Even with daily vacuuming and regular maintenance, hardwood floors may still lose their shine over the years. The finishing wears away and the wood becomes exposed to foot traffic, pet paws, moisture and other damaging factors. In this case, it is essential to refinish the floor not only to restore its lustre but also to extend its durability. However, before you embark on this task, here are a few things that will help you get the best value from a refinishing project.
Determine whether there is water damage
Sanding your floor and applying a new coat of finish will not reverse the effects of water damage on timber. The wood will continue to rot and lose structural stability. Therefore, before refinishing, inspect the floor and look for signs of water damage on the wood. The most evident indicators include the following:
If you notice any of these signs, it may be necessary to repair the floor first before refinishing it. The repair work will involve replacing the water-damaged timber boards with new ones.
Ask about full refinishing
Floors tend to lose their shine in areas that experience a lot of foot traffic. Also, other factors such as the use of mats and area rugs can affect the floor's finish. You will realize that the areas with rugs or which experience low traffic look better than those that are in high-traffic areas. For this reason, you may not have to refinish the entire floor.
If the finish hasn't worn off in all the areas, you can do a partial refinishing to touch up the affected parts. As for the unaffected parts, the flooring contractor will gently sand the existing finish and apply a fresh coat on top to give the entire floor an even look.
Consider your choice of colour
Finally, a floor refinishing project can give you an opportunity to go for a different finish colour for your flooring. You can choose new wood stain in shades of grey, light brown or even white. If your floors had a light colour, you may also consider staining them with a rich, deep brown to enhance the natural look. Think about whether you want to transform your flooring and use this opportunity to give it a complete makeover.
Talk to an experienced flooring contractor about your refinishing project so that they can inspect your floor and offer professional timber floor sanding and refinishing services.
Share24 August 2018
Welcome to my blog, my name is Kate. My parents lived in a very old home which still had its original flooring. I loved the pattern of the Victorian bathroom floor tiles, the glow of the timber wood, and the smooth ceramic kitchen floor. I would spend many hours sitting on the floors, feeling the surface as I played with my toys. When I bought my own home, the first thing I installed was new flooring to re-create the wonder of my childhood. I have decided to start this blog to pass on my passion for flooring with the rest of the world.
