Not every wooden floor can withstand further sanding. We explain what this depends on and why the thickness of the wear layer is the deciding factor, not the age of the floor itself.
Whether a renovation makes sense is usually not determined by the age of the floor, but by how much wood remains above the groove or tongue for sanding. Traditional solid strip flooring has a thickness of around 22 mm and a wear layer of 8-10 mm, such a floor can be sanded approximately 5-7 times over its lifetime. Modern three-layer parquet has a wood wear layer of only 3-4 mm on a stabilised core, so it withstands only 2-3 sandings before reaching the core beneath.
The problem is that you cannot usually determine the thickness of the wear layer or the number of previous grindings just by looking; the floor must be inspected at an edge (at a threshold, heating unit or exposed side) or gently drilled and measured. This is therefore always the first step of every inspection.
Renovation is worthwhile if:
In such cases, renovation will extend the floor's service life by several more decades at significantly lower cost than laying a new floor.
A typical example is an apartment after a bathroom or kitchen renovation where the original wooden floor in the living room and bedroom remains untouched, there, refinishing will simply bring the wood back to life. The same applies to flats bought for owner-occupation where the previous owner merely maintained the floor over the years but never renewed the surface finish.
Conversely, we recommend replacement when:
In these cases, renovation usually only delays the inevitable, and it is better to invest directly in a new floor.
If an attempt is made to sand a floor that no longer has sufficient wear layer, there is a risk of sanding down to the tongue, groove, or even the adhesive beneath the parquet. In such cases, a dark spot or unevenness will appear that cannot be repaired other than by replacing the affected pieces, which is often more expensive and demanding than laying a new floor outright. Therefore, before every sanding operation, we always verify the actual thickness of the wood, even if this requires a minor intervention at the edge of the floor near the threshold where it is not visible.
Wide solid planks are sanded in the same way as parquet strips, but their larger surface area means that unevenness and wood shrinkage are more visible, with older planks, filling the joints between individual pieces is therefore often required before sanding. Parquet strips, on the other hand, blend better even after multiple repairs due to their smaller format, but they usually have a thinner wear layer, so it is necessary to keep closer track of how many times they have already been sanded. Our team can assess both types directly on site and advise whether it is better to sand the entire floor or only locally repair damaged pieces.
A complete renovation (sanding, filling, varnish or oil) costs approximately from 420 Kč/m². Laying a new floating floor starts at 180 Kč/m² for labour, to which you must add the cost of materials and the removal of the old covering, though this is included in the laying price. For large areas or floors near the limit of sandability, a new floor may ultimately cost about the same as repeated renovation, but with the certainty that it will last another few decades without restrictions. A detailed price list for both services, parquet sanding and new floor installation, is always available after a free inspection.
Unsure whether your floor can still withstand sanding? We will assess it free of charge.
Request a site inspectionHow many sanding layers a floor can withstand and what to watch out for.
LayingWhen renovation is not cost-effective, how to choose a new installation.
ServiceVinyl, laminate and wooden floating floor: price list and request for quotation.