We’ve seen a surge of DIY on the heels of the pandemic when it comes to home improvement. While we wholeheartedly support change (Hello, new wall color and new bathroom fixtures!), some things are just better left to the professionals. When it comes to hardwood floors, there’s a choice to be made – should you attempt a DIY or book an appointment for hardwood floor refinishing with an expert? Let’s take a look at the factors that can help inform your decision.
When Hardwood Floors Should Be Refinished?
Most hardwoods start to show aging after about ten years, but hardwood floors that get a lot of foot traffic or sunlight may need to be refinished sooner. If your hardwood floors have any (or many) of the following issues, it’s a good time to consider refinishing your hardwood floors:
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- Deep scratches or gouges
- Discoloration of the hardwood from the sun
- Water damage
- Stains that can’t be removed
Pro tip: Unsure if your hardwood floors need refinishing? Perform a water droplet test. Splash a few drops of water onto your hardwood floors and if they soak in immediately, the wood fibers are exposed, and the floor needs refinishing.
Benefits of Hardwood Refinishing
You don’t have to replace hardwood floors to help restore their beauty and value to your home. Here are some of the benefits of refinishing your hardwood floors:
Protect Your Hardwood Floor
Our floors undergo a lot of wear and tear. Constant foot traffic. Spills. Pet accidents. Those springtime home reorganization moments that have you pushing heavy furniture across the room. For whatever reason, make sure your hardwood floors are protected. Part of the hardwood floor refinishing process will include a protective top coat which acts as a sealant to protect from liquid and friction.
Repair Hardwood Floor Damage
Refinishing your hardwood involves sanding which will remove surface-level damage including stains, scratches and dents that are compromising the appearance of your hardwood. Once the imperfections are removed, a new stain and protective top coat will ensure your hardwood floors look like new again.
Improve the Appearance of Hardwood Floor
Wondering if you can change the color of your floors? You can! While sanding will remove discoloration and damage, you can also change the color of your hardwood floors while you’re at it. If you’re currently renovating more than your floors, you can customize your hardwood with a new stain color that matches the new interior design and style.
Increase Home Value
Considering putting your home on the market? Or want to increase the value of your home? Having well-maintained floors makes a lasting impression. Hardwood floors are a popular choice for a reason. They’re durable and newly refinished hardwood floors can add value and increase the appeal of your home.
The DIY Hardwood Refinishing
Thinking of you might want to tackle it yourself? Here’s a step-by-step-process of how to refinish your hardwood floors:
- Prep your hardwood floor
- Remove furniture
- Vacuum and clean floors
- Find protruding nails and hammer down
- Secure loose floorboards
- Remove debris
- Pull up the molding, but be careful not to damage it
- Seal air vent covers
- Sand the floor
- With a sander, you can rent a commercial grade one you’re rented from a home improvement store, follow the grain along the length of floorboards (This can take some practice on an old sheet of plywood to make sure you don’t inadvertently damage your hardwood)
- Make sure you’re wearing a mask, eye protection and ear protection
- Work the sander back and forth to remove scratches
- Be sure to regularly check and change the sandpaper as soon as it looks worn (We recommend about every 20 feet)
- Use a floor edger around corners and small areas…
…So this seems like a lot of work, right? And you wouldn’t even be half way through the project. While you may think you can do it yourself, in the long run, hiring a professional to refinish your hardwood floors can save you money, a lot of time and even some frustration. The team at Aladdin Cleaning and Restoration is highly trained and skilled in refinishing hardwood floors. Our proven dust-free, chemical resurfacing process will restore and protect your hardwood floor to like-new condition in just one day. Wondering if you should refinish or replace your hardwood floors? Contact Aladdin to get started with a deep clean and help to determine what’s the best next step for your hardwood floors.