Houston Hardwood Floor Refinishing FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Most companies that are in the wood floor care business recommend either refinishing or replacement due to the larger profit margins; however, the most common resolution is to refurbish or resurface your floors.About 75% of all wood floors that need a makeover are done either to rid the floor of surface scratches or return the floor back to a luster and shine . This is why we offer both resurfacingwhich removes most surface scratches and apply a new top-coat, or refurbishing which involves a deep cleaning to remove dirt and cleaning product hazing andfollow it up with a new top-coat. Both services are about half the cost of refinishing.
About 75% of engineered floors can be refinished. Engineered hardwoods have a thin veneer of hardwood as the top layer, and can be sanded at least once in most cases. The quality and thickness of the veneer layer is the major factor contributing to this. The thinner and cheaper the original floor, the thinner the veneer layer will be. The good news is 100% of engineered hardwoods can be refurbished or resurfaced.
As discussed in question 1, resurfacing will take care of most surface scratches. Deeper Scratches beneath the polyurethane top coat into the wood will require a total refinishing and new top coat.
Most homes sold are on hardwoods that have been in place for several years. With the common hardwood floor top-coat lasting 7 years, it is best to apply a new top coat when the floor is empty with no furniture or belongings on them.
The most common service we offer for selling homes is refurbishing. It is a one day service in most cases, brings instant life to the floor and is the most economical of all services. The value of this service will pay you back tenfold, because it will make your hardwoods a focal point in your home instead of an eyesore.
The most common maintenance is to refurbish. It is a dustless and painless process. We take care of moving the needed furniture to access the floor, it can be walked on the same day so you and your family are not confined to parts of your home and it is a permanent new top coat that adds life to your floor.
Most dull and/or hazy looking floors on a newer floor are due to store bought hardwood floor products. These products are primarily made of soaps, oils and cheap based acrylics. Long term use of these products will dull the top coat and must be removed by a commercial cleaning and special scrubbing burnish pads. This is included in our refurbishing services.
Floors with a polyurethane top coat cannot be waxed. Wax finishes penetrate and seal the floor and are polished to high shine. Waxing is meant to penetrate into the wood and form a bond; however, with a top polyurethane hard shell coat it cannot penetrate through to the wood and will simply sit on top and become ineffective. It also takes a low maintenance floor and turns it into a high maintenance floor, with needing to be buffed out monthly to rid the floor of smudges.
Pet accidents penetrate the top coat and all the way through the wood. Even refinishing will not solve the problem, because wood is porous and urine penetrates all the way through the board. We can do spot repair replacement on these areas, and can custom match the new boards to the existing floor.
Yes, we can do spot repairs to floors by sanding or replacing individual boards and color match them to the existing floors.
Water damage is the worst type of damage to a hardwood floor. It penetrates into the wood trapping moisture underneath and permanently staining the floor. If it is contained early enough, the floors can be dried out. If not, cupping (swelling at the ends of the board), swelling and bowing will occur. We offer immediate drying services for newly wet floors, as well as repair and/or replacement of the affected boards and color matched to the existing floors.
We hope the FAQ page helps you with understanding the most common problems that people have with their hardwoods. If you a different specific problem or what to discuss your hardwoods with us to find out which service is best suitable for you , then please call us at anytime and we can come out and evaluate your floors and write up a free estimate.