Refinishing engineered hardwood
Engineered floors only have a thin layer of real hardwood on top, so the first job is finding out how thick it is.
Check the wear layer first
An engineered board is a layer of hardwood glued on top of plywood or another core. Only that top layer can be sanded. To see it, pull a floor vent or look at the edge of a board at a threshold or stair nosing.
| Wear layer | What's usually possible |
|---|---|
| Under 2 mm | Recoat only. Sanding risks going through to the core. |
| 2 to 3 mm | One careful light sand, or a recoat. |
| 4 mm and up | Can usually be sanded like solid hardwood, once or more. |
Bevels and prefinished finishes
Most engineered floors are prefinished with small bevels along the edges of each board. Sanding flattens the surface but doesn't remove bevels, so finish settles into them and they stay visible. Some owners like this, some don't. It's worth seeing a sample before committing.
When to recoat instead
If the wear layer is thin and the damage is only in the finish, a recoat with a proper bonding step is the safer choice. It won't remove deep scratches, but it won't put the floor at risk either.
Other work we do
Sanding and refinishing
Full sand to bare wood, then three coats of finish.
Screen and recoat
A fresh coat of finish on floors that are dull but not damaged.
Stair refinishing
Treads sanded and finished, risers painted, carpet removed.
Stain colour changes
Going lighter, darker or natural, with samples on your floor.
Dust-contained sanding
Sanders hooked to high-capacity vacuums that capture most of the dust.
Board repair
Replacing pet-stained, water-damaged or broken boards.
Get a price for your floor
Tell us the rooms and square footage. A refinisher gets back to you within one business day with a price, and can book a visit to confirm it.