Is it cheaper to refinish my existing hardwood or install new engineered hardwood in my Vancouver character home?

Refinishing your existing hardwood is almost always cheaper — typically $3-$8 per square foot compared to $7-$16 per square foot for new engineered hardwood installation — making it roughly 50-60% less expensive for most Vancouver character homes. For a 1,000 square foot main floor, refinishing costs $3,000-$8,000 versus $10,000-$20,000+ for new engineered hardwood including removal of the old floor, subfloor preparation, and installation.

Vancouver character homes — generally built between 1900 and 1940 in neighbourhoods like Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Strathcona, Dunbar, and Kerrisdale — typically have original fir or oak strip flooring that is 3/4 inch thick. This thickness is a significant asset because it allows for 3-5 full sand-and-refinish cycles over the floor's lifetime. If your floors have only been refinished once or twice, there's likely plenty of wood remaining for another refinishing.

A professional refinishing involves sanding down to bare wood using a drum sander and edge sander, followed by optional staining and 2-3 coats of finish. Dustless sanding systems have become standard in Metro Vancouver and reduce airborne dust by 95% or more, making the process far cleaner than it was even a decade ago. For finish options, water-based polyurethane ($3-$5 per square foot) dries quickly with minimal odour and maintains the wood's natural colour. Oil-based polyurethane ($4-$6 per square foot) adds a warm amber tone and is slightly more durable but takes longer to cure and has stronger fumes. Hardwax oils like Rubio Monocoat ($5-$8 per square foot) are trending heavily in Vancouver's character home market — they produce a beautiful matte, natural finish that's easy to spot-repair without resanding the entire floor.

However, refinishing isn't always the right answer. You should consider new engineered hardwood instead if your existing floors have severe structural damage — deep water stains that penetrate below the surface, boards that are warped or buckled beyond what sanding can correct, extensive rot from crawl space moisture (common in older Vancouver homes), or if the wood has already been sanded too many times and the tongue-and-groove profile is compromised. Also consider new flooring if you want to change from narrow strip flooring to the wide-plank aesthetic that's currently popular — refinishing can change the colour but not the plank width.

For character homes specifically, there's also an aesthetic and heritage value argument for refinishing. Original fir flooring in a 1920s Craftsman or a 1930s Tudor has character, patina, and historical authenticity that new engineered hardwood simply cannot replicate. Many Vancouver homeowners — and future buyers — value original wood floors as a defining feature of character homes. Refinishing preserves this while making the floors look fresh and protected.

If you do opt for new engineered hardwood, factor in the full cost stack: old floor removal ($1-$3 per square foot), subfloor assessment and repair ($2-$5 per square foot if needed — and in character homes, it often is), the engineered hardwood itself ($5-$10 per square foot for materials), installation labour ($3-$5 per square foot), and new baseboards or moulding if the profiles don't match ($2-$4 per linear foot). Character homes also present installation challenges — uneven subfloors, out-of-square rooms, and irregular layouts that increase labour time.

In Metro Vancouver's climate, refinished solid hardwood and new engineered hardwood both perform well on main and upper floors when humidity is managed properly. The key is maintaining indoor relative humidity between 35-55% year-round — use a dehumidifier during the wet season if needed, and ensure any crawl space has a proper vapour barrier.

For an honest assessment of whether your character home floors are good candidates for refinishing, have a professional inspect them in person. Vancouver Floor Installers can match you with hardwood refinishing specialists who work regularly in Vancouver's older neighbourhoods.

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