How Should I Refinish My Hardwood Floors? Swedish Vs Water Based Refinishing
Hardwoodflooring is among the most popular floor choices for many rooms in ahouse. But, while it offers classic beauty, it isn’t invincible.Age, spills, accidents and other issues can cause hardwood flooringto fade and tarnish over time. To keep those floors looking great,you may consider hardwood floor refinishing or hardwood floorreplacement. Depending on your wants and needs, both could be a goodoption, but in this article, we’ll explore the benefits ofprofessionally restoring hardwood floors.
Signsit is time for hardwood floor refinishing
Thereare a few key ways to tell if your floors could benefit from expertrefinishing. Among the most common indications that hardwood floorsneed to be serviced are excessive scratches, discoloration, waterdamage, plank separation, fading colors, or pits, knicks and dings.These types of issues are known to occur with wood floors, especiallyif they are decades old. While routine maintenance can extend thelife of flooring, sometimes, it's just not possible to fix everyissue as it occurs.
Benefitsof hardwood floor refinishing
Thereare many reasons to consider hardwood floor refinishing, opposed toreplacement or installing a different floor type all together.Refinishing hardwood floors is generally more affordable than newflooring, as it requires less labor and time. Additionally, you canalter the appearance of the floors by using a finish of your choice,ensuring they match your current style. Another great reason toconsider restoration of hardwood floors is that originality cangreatly increase home value. This is especially true if your homestill has its original wood flooring and is several decades old. Infact, many homes built nearly 100 years ago or more still have theiroriginal hardwood floors, which is a desirable trait to many homebuyers.
SwedishVs. Water Based Refinishing
Oneof the toughest decisions you’ll have to make when refinishinghardwood floors is the type of protective finish you will use. Whilethere are several options out there, two of the most popular woodfloor finishes are Swedish and water based. Let’s check out thebenefits of each so you can ensure you choose the right top coat foryour new or refinished wood floors.
Swedish Wood Floor Finish -
Also known as an acid-cured finish, Swedish wood floor finishes are about as durable as a finish can be. You can expect great protection for your hardwood floors against many types of damage, including scratches and scrapes. This finish dries fast and also does a great job of highlighting the wood’s color, grain and other natural sophistication. It’s always best to let a professional apply a Swedish finish due to its chemical makeup.
Water Based Wood Floor Finish -
Thanks to its protective abilities, caring for wood floors with a water based polyurethane finish is basically as simple as using a broom or damp mop. While the finish is moisture resistant, you’ll always want to clean up spills as quickly as possible. Among the other benefits of this type of finish are its easy application process, glossy and smooth finish, and it prevents yellowing over the years. Be warned though, this finish may cause magnification of scratches, should any occur.
ShouldI replace my hardwood floors?
Replacinghardwood floors is an option, but it isn’t always necessary, unlessyou’re ready for something completely different, flooring-wise thatis. It’s important to talk with a reputable hardwood floorrefinishing and installation company to find out what will work bestfor your home and your needs.
AtMagic Hardwood, we perform professional hardwood floor refinishing inSeattle, Bellevue, Everett and throughout King County and SnohomishCounty. We’re also a top hardwood floor installer in our community,which means we can provide proper guidance on the repair vs. replacedilemma, as well as help choosing between Swedish and water basedrefinishing, because we do both! We encourage you to give us a calling us at 425-276-2298 to request a free estimate for the cost of hardwood refinishing inSeattle or the surrounding areas. We’ll provide an honestassessment of your floors and let you know if refinishing orreplacement is the best option for your home or office.






















