It’s very important to be able to spot when your wood floor needs to be refinished so that you can prevent permanent damage to the wood.
While wood floors are very beautiful and can do a lot for your home, they can sometimes start to wear out. Discolorations, dings, and scratches do not necessarily mean that your floors need to be refinished, even the smooth, shiny floors may need a touch-up. It’s very important to be able to spot when your wood floor needs to be refinished so that you can prevent permanent damage to the wood. Here are a couple of ways you can figure out if it’s time to refinish your wood floors!
Testing with Water
First, you should find a part of your wood floor that gets a lot of foot traffic. This part is likely to be the part most in need of refinishing due to its heavy use. Take a tablespoon of water and pour it onto that section of the floor, then just watch closely. If it beads into droplets that just rest on the top of the floor, the finish is fine. If the water soaks slowly into the wood, the finish is wearing thin, and you should think about having the floor refinished soon. If the water soaks quickly into the wood, you’ll need to have the floor refinished as soon as possible. Make sure to wipe up any excess water on the wood with a paper towel and repeat the test on other areas of the floor as necessary.
Mind the Gaps
Next, find a pair of floorboards that meet imperfectly and have a deep groove in between them. Insert a business card into this crack as far as it can go, then mark the card where the top of the floor hits. Take the business card out and measure the crack depth using a ruler. If it is less than ¾ inch deep, call the experts at Jason Brown Wood Floors to discuss your options. When a floor is refinished, it has to be sanded down. If there isn’t enough left to sand, the floor will need to be replaced.
Hardwood Flooring Installation and Maintenance from Jason Brown Wood Floors
At Jason Brown Wood Floors, our commitment to quality installation is clear in all that we do, which is why our customers consistently rate us as one of the top contractors in the region. We have been awarded Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore Award 4 times and have been proudly serving the Baltimore Area for over 16 years. If you’re ready to speak with someone about your hardwood flooring project, we want to hear from you! Contact us at 410-668-9131 or send us a message here.
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