One of our biggest concerns when we are on a bid is the question of “Will this come out of my floor” or “What will my floors look like after a hardwood refinish”. Before I go into anything more a good background before this article would be reading this: Process of Hardwood Refinishing. That article written by me will give you a greater background of what goes into a floor and why I say the things I say about getting scratches and stains out of a floor.
Hardwood Floor Scratches/Scrapes
A common question is about animals such as dogs, cats, scrapes from furniture and other items in your home that have scratched or scraped the floor over the years. The great news is 99.9% of all scrapes and scratches come out in a refinish. The other .01% that do no come out it is because they are so deep but we can fill those to be unnoticeable. The reason these scratches come out of the floor is because of the finish that is on the floor. Basically it is doing its job. It might seem like the scratches are very deep but realistically they are only around 1/32″ deep or so. The 40/60 grit sand paper should take these out with 1 pass and then after all the finer grits it will be 100% gone.
Hardwood Floor Stains & Paint
It depends what the stain is.
If you are meaning pet urine, most likely no. The urine from cats and dogs if not cleaned up right away will get into the grain of the wood and be soaked up and wicked downward. Once this has happened and it has dried the wood through out the board is then stained permanently. No matter how far you cut down the board the stain will still be there. Now, I must state that it might still be there but it will be more faint and usually looks way better.
For floors that were stained prior with a certain color then yes, they will come out for the most part. There might be some left over stain in the cracks and edges of the boards that potentially will not come out.
Paint is an easy one. It does not soak into the wood and is mostly on the surface this comes out with a normal sanding process very easily.
Hardwood Floor Gaps
This is another major concern from customers, they want to know if the cracks in the boards will be filled. The great news is.. YES! basically after a fine sand we will float the whole floor with a “wood floor cement”. This cement is mixed with dust to produce the perfect color to match your floors. Now, be warned if your cracks have dirt in them they might appear to be not filled, but if you run your hand of the cracks you will notice no lip on the board. This dirt or grime in the gap is actually so tough the 40/60 grit could not get it out. If for some reason we were to miss a crack and it didn’t have fill or dirt in it we can always add fill after the floor is completed.
Hardwood Floor Sun Damage
You wouldn’t think about it as much but sun damage is a huge issue for homes in Boise. Sun can damage floors and the finish. The great news is this, most sun damage can be sanded off. A good 40/60 grit belt can take this out with no issues. if the floor has never been re-sanded, has a rug and is over 20 years old then you might run into issues. However, this is rarely the case.
These are some of the basics regarding stains, damage and gaps in your flooring and how our process will remedy them. If you have any further questions feel free to give us a call or emails us. We are happy to talk with you about your specific questions regarding your floor.
