While hardwood flooring looks beautiful in our homes, it certainly takes a beating throughout its lifetime. Between staining, warping, chipping and dinging, it’s difficult to stay on top of the wear and tear! At a certain point something must be done to the flooring itself, and we don’t just mean deep cleaning. Sometimes either the hardwood needs to be replaced, or refinished!

Let us start by saying that it is almost always preferable to refinish your hardwood, instead of outright replacing the flooring. But why is this? And when do we know to replace our flooring, instead of giving it a mere “face lift?” We’ll answer these questions below, as well as explain the benefits of hiring a professional to care for your home!

Refinishing

If you’re looking to brighten or alter the color of your floorboards, start by refinishing. More drastic changes (like changing the direction of the planks, for instance) require replacing. But otherwise, you’re likely fine with a simple refinishing- and scratches and gouges will improve, too!

How can you tell that you need a refinishing? If you’re cleaning your floors, and it’s no longer doing any good for their appearance; they still seem dull and dingy. Perhaps it’s time!

Replacing

Replacing the flooring is, of course, the more pricy of the two options, although sometimes this is the only option. If the floorboards are warped, for instance, or there are several dings, cracks, and other signs of damage, you’ll likely need a replacement. Hire a professional for this process, as it’s easy to make a mistake and ruin your project (and your pocketbook)!

Calling in the Pro’s

When it comes time to refinish your hardwood flooring, it’s best to contact your local cleaning and restoration company! Doing so can prevent further damage (and more expensive costs). The Steam Team has the best trained technicians for the job- don’t hesitate, give us a call today! Hardwood floor cleaning in Austin, Texas.