SIGNS THAT IT IS TIME TO REFINISH YOUR HARDWOOD FLOORING

If you’ve noticed that your floors have gotten dull or even started graying, there’s a chance you might need to refinish your hardwood flooring.
There’s no denying that hardwood floors bring a sense of beauty to your home, but they also require special care to keep them looking as pretty as the day they were installed.
In addition to daily maintenance, you should refinish your hardwood flooring semi-regularly. This is no simple task, so many homeowners try to put it off.
Here are a few signs that you want to refinish your hardwood flooring sooner rather than later.

 

CUPPING FLOORS

When your hardwood floors start to bend downward at the edges, that’s called cupping. This unpleasant look is usually thanks to water damage to your floors, caused by spills, drips, or humidity. Before you jump into action and sand the cupped areas of your floor down, you’ll want to identify where this extra moisture is coming from. Otherwise, this damage will just continue to occur. We recommend a wood moisture meter, as you can use that to take multiple readings throughout your home to see where your problem areas are. Once you figure out where the problem is and solve it, make sure your floor is dried out completely before you sand it down and refinish it. That should resolve most mild cases of cupping!

SCRATCHES AND DENTS

If you have children or pets, it’s practically impossible to avoid scratches and dents on your hardwood floors. You can do some minor repairs, but once the damage starts to become heavy, refinishing is definitely needed. Refinishing a scratched and dented floor can also prevent your hardwood from becoming scratched in the future, because the finish acts as a protective layer between your precious wood flooring and shoes, furniture legs, and other common household fixtures. Thanks to this protective layer that finish creates, it can protect your flooring from water damage, too!

DISCOLORATION

A lot of people think that graying floorboards are inevitable and that they happen over time, but this gray hue is actually due to water damage. After you refinish your floorboards, the grayness will disappear and your floors will return to their prior beauty. Make sure you’ve identified the source of water damage to prevent future graying too! Discoloration is also possible for hardwood floors that don't have water damage. Sun bleaching can also happen in patches that see a lot of sunlight and, while that doesn’t cause permanent damage, it can cause differences in the aesthetic for your flooring. Luckily, this can be fixed with the refinishing process.

 

SOME BOARDS HAVE TURNED BLACK

If there are a few boards on your hardwood that have turned black, it’s unfortunately too late to salvage them — but it’s not too late for the others surrounding. You might choose to go with a dark finish so the rest of the boards match, or you might choose to completely replace them. The latter option might cost a little more money, but it’ll ultimately be better for your flooring.

A DULL FINISH

It’s probably not a surprise that your hardwood flooring’s finish can become worn and dull over time, whether it’s glossy, satin, matte, or brushed. When this happens, it makes your flooring look much older than it actually is, but its luster can be brought back with refinishing.

NAILS SHOWING

Exposed nails are more than just eyesores, they can also be dangerous. When they’re sticking up in one or more places, the heads can get caught on socks or they can stub the unfortunate toe. Of course, one or two exposed nails in low-traffic areas don’t call for a full refinishing, but if you keep noticing more and more of them, you should plan on refinishing your floors ASAP.

Want to Replace Rather Than Refinish?

At Goshen Floor Mart, we’re experts on flooring. If you’re looking to install new hardwood floors, we can help you choose the right flooring for your home! Give us a call today at 574-642-4770.

If you're in the market for flooring feel free to contact Goshen Floor Mart. Remember, we are always happy to provide you with a free estimate. For more information, please contact us here