Hardwood floors add a lot of value to your home. This is not a secret nor a surprise. After all, hardwood floors bring a warm aesthetic and a lot of character to any space and they can be customized to fit any style or decor. As with a lot of the different parts of your home, these types of floors require routine maintenance. No matter how protective you are, accidents happen and your floors can suffer damage and normal wear and tear.
Water Damage
One of the easiest ways to damage your hardwood floors is by exposing them to water. Once your hardwood floors begin to buckle or warp, they will need to be replaced. Thus, when you are dealing with leaks, you want to identify the primary cause, or else you will find yourself having to replace your hardwood floors multiple times.
Scratches
Even if you make an effort to wear nothing but slippers on your hardwood floors, they will get scratched over time. Therefore, it’s best not to panic over small scratches here and there. That being said, there are some benchmarks you should use to know when it’s time for a refinish. Firstly, if you have a lot of larger scratches spread out over a larger surface area, you will likely want to consider refinishing. That being said, if you have scratches that are very deep that are able to surpass the stain and scratch the wood itself, refinishing is important. The stain works by protecting your wood from excess exposure to water. If a scratch has been made deep enough to allow for water to enter the wood, even small amounts of water exposure can yield massive damage.
Larger Chips or Gouges
There is a difference between a small scratch and a gauge or hole. If your hardwood floors have deeper gouges in them, it can allow water to seep in. Therefore, you want to correct these issues as soon as possible.
Gray Discoloration
A lot of homeowners have this idea that gray wood is a normal sign of age when it comes to hardwood. The truth is, gray wood is a sign that your floors are being irreversibly damaged and that you will need to get them refinished as quickly as possible. Throughout time, the polyurethane that is protecting your wood will wear off gradually. This can end up exposing your wood to water damage. Unfortunately, it doesn’t even have to be a lot of water to cause damage. Small exposure to water on your hardwood floors can end up wreaking havoc on it.
Discoloration From Sun Exposure
While natural lighting is something every homeowner wants, too much exposure to the sun can end up causing damage to your hardwood floors over a period of time.
Worn Out Areas
Your hardwood floors are going to show their age eventually. If you have wood that is starting to really show its age and you can visibly notice that it has lost its protective stain, it is a clear sign that it is passed due for refinishing. If you allow this program to continue to get worse, the wood will likely begin to splinter and cause even more damage and it can increase the potential for injuries.
Do I Need To Hire A Professional?
While you might want to take on the job yourself if you are handy, it’s not the best idea. Hiring a professional to refinish your floors is the way to go if you want a long-lasting refinishing job. A professional will have the experience, expertise, and the right tools to effectively get rid of the damage without thinning out the hardwood too much. This is especially true if you have thin hardwood floors, to begin with. If you don’t know what you are doing you could end up irreversibly damaging them which could cause you to have to replace them entirely. If your floors showcase any of the common problem signs above, you will want to call on a professional as soon as possible.
