Call or text Noah: 250-815-7077
Refinish or replace

Restore what’s worth keeping.

Floors, cabinets, doors, trim and furniture in solid wood or real veneer can usually be brought back. Here’s when that’s the right call, when it honestly isn’t, and a simple way to decide.

First, the reasons that aren’t about money

Why restore at all?

  1. 01
    Original characterHand-cut joinery, softened edges and the patina of real use are things new work can only imitate.
  2. 02
    Wood you can’t buy anymoreOlder homes often hold dense, tight-grained old-growth timber and species that are hard to find today. Restoring keeps it.
  3. 03
    Its historyThe floor your kids grew up on, the cabinet someone built by hand. Restoring keeps the story with the house.
  4. 04
    Less to landfillIn Metro Vancouver, wood makes up 54% of the construction and demolition waste sent to landfill.1 Restoring keeps good wood in use.
  5. 05
    Made for generationsA solid ¾-inch floor can typically take up to about five full sandings over its life.2

Built to be restored, not replaced.

When refinishing makes sense

The bones are good. The finish isn’t.

  1. 01
    It’s solid wood or real veneerThere’s real wood at the surface, so it can be sanded, stained and refinished.
  2. 02
    The structure is soundNo rot, no soft spots, nothing swelling or coming apart.
  3. 03
    The wear is on the surfaceScratches, dull or worn finish, water rings, greying or a colour you’ve grown tired of.
  4. 04
    You like its shapeThe layout, size and style still suit you. It just needs its finish back.
When replacing honestly makes sense

Sometimes new is the right answer.

I’d rather tell you that plainly than sell you a refinish that won’t last.

  1. 01
    Structural rotIf the wood itself has rotted through, a new finish won’t fix what’s underneath.
  2. 02
    Water-swollen particleboardOnce particleboard or MDF swells from water, it doesn’t go back.
  3. 03
    A printed surfaceLaminate, foil and vinyl wrap are a printed layer, not wood. There’s nothing to sand.
  4. 04
    A layout changeIf you’re moving walls, changing the kitchen layout or resizing a room, the old pieces may simply not fit the new plan.

If replacing is the better call, I’ll say so. [NOAH CONFIRM: do you take on the replacement work yourself, or refer it out?]

Cost and longevity

It usually costs less, and it lasts.

Hardwood floorsAbout one-third to one-half

of the cost of replacing.3

Kitchen cabinetryRoughly a third

of the cost of replacing, for refinishing cabinets in place.4,5

LongevityUp to about five sandings

for a solid ¾-inch floor over its life.2 A printed surface can’t be sanded even once.

SourcesTypical figures only. Every job differs, and your price comes from an on-site visit.
  1. Metro Vancouver, 2025 Construction and Demolition Waste Composition Study
  2. Wood Floor Business (NWFA), “How Many Times Can a Wood Floor Be Sanded?”
  3. International Floors, “Is Refinishing Hardwood Floors Worth It?” States that replacing can cost 2 to 3 times as much as refinishing.
  4. HomeStars, “Cost to Paint Kitchen Cabinets in Canada: A 2026 Guide”
  5. HomeStars, “Should You Replace or Reface Your Kitchen Cabinets?” The cabinet figure is my estimate, based on the midpoints of the typical ranges in sources 4 and 5.
A short way to decide

Four questions.

  1. 01
    Is it real wood or real veneer?If it’s laminate, foil or vinyl wrap, replace.
  2. 02
    Is it structurally sound?If there’s rot or water-swollen board, replace that part.
  3. 03
    Do you still like its shape and layout?If you’re changing the plan, replacing may make more sense.
  4. 04
    Three yeses?Refinish it. Built to be restored, not replaced.

Not sure about any of them? Text me a photo and I’ll tell you what I’d do. More on what to look for in Signs your piece is worth keeping.

Let’s talk

Not sure which it is?

Tell me about the piece, and I’ll give you an honest answer.

Free estimate →Text Noah: 250-815-7077

Your estimate is free. When we sit down in person, your quote is free, fixed, and in writing.