Winter Weather And Hardwood Floor Refinishing

Hardwood floor refinishing after the effects of winter is common. Especially in Kansas City where the ice, snow and general wear and tear of winter causes hardwood floors to dry-out, crack or loose their luster. Sometimes all that is required is a little buffing and polishing, but some damage is beyond a quick fix.

While hardwood floors are attractive and can give your home an appealing look, they can also be more difficult to maintain during winter, when we track in of slush, snow, and salt from outside. Ice-melt, salt and sand are harmful to your wood floor’s finish. High-traffic areas, in particular, will begin to show the damage from the many feet that have traversed the surface.They become dull looking. In extreme cases, you can visibly see where the floors finish has worn away and the wood is bare and exposed. 

You could try doing a deep cleaning first. It will still be time-consuming but will be less labor-intensive and costly than hardwood floor refinishing. A deep cleaning can restore the shine and look you want if the floors are not too badly worn or damaged. To deep clean your hardwood floors, start by thoroughly sweeping the floors using a soft bristle broom that won’t scratch the surface of the wood. Then vacuum the floor to remove any dirt left behind in the corners and between the floorboards. Follow that by mopping with a micro-cloth and a concentrated cleaning product made especially for hardwood floors.

Contrary to what you may have been told before – Never use a steam cleaner, water or vinegar or other cleaners, like Murphy’s Oil Soap that uses suds to clean a wood floor.

Scratches, a dull finish and discoloration are the most common signs that hardwood floors are in need of refinishing. Typically, hardwood floors have an endurance of about 20 years. Most wood floors can be refinished. If you have a typical ¾ inch-thick floor, it can be sanded several times during the lifetime of the floor, usually 6 to 8 times, before needing to be replaced completely. Thinner flooring with a laminate top coating cannot be sanded and refinished and will need to be replaced.

If you plan to do the job yourself, you should plan for a long weekend. Sanding, patching, staining and then mopping on at least 3 coats of a clear polyurethane finish will have your floors looking new again. If a long weekend of working and waiting is not your idea of a good time, you should call for professional help for your hardwood floor refinishing.

After your floors have been cleaned or refinished, you should maintain their condition to prevent further damage. You want to keep water from getting on your floor and simply mopping is not enough to prevent the chemicals from snow-melt eating through the finish.  Use absorbent carpet mats instead of rubber ones, on the outside and the inside of your property, and make sure you clean and change mats regularly to avoid a buildup of damaging materials. Create a designated spot for leaving boots and shoes after entering the room to eliminate tracking throughout the house. If harsh substances do get on the floor you can use a solution of vinegar and water (5 ounces of vinegar to 4 gallons of water) to neutralize the pH level of the salt solutions.

A little extra care and attentiveness are all that are needed to keep your floors looking great.  

For professional hardwood floor refinishing, Armstrong-Citywide, Inc. are the experts in the Kansas City area. Give us a call today at 816-765-7777 or visit us online at https://armstrgcitywd.wpengine.com/ for a free estimate for providing hardwood floor refinishing in your home.