A simple water test can let you know whether or not your hardwood floors need to be refinished.
Today’s hardwood flooring has few maintenance requirements. Apart from regular cleaning and taking some advance precautions to prevent damage, your hardwood floor and its finish will be good for a long time. If you have an older or premium hardwood floor, however, you might want to start checking it to see if it’s time to start thinking about getting it refinished. Hardwood can be deceptive sometimes. Dings, discoloration, and scratches do not necessarily mean that the floor needs to be refinished. On the other hand, a perfectly smooth and uniform floor may be in need of it. Taking care of the problem promptly will prevent permanent damage to the wood and ensure it’s providing the best value to your home. How can you tell if your hardwood floor needs to be refinished?
Test Out the Waterproofing
Grab a glass of water and a paper towel, because you’re going to test out the effectiveness of your finish’s waterproofing. Locate an area of your floor that you know gets the most daily traffic. This will be an area that more than likely needs refinished. Pour a tablespoon of water onto that section of the hardwood floor and watch what it does. If it forms into droplets and rests on the top of the floor, the finish is in good shape. If it soaks into the wood slowly, the finish is wearing thin and you should think about having it refinished in the near future. If it soaks into the wood quickly and leaves a splotch, the wood needs to be refinished as soon as possible. Then use your paper towel to wipe up the water and retest on other parts of the floor as you see fit to.
Measuring the Cracks
Next, find a place where two floorboards meet imperfectly with a deep groove between them. Use a business card and stick it into the groove as far as it can go, then mark the place on the card where the top of the floor hits with a pencil. Use a ruler to measure the depth of the crack. If the mark is less than 3/4 inch from the edge, contact a professional to refinish your floors, as it will require some sanding.
Hardwood Flooring with John K Eareckson & Co.
At John K. Eareckson & Co., we pride ourselves on providing the best quality and craftsmanship in the Baltimore-Washington area, from custom hardwood installation and repairs to refinishing. So if you’re in the market for new hardwood flooring, pick up the phone and give us a call today! If you have any questions about new hardwood floors, please contact John K. Eareckson & Co. by calling 410-788-4200 or visit JKEHardwoodFlooring.com today for a free quote regarding any of your hardwood flooring needs. You can also follow us on Facebook, Google+, and Twitter!