From its beautiful, natural appeal and extreme durability to an increased home value, the benefits of hardwood floors should be easy to see. While designed to last, the surface of your hardwood floors will take abuse over time. Fortunately, reducing the appearance of scratches, dings, and dents without replacing the floors through refinishing. Of course, you may not know when or if your hardwoods need this enhancement. Here are a few signs it is time to refinish your hardwoods.
Multiple Scratches
Obviously, if the surface of your wood floors is covered in scratches, you should refinish them. Scratches can develop on your hardwoods in a variety of ways. You may have pets or children who use the wood floors as play surfaces. Moving furniture across the surface of the floors and even vacuuming the floors can scratch the wood's finish.
Most scratches are minor, affecting only the wood stain and surface. Therefore, a light sanding and restaining of the wood will be sufficient for restoring the wood back to a scratch-free state. Remember that the refinishing process is a bit involved, so refinishing the floors to remove only a few scratches will not be worth the effort. However, if your floor is covered in scratches, consider refinishing.
Stain Discoloration
Another sign you should consider refinishing is if the wood stain is starting to discolor. Polyurethane stain is meant to last many years, but it does wear down slightly over time. As the stain wears off, the wood will begin to absorb water, which can be detrimental to your wood floors.
If you notice the wood is starting to turn gray in color, the stain has worn down and has absorbed a good amount of water. This is a sure sign it is time to not only refinish your floors but also replace any wood boards that have started to warp because of water damage.
Also, if your stain is fading to the point where the entire look of your floors has changed, consider refinishing. This is common especially in areas of your floor that are exposed to a lot of sun due to the sun's UV rays. After refinishing, consider placing rugs on the wood floors that are exposed to more sun than usual.
Refinishing is a great way to restore wood floors back to a beautiful and appealing state. This guide will help you learn when and if your hardwoods need to be refinished. For more information, get in touch with a company such as Kenton Carpet Care.
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