Watch For These Indicators That You May Need to Refinish Your Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are strong and durable, but they aren’t invincible. They still sustain wear and tear from daily use.
Fortunately, they can be refinished a few times to bring back the smooth, polished look they had when they were first installed.
If your wood floors are showing these signs of wear and tear, you may want to begin looking into wood floor refinishing services in your area.
Dark Areas That Indicate Water Damage
If you had a small mishap with an overflowing bathtub, or a pet’s accident was left a little too long, your hardwood floors may have a dark stain left behind as a reminder of these unfortunate incidents.
Water damage and staining don’t happen if you clean up a spill quickly. Instead, it takes time for moisture to soak into the pores of your hardwood floors. Water or other liquids will soak in much faster if the floors have not been sealed recently, as the sealant serves as a protective barrier.
Scratches
Surface scratches can be concealed with a cleaning product that polishes and restores wood. Pet’s nails, daily walking, and even certain vacuum cleaners with a beater bar can cause surface scratches in hardwood floors.
Sliding furniture or appliances can create deeper scratches. These scratches require sanding and hardwood floor refinishing to repair. You can prevent these large scratches by lifting furniture rather than sliding it, or using protective felt pads on the feet of your heavy furniture. Use ram board or floor protection paper when remodeling to protect your wood floors.
Refinish Hardwood Floors With Divots and Dings
Also called dents, these wood floor imperfections are usually caused by dropping or dragging something heavy. The weight of the object actually pushes the wood fibers together, which leaves the dent behind. Walking in stiletto heels can actually cause tiny divots all over the floor, too.
Unlike scratches, light sanding and resealing won’t get rid of a divot or ding. It will require a more specialized technique to revitalize the floor. And if you have divots, dings, or dents all over the floor, it’s going to be quite a big job to fix.
Gaps Between Floor Planks
Over time, floor planks may begin to separate. This separation can be very slight or extreme, but either way, you’ll notice it when you try to clean your floors and find debris has fallen into the crevice between boards.
Separating floor planks can occur as normal wear and tear. Humidity levels and temperatures change with the seasons, causing hardwood floors to expand and contract. Perhaps the foundation of your home has settled a normal amount, leaving some gaps here and there in the floor.
A professional can address minor gaps using hardwood floor refinishing techniques. However, wide gaps could indicate a much bigger problem than normal wear and tear, such as severe structural damage, improper installation, or subfloor moisture. Make sure you know the root cause of gaps between your floor planks before attempting to refinish your hardwood floors. A professional can help diagnose the cause of your floor damage.
Sections of Wood Flooring That Look Faded and Dull
Hardwood floors must be stained and sealed to prevent damage to the porous wood itself. Over time, the sealant and stain can wear away. In places where this has occurred, the floor will look faded and dull compared to other sections of flooring.
The longer you wait to address this type of wear and tear, the more likely your floor can sustain damage that will require in-depth refinishing to resolve. You can extend the time between wood floor refinishing by using cleaners especially designed for wood floors, as well as wood polish products. Always follow the instructions on product packaging for best results.
Not Sure What’s Up With Your Wood Floors? A Refinishing Professional Can Help.
If your hardwood floors aren’t looking their best, and you’re unsure whether you have normal wear and tear or something that indicates a bigger problem, you can ensure you’re investing time, money, and energy into the right solution when you talk to a wood flooring professional.
Refinishing hardwood floors to address normal wear and tear may seem easy, but it’s a multi-step project that requires knowledge of specialized tools and finishing products, and not all wood floors can be refinished.
A professional can look at your hardwood flooring, determine whether partial or total refinishing is necessary, and complete the project for you.
