Can engineered wood flooring be refinished?

If you love the look solid floors but want something with less upkeep, engineered wood flooring is a fantastic alternative. It combines the multi-layered core of laminate with the natural beauty of real wood to create a floor that’s as unique as a fingerprint.

Over time, wood ages and its appearance changes. The colour fades in sunlight; the surface wears away where people tend to walk. Some might argue that scuffs and scratches tell the story of your home and that’s what’s so special about real wood, but others want to know if you can refinish engineered wood flooring.

Engineered wood is a huge investment, so it needs to last for many, many years. We’ll be asking if engineered wood can be refinished and how often you can refinish it, as well as whether you can stain or varnish engineered wood flooring to restore it to its former glory.

In this guide:

• Can you refinish engineered wood flooring?
• Can you sand engineered wood flooring?
• Can you stain engineered wood?
• Can you varnish engineered wood flooring?
• How often can you refinish engineered wood?
• How to care for engineered wood flooring video

Can you refinish engineered wood flooring?

The good news is that because engineered wood has a real wood top layer, it can be refinished. This process can be done a few times so the floor will last much longer than you expect. However, the number of times it can be refinished depends on the thickness of the top layer. Refinishing usually means removing a small layer off the top of the engineered wood plank by sanding. This gets rid of any surface imperfections like stains or watermarks, or where the finish might have dulled over time due to general wear and tear. After sanding, a fresh coat of the finish, such as oil or lacquer, is reapplied to the wooden floor to give it a new lease of life.

• Tapi Top Tip: You might want to stop and consider if any minor scratches, scuffs, or nicks in the wood really need refinishing. It’s these little imperfections that make wooden flooring look more ‘lived in’. Remember that any refinishing will alter the appearance of the flooring.

Can you sand engineered wood flooring?

Sanding engineered wood flooring is the method required to refinish a wooden floor to make it look brand spanking new again. However, every time you sand, you’ll remove around 1mm of wood so there is a finite number of times you can sand down engineered wood flooring. That means a plank with a 4mm top layer can be refinished twice and a 3mm top layer should only be refinished once. Anything below 2mm shouldn’t be sanded as it will reveal the plywood core below.

Refinishing engineered wood floors without sanding is also possible, but only for minimal wear and light scratches. We’d recommend consulting a flooring professional beforehand, so they can assess your flooring and let you know whether it needs refinishing or not.

Can you stain engineered wood?

Whether or not you can stain engineered wood flooring depends on the thickness of that real wood top layer. If it can be sanded down, then it can also be stained. This is a chance for you to change the colour of your engineered wood flooring with a darker or lighter stain if your tastes have changed since the flooring was installed.

Can you varnish engineered wood flooring?

Once you’ve sanded off the original varnish, you can reapply a fresh coat of varnish (or lacquer as it’s also known). A clear varnish will give your engineered wood flooring protection and a glossy finish while also keeping that natural colour, whereas a tinted varnish will alter the colour of the wood slightly. Alternatively, you can brush on a layer of oil which brings out the wood grain, something we delve into in our oiled vs lacquered engineered wood flooring guide.

How often can you refinish engineered wood flooring?

The time between laying engineered wood flooring and when you need to refinish it depends on lots of variables, such as how frequently the room is used, whether the room gets lots of sunlight, whether you wear shoes on it or move furniture across it, and so on. There’s no set timeframe for how often you can refinish engineered wood, but if you have a thin top layer, then you might want to leave it as long as possible.

Many engineered wood styles at Tapi come with 15, 20, and 25-year manufacturer’s wear guarantee, so you can be sure your new flooring will look good for years to come. Because it's finished with a coat of varnish, lacquered engineered wood tends to last longer than oiled engineered wood, so that's something to bear in mind when choosing.

If you’re thinking about investing in engineered wood flooring, come and talk to one of the clever floorologists at Tapi. They’ll explain all the different styles including herringbone engineered wood, the pros and cons, and work out if it’s the right choice for your home. If you like the look of real wood but prefer less knots and a more uniform appearance, we also have lots of lovely laminate, luxury vinyl, and vinyl designs. Pop in-store or book a free home visit, and we’ll bring round heaps of smooth flooring samples for you to compare.

How to care for engineered wood flooring video

Watch our helpful video to learn how to care for engineered wood flooring to prevent scuffs and scratches.