Moving into a new home is exciting, but discovering that the hardwood floors are not in the best condition can be disappointing. Before you start budgeting for a costly sanding and refinishing project, consider a more affordable option: screen and recoat. At Woodfloor refinishing & cleaning, we specialize in hardwood floor maintenance that can revive your floors without the expense and hassle of full sanding.
Why Hardwood Floor Maintenance Matters
Hardwood floors are a beautiful investment, but they require proper care to maintain their elegance and durability. If the previous homeowners didn’t keep up with maintenance, you might notice scratches, dullness, or even residue from products like Bona polish. Regular hardwood floor maintenance can extend the life of your floors and keep them looking new for years to come.
Assessing the Condition of Your Hardwood Floors
Before choosing a maintenance method, it’s essential to evaluate the condition of your floors. Here are some common issues new homeowners encounter:
- Surface Scratches and Scuffs: Caused by foot traffic, pets, or furniture movement.
- Dull Finish: Often due to a buildup of cleaning products or worn-out polyurethane.
- Hazy Residue: A common issue if the previous owners used the wrong cleaning products, like Bona polish.
If your floors have deep gouges or significant discoloration, full sanding might be necessary. However, for surface-level damage, screen and recoat is a cost-effective solution.
Screen and Recoat: The Cost-Effective Alternative
Unlike full sanding, which removes the entire finish and a layer of wood, screen and recoat only involves lightly abrading the existing finish before applying a fresh coat of polyurethane. This process:
- Removes surface scratches and dullness.
- Restores shine and adds a protective layer.
- Is less expensive and less time-consuming than full sanding.
When to Choose Screen and Recoat Over Full Sanding
Screen and recoat is ideal when:
- The finish is dull but the wood underneath is in good shape.
- There are light scratches and scuffs without deep gouges.
- You need to remove residue from products like Bona polish.
Avoid this method if:
- The wood has deep stains, discoloration, or water damage.
- There are significant scratches that penetrate the wood.
Preserve Your Investment with Regular Hardwood Floor Maintenance
Maintaining your hardwood floors not only enhances the beauty of your home but also extends their lifespan. Here are some tips:
- Vacuum regularly to remove dust and dirt that can cause scratches.
- Use the right cleaning products to avoid residue and haziness or hire a professional to deep clean your hardwood floors.
- Schedule screen and recoat every 3-5 years to keep the finish looking fresh.
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Contact Us for Hardwood Floor Maintenance in Chatham, NJ
If you’ve just moved into a new home and the hardwood floors aren’t looking their best, don’t worry! Contact Pro Carpet Care for professional hardwood floor maintenance. We’ll help you decide whether screen and recoat is the right option or if a full sanding is necessary. Our goal is to provide high-quality, cost-effective solutions to keep your floors looking beautiful.
Call us today to schedule an assessment and learn more about our hardwood floor maintenance services in Chatham, NJ!
General Questions
How expensive is Clean & Recoat?
Prices will vary but typically a contractor will charge you less than what they would charge you for sanding and refinishing the floor. Pricing will depend on how much time they spend cleaning a floor, the type of finish they use and the number of applications of finish they make. Get several estimates but pay careful attention to how long they will take, how they will prep the surface and the type of finish they will use. Learn More…
Is this a dusty, smelly process?
The smell of the chemicals used to clean the floors is comparable to typical household cleaners and are not toxic or hazardous. The buffers we use have dust containment systems attached to vacuums to minimize any dust from prep work. We only work with waterborne urethanes that have no offensive odors. Done correctly, Clean & Recoat is the least invasive recoating process on the market today.
How log will a Clean & Recoat last?
With proper care and maintenance and by following a common sense approach to reduce wear and damage, a floor that’s been recoated can give you years of excellent service. I’ve seen floors that I recoated more than ten years ago that are still in very good shape. Most floors that are being recoated will be getting a waterborne finish and these finishes are very good and easily maintained. Learn More…
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is a tongue and groove interlocking flooring system that comes in either planks or squares. All of these floors have a wear layer, a decorative print film layer, an inner core structure, and some type of backing support layer — usually melamine. The print film layer is either fused or glued to the inner core. The print film can be a photo of any real floor. The earlayer is applied to the decorative print layer to protect the pattern. Melamine resins are the main component of the wearlayer. The melamine surface gets its incredible durability from aluminum oxide. Aluminum oxide is almost as hard as diamonds and provides unsurpassed wear and stain resistance. Learn More…
What is Engineered Flooring?
Engineered flooring is produced by bonding three or more layers of wood. The crossing of grain direction within the boards makes this a very dimensionally stable product able to resist nearly all expansion and shrinkage from normal moisture changes. This is one primary feature that makes it suitable for use directly on concrete and below-grade application. Learn More…
Will my floor age or change color?
Yes. You can expect to see shade differences in your floor over time. The cause is usually from exposure to the ultra-violet rays of the sun, whether direct or indirect. This color change will be more noticeable in lighter colors, which will darken over time. In addition, certain species like Brazilian cherry, will naturally darken over the years. These changes are due to the natural characteristics of wood and are not covered by most manufacturers’ warranties.
What is Custom Finishing?
Sanding and refinishing performed to individual specifications. Custom finishing of wood floors is performed in the home on the completely installed new floor, or to refurbish a previously finished floor. Custom finishing permits the owner to select from a full range of stains, sheens and colors.