When to Refinish Your Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are one of the most popular flooring choices in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. because of their affordability, durability and versatility, not to mention their beautiful appearance. Hardwood flooring can be used throughout your house – kitchens, bathrooms bedrooms, stairways and living rooms – and work with many different home styles – country, traditional, contemporary, etc. Since hardwood flooring can be such a large design element in your home, you should do everything you can to prolong its beauty and lifespan with special care and by routinely refinishing your floors.

How Frequently Should I Refinish My Hardwood Floors?

Most hardwood flooring needs to be refinished on average every three to four years, depending on the floor’s location, daily traffic and outside elements. If the hardwood flooring is located in a part of the house that receives little traffic, you may be able to wait longer before refinishing your floors. However, if you have a large family and pets and/or the flooring receives heavy daily wear and tear, you may have to refinish your floors more frequently.

When You Are Trying to Change the Look of Your Hardwood Flooring

If you want to change the look of a room or make hardwood flooring more cohesive throughout your home, you can refinish your hardwood flooring to change the stain of the wood or make the flooring throughout your home more cohesive, that is more of a design decision and you can perform this change at any time.

Signs Your Hardwood Floor Needs Refinishing

Some of the signs that your hardwood floors need refinishing are if the flooring has scratches, dents, cracks or stains. In addition, if some areas of the hardwood floor look duller than other areas, the protective sealant on the hardwood floors may have worn off and it will be time to refinish.

What is the Hardwood Floor Is Refinishing Process?

The process for refinishing your hardwood floors is:

• Clear the area off all furniture and cover items with protective plastic that cannot be removed from the room. Also, cover doorways and vents to prevent the spreading of dust throughout the house.
• After the floor is prepped for the refinishing process, evenly sand the floor to remove the dirt, stains and scratches.
• When you have finished the sanding, make sure to vacuum all the dust from the room. This is a really critical step – any dust lingering in the room is almost guaranteed to end up in your smooth finish coat – potentially marring an otherwise perfect job!
• Next, pick a wood stain and evenly stain the floor. Make sure to check how many coats of stain are required to seal the hardwood floor and wait until each coat is completely dry before applying another.

If you live in Maryland, Virginia or Washington, D.C. and are looking for professional hardwood floor refinishers to spruce up your hardwood floors, call Elegant Floor Service today!

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