Last Updated on March 7, 2024
Hardwood flooring looks stupendous and even the most expensive marble cannot bring in the feeling that hardwood flooring can in the house.
Hardwood flooring is known to create a different ambience altogether. The finishing, elegance and the style quotient is simply amazing.
Even if the interior of the house is not occupied by much of artifacts and furniture then also the overall space looks brilliantly exquisite. It is no wonder why people with a different sense of home interior opt for hardwood flooring instead of marble and granite.
Hardwood flooring has that natural look which enhances the overall appeal of the interior of the house. But like every other thing in the world needs repair and maintenance there are some hardwood flooring issues which the home owner has to deal with.
Hardwood flooring is also prone to damage and timely repair help to sustain it for a long time. The cost of refinishing the hardwood flooring is much less than installing complete hardwood flooring. The refinishing depends upon the condition of the floor, type of wood flooring and the area to be refinished.
Hardwood flooring refinishing work is a big job because it includes everything from moving the furniture, protecting house from dust, bringing in drum sanders, coping with polyurethane odor and odor of other finishing products.
The problem with hardwood flooring is that wood is fibrous and porous and with the change in temperature it expand and contract which can result in separation of boards or the nails might loosen.
The structural problem of the house and natural settling of the house also result in separation of wood board. If left unattended for a relatively longer time the hardwood flooring can get ruined and hence the refinishing work should be left in the hands of flooring contractors Chicago.
Below are mentioned some hardwood flooring repair types which a home owner has to deal with at some point of time.
Floor Scratches
The most common issue for which people call hardwood floor refinishing is floor scratches. The intensity of the floor scratches can vary a lot.
Minor scratches can mostly be buffed away by hand sanding or steel wool along with sandpaper grits.
Most hardwood flooring Chicago refinishing companies inspect the area affected by scratches then progress ahead with the refinishing work.
In general cases the sanding of minor scratches is restricted to a particular area so to eliminate the scratches and feathering into the surrounding surface.
The general rule of thumb illustrated by most flooring installation contractors is to always buff or sand in line with the wood grain. For polyurethane finishes the refinishing contractor uses the scouring pad dipped in mineral spirits.
Most flooring companies Chicago contractors advise not to get the wood floor waxed which has been coated with polyurethane because this creates problem in re-coating in future.
Water Damage
Water is not the best friend of hardwood flooring. As mentioned above the hardwood is fibrous and porous, the water gets locked in the nodes and damage the finish badly, leave rings and often discolor it.
In the worst of cases water can make the hardwood flooring to warp, cup, buckle or grow mold.
The severity of water damage to hardwood flooring can range from minor to major. Reasons can be many like bursting of an appliance supply hose, leaking potted plant, flooding, water pipe burst etc.
If the hardwood flooring boards are damaged severely then the refinishing contractor will replace the board of the entire area.
Warped boards can damage adjacent boards also so it is better to get them removed or replaced. If some area of the flooring has been affected by severe water damage then only the particular area has to be replaced with identical wood boards.
Hardwood gouges and dents
If the hardwood flooring swells in some part because of water spill or potted plant leakage the contractors generally heat treat the area with a heat gun.
When there are deep gouges and dents then wood floor fillers are used to fill in the dents. Along with wood stain the dents and gouges completely gets mixed in the surrounding area.
Replacing the damaged wooden floor
Rotted sections of the hardwood flooring needs to be removed and replaced. This is a major job because it involves cutting out a section, replacing it with the exact size board, gluing, nailing, filling of the cracks, sanding and refinishing.
Replacing the damaged flooring is not only a major task but also financially concerning. Beside this, the biggest hurdle in getting the damaged wood replaced is finding the exact matching wood with same pattern.
The contractor often tries to do the best but if overlooked then cracks can prevail in the boards.
Hardwood flooring looks fabulous but it is not entirely damage proof. The best a home owner can do is to identify the damage and get it repaired from a reputed hardwood flooring contractor as early as possible.