Does Your Hardwood Floor Finish Need Reapplying?

It's only been a few years and you see that your hardwood floor looks seemingly old. What happened? How can you make it look like new again? Before you take any step further, you should first see the condition your hardwood flooring is in. Check if any special cleaning is necessary or if serious repairs need to be done.

When evaluating the condition of your hardwood floor, observe the finish. Is it just soiled or has it already thinned out? Study your floor to see if the finishing has been scraped, dulled, or chipped.

You can find out if your finish is worn by spilling a small amount of water at a high-traffic area. If the water beads at the top, then you have nothing to worry about -- the finish is still intact and sealed. But if the water seeps in and darkens the spot where it landed then you might need to redo the finishing for that particular area. If the test bears the same result for other parts of the house, then those probably need replacing, too.

Next, see if the wood is still in good condition. If the finish has shown signs of wear, it is likely that the wood has been damaged, too. If you find that the wood has started to decay, then you definitely need to replace the boards.

If it's a situation that still can be salvaged, it would be best to just call in professionals, as a do-it-yourself endeavor, especially if you're not that experienced, to avoid causing further damage.

You can try to temporarily resolve the damage by putting wax on the affected area. Take note of the word 'temporary' because wax is by no means a solution to woodwork problems. It simply acts as a coverup or maintenance coat until you can come up with the funds to put in replacements.

It does not take rocket science to know if your floor's finish needs to be redone. But, while this is easy to determine, the fact that refinishing jobs are costly might put you off. But if you want to restore your hardwood floor's beauty, then you should set a budget for repairs aside. Otherwise, your initial investment on your flooring will go to waste.