If you own wooden floors then you may be the envy of many who come through your home. A wooden floor is a great feature and one that can last for many decades if it is kept well. However, you need to recognize the signs that determine when it is time to apply some maintenance. This way, your wooden floors don't deteriorate too much. But how do you know if you need to refinish wood floors or simply clean them up? Here are a few clear signs that your floors need to be refinished as soon as possible.
Stains
Stains on a wooden floor tell you a few things. First, if the top coat on your wooden floor has worn away, it no longer stops liquids from getting into the wood. As such, if this is the case, it is too late to try to clean up the spilled liquid. That's because it has already gone deep enough to leave a lasting mark in the wood.
Fortunately, these can be remedied with a refinish. Getting rid of stains any other way is generally not as effective. When you refinish your wooden floor, it's important that you sand down the stain so it doesn't appear anymore. In addition, you must put a fresh coat of sealant on top so it will not happen as easily in the future.
Scratches
There is nothing less enjoyable than walking on wooden floors and feeling the physical scratches and indentations in the wood beneath you. These scratches can happen from anything, whether it be furniture getting moved, an overzealous pet, or someone dropping something with a pointed edge. Scratches threaten the internal core of the wood by breaking through the sealant, so the floor needs to be re-sealed and finished to prevent any growth of fungus. Sanding down the scratches also provides a much more comfortable surface to walk on.
Mold
Mold acts like a cancer on wood and can spread very quickly if you do not stop it in its tracks. Luckily, refinishing works with mold as well (if you act fast) but you may end up having to replace a few planks of wood that are infected all the way through. Sanding down all the spores and adding some treatment to the wood so the mold does not reappear in the future should do the trick. Always try to find the source of the moisture that caused this mold, or it is liable to happen all over again in a few years.
For more information, contact a company that refinishes wood floors.