6 Signs that your Hardwood Floors need to be Refinished

Hardwood is a fantastic flooring choice for those looking to add some sophistication to their space. It can be found in a variety of different wood types, each having a different look. You can find hardwood flooring in birch, hickory, maple, oak, and more.

However, over time, hardwood can begin to break down and wear. It can begin to crack, splinter, and fade, so it is important to keep your hardwood maintained if you want it to look as beautiful as the day it was installed. 

If your hardwood is beginning to break down, you may be asking, how do I know when it’s time to have it looked after? Well, throughout this article, we are going to give you 6 signs that it is time to have your hardwood refinished. 

 

1. Excessive Scratches

Scratches will likely occur before long; but if the scratches begin to wear through the stain, it is time to have your floors refinished. If the stain on your hardwood floor is darker, you will notice the scratches much more than on flooring that has lighter staining. While it is normal for your hardwood to accumulate scratches as time goes on, once they start to become unsightly, it’s time to have your floors sanded. 

Scratches are a rather easy problem to deal with and will typically come out with a simple sand and refinish. However, sometimes scratches can become very deep and in these cases, you may have to replace the heavily damaged pieces of wood entirely.

 

2. Gouges or Chips

There is a difference between simple scratches and large gouges and holes in your hardwood. This can happen due to a large amount of pressure colliding with the hardwood and taking a chunk out of it in the process. These areas of damage need attention quickly before they become any worse. With large chunks in your hardwood, water will easily seep in and cause irreversible damage that will end up costing you a lot of money. 

For chips and gouges, you will need to replace the damaged wood entirely to ensure that further damage doesn’t occur. If the damage has happened not long after your flooring was installed you can use excess pieces but if it has been some time since you installed your flooring the leftover wood might not match the wood around the damage anymore.

 

3. Water Damage

When your hardwood starts to encounter excessive water damage you will start to see separation or cupping. Whether it’s due to a recent flood or pipe bursting, when you have water damage done to your hardwood, it needs to be dealt with immediately. You should sand and refinish as soon as possible to prevent further damage from occurring. 

 

 

4. Boards Turning Gray

If you start to notice that pieces of your hardwood are beginning to gray, your flooring is due for a refinish immediately. If you do not do it quickly, more damage could occur as the graying is a sign of water seeping into your hardwood and the polyurethane breaking down. 

Once your flooring is no longer protected by the polyurethane, water will continue to seep through and cause more and more damage. If you do not repair your floors immediately, the wood will turn darker and darker until it is black. At this point, the flooring will need to be replaced entirely.

 

5. Staining

We all make mistakes, so staining is something that will no doubt occur. While you can somewhat alleviate spills with a mop, there will be some that just won’t come out and will stain. 

Eventually, stains will become too much for your hardwood to deal with. If you’re unable to get the stains out with cleaning products, you will need to sand and refinish your hardwood to get them out. 

 

6. Discolouration

If you are starting to notice that your hardwood isn’t the same colour as it once was, chances are it is losing its colour because of the sun. The colouring on your hardwood will look unhealthy and begin to shift to a different colour which will usually occur around the windows. 

A good way to test if your hardwood is being to discolour is to move furniture or rugs that were covering up parts of the hardwood and comparing the two. You will have to sand, refinish and apply a new stain to take care of this problem. 

 

While damage to your hardwood is inevitable, there comes a point when the damage on your hardwood floor is too much to deal with. Whether it’s due to being it unsightly or possibly causing more damage, you will eventually need to refinish your floors. Hardwood is a great way to increase the price of your home but if it is damaged, it will more than likely bring down the price of your home so it is best to refinish your flooring when you see any of these problems arising. 

If you are looking for quality hardwood, visit your nearest Flooring Liquidators location or call us at 1 (866) 473-7222 for more information. We have 14 locations across Southern Ontario. If you would like to find the store closest to you, use our store locator.