How do you know it is time to refinish hardwood flooring? What are the warning signs that require you to act right away?
Let’s face it! Part of keeping your hardwood flooring in perfect shape is knowing when and how to refinish it. Though hardwood floors are durable, low-maintenance, and known to last for generations, they do still require proper care and maintenance. Periodically, you need to refinish hardwood flooring. And it is just a matter of knowing when the right time is. While some warning signs are pretty much obvious, there are a couple that seems to be more subtle. With this, we have created a list of 7 signs that you need to watch out for to know if it is the best time to refinish your hardwood flooring.
Water Damage
Water is no friend to hardwood flooring. The worst way to warp your hardwood flooring beyond any repair is caused by water damage. When your hardwood flooring has sustained water damage, you will start to see cupping and/or separation of floorboards. Darker areas may also occur when there is a major moisture issue in your hardwood floors. Whether it be extensive moisture damage or the appearance of a few stains, a partial or full refinishing is definitely worth a look at.
To tell whether your hardwood flooring needs refinishing very soon, do the water test. Pour a tablespoon of water on the areas where your hardwood floor looks worn. If you notice that the droplets pool and do not seep in quickly, then the sealant is still intact. However, if the droplets seep into the wood, it is time to refinish hardwood flooring. Take note that the faster the water seeps in, the greater the damage is.
Excessive Scratches and Dents
It is nearly impossible to prevent scratches on your hardwood flooring. The friction of walking every day on the hardwood floor can create small scratches on it. Small scratches on a hardwood flooring are inevitable so there is really no need to panic over it. However, when scratches go beyond a small area of your flooring, you need to inspect it further. You need to find out if the scratches spread out in a larger area or appear superficially in the stain. You must assess if the scratches or dents are not affecting the wood underneath. After a thorough inspection and you see multiple, deep, and extensive scratches are showing up, then it is the right time to refinish hardwood flooring. You may also want to involve a local floor refinishing contractor near you to do the inspection and refinishing.
Discoloration
Exposure to sunlight can discolor the wood. Gray discoloration on your hardwood floor is not a sign of aging. Instead, it is an indication that your floor is damaged and needs refinishing. With long-term use, the polyurethane component or coating of the hardwood flooring gradually wears off. As it wears off, the floorboard absorbs water from sources such as cleaning products, spillages, or wet pet paws. These lead to the oxidizing of wood, turning its color into gray. When you see these signs of discoloration, it only means that your hardwood floor is begging for your attention. The minute you notice any gray discoloration on the hardwood flooring, set up a consultation with a local flooring contractor near you. If you leave it unattended, discoloration will eventually turn black. If this happens, severe damages occur, so you won’t need to refinish hardwood flooring anymore; instead, a complete replacement is required.
Stains
Spilled liquids can damage hardwood flooring. However, cleaning it quickly won’t leave any stains or permanent marks. Since hardwood flooring suffers wear and tear over time, just like any other flooring materials, stains can be a normal occurrence. However, stains on hardwood floors are unsightly. Over the years, repeated stains and spills from leaking air conditioners, pet urine, or broken water heaters can leave a permanent mark on your hardwood flooring. With this, it is important to remove these stains with cleaning solutions. But if you have tried everything you can and stains won’t really come out, it’s a great idea to seek help from a professional contractor to refinish hardwood flooring in your home.
Renovation
The decision to refinish hardwood flooring does not happen only when your floor is in bad shape. Homeowners can also do hardwood floor refinishing if they want to give their floors a facelift or if the designs are already outdated. Refinishing your hardwood flooring with a different stain is an easy and great opportunity to upgrade its look. Also, it is an affordable way to increase the resale value of your property while retaining the original hardwood flooring.
Resale Value
When you are planning to market your property for sale, it is a good idea to refinish hardwood flooring. This helps you increase your property’s resale value. Newly refinished hardwood flooring is an incredible selling point to attract prospective home buyers. An unsightly looking and worn-out hardwood floor, on the other hand, could lose your chances of getting one. Don’t scare off your prospective home buyers just because your floor isn’t pleasing to the eye. Get your hardwood flooring refinished even before your agent starts to show your property.
Fading
While everyone might love the natural light from the sun, this could also be a culprit to getting a faded hardwood floor. Oversized windows are a serious burden on your hardwood floor. Prolonged and repeated exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays may dramatically change the color of your floor. As a result, the hardwood floor may look unhealthy or faded near the windows. If you notice this, you need to refinish hardwood flooring. Sanding and refinishing can renew the floor’s protection against the sunlight. Plus, it maintains the vibrancy of your hardwood flooring.
It’s Time to Refinish Your Hardwood Flooring
Your hardwood flooring is a substantial investment in the long run. It needs your care and attention to keep it in great shape. Once you notice any of the warning signs cited above, it is important to attend to these issues right away. Refinishing is one of the incredible ways to resolve major issues on your hardwood floor such as moisture damage, fading, scratches, to name a few. However, if you think that you need more advice to combat severe damages or issues on your flooring, don’t hesitate to call us. Schedule a consultation today!