With proper care and maintenance, a well-laid hardwood floor can bring beauty to your home for decades. But time and nature take their toll on everything, and at some point, your floors may show some irregularities or signs of wear. Some of this may be the natural process of aging, and an aged floor can even add character to the room. But when these “irregularities” are due to damage, it’s time to have your hardwood floors refinished to protect and preserve them for the next season. How do you know when it’s time to refinish your hardwood floors? Look for any or all of these five signals.
Lots of Scratches
For most hardwood floors, some scratching is inevitable over time. You can opt to refinish or repair scratched areas, although in some cases, a little scratching adds character to the wood, especially with distressed finishes. However, if you notice the floors take scratches more easily than they used to, or if you notice deep scratches that go through the finish and expose fresh wood below, it’s a sign that your polyurethane coating is wearing thin or is compromised, and you’ll want to refinish and re-coat the floor to prevent further damage.
Fading
Direct sunlight on the wood eventually causes some fading of the color. When the fading becomes especially pronounced or noticeable, it may become distracting. You may want to refinish and re-stain the floors at that point to restore them to a consistent color.
Discoloration/Greying
Grey floors are in fashion right now, but if you notice floorboards greying and that wasn’t the original color, it’s generally a preliminary sign of water/moisture damage, not age. Graying floors mean the polyurethane coating is thinning or wearing off, and it’s time to refinish the floors. If you let it go too long, the grey will eventually turn darker until it’s black. At that point, replacement becomes your only option.
Cupping/Warping/Splintering
A little bit of cupping and crowning is normal with wood floors as the boards respond to changes in humidity and temperature. However, if you notice significant cupping or warping of the panels or cupping that doesn’t resolve, it’s a sign of water damage. Another sign to watch for is splintering along the panel edges. All of these are indicators that the protectant coating is worn out. If the damage is severe, you may need replacement, but for mild cases, refinishing the floor will do the trick.
You Want an Updated Look
Sometimes, we just get tired of the same old look of our floors year after year. Perhaps you have added new furniture that doesn’t match the flooring, or maybe you just want a change. As long as the floor is in good condition, refinishing them gives you the opportunity to create a whole new look for your space without having to replace the floors.
Not sure whether your floors need to be refinished? We can help with a free in-home evaluation and estimate. If you live in Tulsa, Glenpool, Broken Arrow, Coweta or other parts of Green Country, give Renaissance a call today at 918-298-4477.