Hardwood floors are durable and beautiful, but over time they can gain scratches and lose their sheen. There are 3 signs it’s time to refinish your floors that you can look for. Here is how to know if it’s time to refinish your hardwood floors.
3 Signs It’s Time to Refinish Your Floors
1. Check for Gaps – When hardwood floors are first installed, the boards are tightly fit together. Over time, as the temperatures grow hot and cold, flooring boards expand and contract and minor gaps can occur. Even walking across floors can cause gaps over a period of years of use.
However, gaps can cause problems with your flooring and even damage the boards. The boards no longer fit together and when they are used, the boards can create an abrasive action that eventually will chip your beautiful wood and possibly even make it difficult to repair some boards, forcing you to try to replace them and match up the colour and grain.
If there are noticeable gaps, it’s probably time to tighten and refinish your floors.
2. Water Beading – When hardwood has a nice sheen of poly on it, any liquid that hits the surface will bead up almost immediately. As this protective coating wears down, water may get absorbed into the wood, which can damage your floors.
The result can be dark stains or even warping. Place a drop or two of water on your floor in an inconspicuous location and see if it beads up or absorbs. If the water does not bead up almost immediately, it may be time to lightly sand and refinish the floors.
3. Level of Scratches – If your floor has deep gouges and is extremely scratched up, then it might be time to refinish. However, if there are only light scratches, you might be able to just do a quick roughing up of the floor (screening) and then coating the wood with a new finish.
If you’re uncertain whether your floors are ready to be refinished, it is best to consult a flooring specialist. By refinishing before your floors are seriously damaged, you can save money and keep the beautiful floors your family enjoys. Contact us today if you’re unsure whether it’s time to refinish your floors!
