Athletic Floor Refinishing vs. Replacement: What’s Best?

Wood athletic floors are meant to be able to be sanded multiple times throughout their usable life. Determining whether or not your floor needs another refinishing or if it’s time for replacement is a delicate conversation that requires the input of many factors. You should use the experience of a flooring professional to help walk through the options of whether or not refinishing or replacement is the right choice for you. Here we will explore the various factors that go into making this decision.

What’s the Difference Between Athletic Flooring Refinishing and Replacement?

There is a big difference between refinishing and replacement. Refinishing is the process of sanding all of the finish off of the hardwood floor and making sure that the flooring itself is sanded smooth. Then, new finish is reapplied to the floor. The gym floor sanding process only works if there is enough of the wood flooring left in order to be sanded. Replacement involves ripping out the existing floor and installing a new one.

Factors to Consider When Deciding Between Sports Floor Replacement and Refinishing

Condition of the Existing Floor

The conditions of the existing gym floor are the number one driver of the decision between replacement and refinishing. There are only a certain number of times that any floor can be sanded during its life, and so the first thing that a flooring professional will do is check to make sure that there is enough wood left to be sanded.

Budget Constraints

Oftentimes the driver between deciding on refinishing a replacement has to do with the budget constraints of the facility. Understanding that replacement is usually more expensive than refinishing it is not always an option that every school or facility has open to them. In those cases, a refinishing is most often the cost effective way of achieving the new look of a new floor.

Time Constraints

In addition to being less costly, refinishing happens in a lot less time. Not only is production of materials not a concern, but the process itself is much faster than a new installation. If refinishing is an option and time constraints are a concern, refinishing is the choice that is best for most clients.

Long-Term Goals

Oftentimes, whether it is because of budget or time constraints, a school or athletic facility has no choice but to refinish their floor as opposed to consider a full replacement. Refinishing offers a cost effective way to achieve a new look for an old floor, but it does nothing to improve the performance if that has been an issue. As a four ages, the performance will degrade and refinishing Only deals with the surface appearance, not the performance of the floor.

The Cost Comparison of Refinishing vs. Replacement

Refinishing is a much simpler process than replacing an entire floor. Not only is the cost of materials significantly less, but the cost of Labor is also significantly less because it takes less time to do a refinishing. Using the existing sports flooring and the existing sub floor makes for a much faster process.

While replacement in some cases is the only option when there is a choice, refinishing is much cheaper and much faster. Replacement requires an investment in new materials and a much longer installation process, resulting in a higher labor cost. In addition, when considering replacement, demolition of the existing floor must be considered as well as removal.

The Importance of Hiring a Professional for Athletic Floor Refinishing or Replacement

Expertise and Experience

Whether considering refinishing or replacement, it is important to use professional contractors who have the specialized skills and knowledge of the flooring that they are working with. This is very important to make sure that quality and durability are monitored and that manufacturer standards are adhered to.

Equipment and Resources

Professional flooring companies will make sure that they use the right equipment and are following the right set of manufacturers guidelines when dealing with any specific floor. Athletic flooring companies are used to working in a space that needs to minimize disruption to facilities so that use of the floor can be maximized.

Showcase Endurance Flooring

In flooring provides refinishing and resurfacing for every type of athletic flooring, as well as replacement options should they be needed. Whether it is schools in New York City’s public school system or colleges like Boston College, Endurance Ensures that quality and client satisfaction are always the top priorities.

Conclusion

It is important when considering the difference between refinishing and replacement to know first whether or not a refinishing is possible. Not every hardwood gym floor can be refinished, but to the extent that it can be, it is usually a much more cost effective option to achieve a brand new look for an old floor. If replacement is required, Endurance Flooring is a specialist in delivering customized options for every need imaginable in the athletic flooring space. We are qualified, competent professionals who always make sure that we deliver on the client’s needs and make sure that the people using the floor get the best performance possible. Please reach out to Endurance with any questions and engage us for a free consultation on whether or not refinishing or replacement is right for you.