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Spot Refinishing of Hardwood Floors

Can you just do spot refinishing of hardwood floors?

Surprisingly, I get this questions quite often. I cringe before I answer, as I know that it will never be what you want to hear.

Today, it was "just couple of 3' x 3' areas and some cigarette burn marks in the hallway".

What do I say to that?

What do I say when the Customer on the other end of that difficult conversation is already upset, because his tenants ruined his hardwood flooring in several areas of his house? How do I tell him, that hardwood flooring can't be seamlessly just fixed by spot refinishing.

Fixing damaged hardwood by spot-refinishing

Some Customers truly believe that, just like the drywall can be repaired and then painted to match the surrounding walls; we too can match their existing stain colour, and then make sure that the new varnish blends seamlessly with the sheen level, and with the hue of the existing, already yellowed varnish around the repaired area.

How do I tell them that that's just not technically possible? It can not be just spot refinished and look good.

How do I tell you that it's just not technically possible to spot refinish your wood floors?

In a situation when the wood flooring spans the entire area of the living space, or when it flows through the house from room to room, we can not just spot refinish as we will never be able to blend the new with the old.

To fix or repair such small areas of damage by refinishing of the wood, the entire area (or the whole room) needs to be sanded off and finished again.

IF your living room has a step down, or if there is a wood threshold in the doorway, or any other natural spot where the varnish application can be stopped, then you are in luck. The scope of the project can be contained to a smaller area.

The open concept homes with wood floors flowing through the doorways into hallways and bedrooms pose a dilemma for both the professionals and the homeowners.

Why spot refinishing of hardwood can't look good...

The refinishing process removes the topmost layers of existing varnish, stain and wood grain, the machine sanding is done with several sanding papers, then cleaned and dusted prior to conditioning and stain application. Following the sufficient amount of time to allow the stain to dry, the application on at least 3 coats of varnish, over several days, concludes the process. The final drying time of your flooring is between 24 and 48 hours; after that, the furnishings can be moved back into the space.

With a process like that, spot refinishing or spot blending is just not possible.

Any ideas for a better option, besides spot refinishing of hardwood?

The biggest concern with such small areas that need to be refinished is of course cost. Most companies offer to service those small projects, but due to time involvement and the technical aspect of the sanding process, most also require a minimum charge, regardless of the actual square footage that they work on.

We understand the concerns; this is why there are other solutions available, if refinishing of the existing hardwood is not the best option financially or when more durable flooring would provide a better solution for the space.

How about LVPF

Some of our Clients manage rental properties and often call us with a frantic questions about their options and solutions, when it comes to fixing severely damaged floors after tenants move out.

Often, there is not much time to have the wood flooring refinished as it takes about a week from start to finish. A solution for a damaged flooring at a rental property must be available within a day or two.

This is when we suggest a relatively new type of flooring, that is highly durable, easy to maintain and almost indestructible. With a lifetime guarantee on the product itself, the relatively small investment truly is justifiable.

We have installed this type of flooring in countless rental units and the owners, managers and tenants alike really like the updated look and the ease of maintenance.

Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

Our absolute favorite luxury vinyl plank flooring comes from Twelve Oaks Flooring. They offer superior quality product that already has the cork underlay, and is very easy to maintain. In fact, this is that one type of flooring that is just perfect for steam cleaners.

It can be installed over variety of existing flooring, provides additional sound barrier and is relatively fast to install. It can be done in just a day or two.

If you would like to discuss other flooring options for your rental places, please give us a call at 705-721-1082

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