Steps to Check if You Need to Refinish Your Hardwood Floor

Hardwood floors require regular maintenance to maintain their beauty. However, finding out if hardwood floors need to be sanded and refinished can be difficult because they often appear smooth and uniform. Fortunately, there are simple ways to check the status of your hardwood floor. Handyman Connection® of Boise explains how:

• Steps 1: Prepare Your Tools – You don’t need a lot of special tools for a simple project like this. You just need to get a pencil, business card, paper towel, tablespoon and a ruler. We’ll show you how to use these items to check if your hardwood floor needs refinishing.

• Step 2: Find the Area of Your Floor That Gets the Most Foot Traffic – If plenty of people walk over a certain part of your floor every day, then that is the section that most likely needs refinishing. Take a tablespoon of water, and pour it on this section. Watch what happens. If the water forms droplets on top of the floor, then your finish is in good shape. If it sinks, then you might need to refinish that area. Use this test on other areas of your floor to see if you need to refinish everything.

• Step 3: Check if You Need Professional Help – Look for two floor boards with a deep groove between them. They also need to not meet perfectly. Get the business card, and insert it as far as it will go. Then, use the pencil to mark the spot on the card where the top of the floor hits. Remove the card, and measure the depth of the crack with the ruler. You need to call a professional if the mark on the card is less than ¾ of an inch from the edge.

These tips will help you keep your hardwood floors in great shape. When the time comes to refinish or sand your floors, however, you need to hire professionals for best results. In addition, while planning for this project, why not start other home maintenance projects as well? Handyman Connection of Boise can help you with your carpentry, electrical work, plumbing, painting and more. Contact us to learn more about our services and products. You can also request a free estimate.