Signs You Should Refinish Your Hardwood Flooring

Our floors say a lot about our homes. Soft plush carpet screams luxury and comfort, while a beautiful mahogany floor amplifies the elegance of the home. In the same way those flooring choices showcase the beauty of the home, flooring follies can detract from the home. Cracked or uneven flooring, stained carpet—all of these can affect how people perceive your space. Below you’ll find some key signs you should refinish your hardwood flooring. Sometimes, even just an updated finish can reveal the eloquence of your home.

Water Damage

Yikes! Water damage is the ultimate enemy of hardwood floors—it’s one of the biggest signs you should refinish your hardwood flooring. Think about how you use coasters on wooden furniture to protect it from water stains. The same idea applies to your flooring—you want to avoid water on your beautiful floors at all costs. If you see standing water on your floor, a spill happens, or you have a leak, the first step is to dry it off as soon as possible. If the water damage is extensive and leads to buckled or warped floors, then unfortunately, you’ll need to replace the floors. However, if you only have minor water stains, you may be able to fix the issue by simply sanding and re-staining.

Any Discoloration

You may notice a few different types of discoloration on your hardwood floors—sun and gray discoloration are the two big ones we’re referring to here. Some homeowners think gray discoloration comes from age—unfortunately, it means damage and a need for refinishing. It’s the same sign to watch out for when you’re refinishing furniture.

As for sun discoloration, everyone always wants a lot of natural sun in their homes. It’s good! But it’s also something that can discolor hardwood after a period of time. Reapplying stain to discolored or damaged areas isn’t the long-term fix you want—the only way to fix the problem is to sand and refinish.

A Failed Water Test

If you’ve had your hardwood floors for a while, it’s a good idea to check on them every now and then to ensure they’re still sealed well. Pour a tablespoon of water on your floor; if the water pulls into droplets without seeping into the wood, then the floors are well-sealed. If the water does seep in, then it’s time to refinish your floors.

Extensive Scratches

A few scratches here and there won’t do much to the look of your floor. But when these scratches get extensive, then you have a problem. If the scratches are abundant and spread out over a wide area, you may want to refinish your floors. Sometimes scratches are just in the stain—that’s a cosmetic issue. However, when scratches are deep enough that they’ve inhibited the wood, then sanding and refinishing is imperative. Simply reapplying stain over deeply scratched areas won’t help.

If You Don’t Like It

The last sign is quite simple. If you don’t like how your hardwood looks anymore, then change it! You don’t want to stain mahogany floors, but other hardwood floors can always do with a good makeover. Once you’ve sanded down your floors, look to ECOS Paints for your odorless* wood stain needs. We offer an abundance of shades and as well as a wonderful guide on how to choose the best stain for your floor. Start shopping with us now—you’ll love this new look for your home!

*Odorless: No traditional paint (polyurethane) odor, which can cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory issues.