5 Signs You Need To Refinish Your Wood Floors

Nov 06, 2022

These Are 5 Easy Reasons That You Need Refinishing On Your Hardwood Floors

Due to its elegance and durability, hardwood flooring is undoubtedly one of the most adored flooring types among homeowners. Hardwood floors are known to add warmth and beauty to your home and enhance its resale value.

However, despite this material being extremely durable, it demands regular care and maintenance to remain functional and visually appealing. Like with any other type of flooring, hardwood flooring has a useful lifespan and once exhausted, there will be only one viable option, which is to replace it altogether. Nevertheless, cases such as faded colors, light scratches, tiny marks, etc., can be addressed by refinishing, which is more cost-effective than replacing the whole thing.

Suppose the signs of deterioration are discovered on time. In that case, it is possible that they can be fixed early enough to avoid inflicting massive damage to the floor, which would necessitate a total replacement. So, how can you tell it’s time to refinish your hardwood floors? Watch out for these tell-tale signs.

Excessive Scratches

Scratches will continually develop on hardwood floors when in use. However, you need to worry less about every minor scratch that happens on your floor. There are a handful of measures to establish when it’s appropriate to refinish your hardwood flooring.

Firstly, if there are numerous scratches showing up via the stain, then that’s a clear indication that your hardwood floor needs a bit of refinishing. If they’re still visible even after an area rug is rested above them, then that’s a signal that your floor has worn out.

However, you need to determine if the scratches are distributed over a sizable area or outwardly in the stain and not undermining the wood underside. If the surface is not impacted in any way, then the issue is mild.

But, if the scratches are deep and negatively affect the wood, your floor needs refinished.

Water Damage

It’s well known that hardwood dislikes water. If water is left to pool over the hardwood floor, it can destroy it beyond redemption.

If you notice slight evidence of water damage, there may be a likelihood of rescuing your wood floors. The most suitable time to act on the water damage is immediately after it occurs.

When you discover a leak or spill, dry the affected part right away. The most severe damage occurs when you fail to detect leaks or spills on your floor.

Failure to dry the water promptly can result in buckling in the floors, which could necessitate the replacement of the entire floor. For slight damages, such as dark stains, you don’t need to replace the floor entirely but refinish it.

Discoloration

This is yet another tell-tale sign that your hardwood floors need to be refinished. Most homeowners tend to associate gray discoloration with aging, which is usually not the case.

It mainly occurs due to minor water damage. Over time, the sealant protectant applied on the wood will wane, exposing the wood underneath.

Water often spills onto the floor of the kitchens, which are covered with hardwood. No matter how insignificant these amounts of water may be, they can inflict severe damage to your floors over time.

When wood and water combine, they oxidize, giving rise to grayish discoloration. The moment you discover the presence of gray discoloration on your floors, schedule a consultation with your favorite Hardwood Refinishing contractors in Oregon, to have your hardwood floors refinished.

Failure to act will see the gray discoloration turn black. Discoloration that persists weakens the structure of the wood, necessitating its replacement entirely.

Fading Floors

We all love natural light. However, huge windows are a great liability on your hardwood floors. Intense sun damage is an indication that your hardwood floor perhaps requires to be refinished. The damage results from the ultraviolet (UV) rays originating from the sun.

Perhaps, the floors might appear somewhat faded or in bad shape near the windows.

To find out if there are incidences of sun damage, move the area rug, and if your floor experiences sudden color changes, then it’s time to refinish your floor.

This problem can be quickly addressed by sanding and refinishing since you’re after eliminating the faded stain.

Splintering in Floorboards

Intense foot traffic, naughty kids, pets, and age are some of the leading causes of splintering floorboard edges. These splinters and damaged edges can result in accidents and demand costly replacement. They seem unsightly and can turn into an avenue through which water finds its way into the floor. As long as the splinters are not extremely big or severe, they can be easily fixed through sanding and floorboards.

If you’ve noted any of the discussed-above tell-tale signs, it’s time to refinish your hardwood floors. It’s prudent to have your worn-out hardwood floors refinished professionally, as this will enhance their appearance and extend their longevity. If you’re in Oregon and looking for a professional hardwood refinishing company, look no further than Portland Refinishing, as our contractors are trained professionally to undertake refinishing projects.