at this point. It needs to be replaced.
Other Factors
There are some additional factors that contribute to your floor’s wear and tear. If you live in a moist or ever-changing climate, your floor may end up cupping, which can warp and damage your floor permanently.
There are also things like mold infestations and termites that can destroy your hardwood floor, regardless of its age or quality. So keep these things in mind when assessing if it’s time to replace your hardwood floor.
If you’re thinking about replacing your floor, be sure to check the above signs before spending your money on a new floor. And if it does turn out to be time for a replacement, always purchase your hardwood flooring from JAS certified PurezaWood. We’re the finest quality hardwood flooring distributor in Chicago!
