Buffing and coating is a simple and affordable way to improve the look of worn hardwood floors.
Royal Wood Floors, a hardwood flooring restoration company with an excellent reputation in the New Port Ritchey area, insists on educating homeowners on the virtues of buffing and coating. Also called screening and recoating, this is a method of revitalizing worn hardwood floors that can lead to dramatic improvements, but costs less than sanding and refinishing.
The method consists in removing part of the floor’s protective finish and reapplying a new coat of polyurethane. This seals the wood boards and keeps them away from harm. It refreshes the look of worn hardwood floors by erasing the imperfections in the outer layer.
However, Royal Wood Floors warns that timing is important. “While homeowners can often bring back the beauty of their wood floors with a simple buffing and coating job, once the sealer wears out and the wood underneath is damaged, the planks must be sanded and refinished,” says Keith Allman, the owner of the company. “Buffing and coating is an excellent method of refreshing the look of your hardwood floors, but it is not a fix-it-all solution.”
It is a point worth remembering, since hiring inexperienced contractors who sell buffing and coating as full hardwood floor refinishing services may leave homeowners disappointed and their floors not much better. In fact, when the wood underneath the worn sealer is damaged, buffing and coating simply highlights the imperfections with a new shiny coat of polyurethane. This is because the method addresses only the finish, and not the wood. The simpler and faster process, however, means lower costs – the reason why Royal Wood Floors advises homeowners to first consider buffing and coating, before going for more expensive treatments. Avoiding sanding also extends the life of the hardwood floors, since it can only be done a few times during their lifetime. When are hardwood floors past the point when they can be saved by a simple screen and recoat job? The New Port Ritchey hardwood flooring company offers some pointers. Buffing and coating will not address black pet stains, which are caused by the uric acid traveling through the sealer and damaging the wood. It will not save hardwood floors that have turned gray, a telltale sign that water and other fluids have reached the wood. Finally, buffing and coating will not erase the results of the oxidation process caused by exposure to light.
Homeowners should keep in mind that buffing and coating does not change the color of the wood stain. Extra steps must be taken by a professional if the floor is covered with an aluminum oxide protective coating, which is too strong for screening. Floors treated with wax (which keeps the polyurethane from adhering to the floor), may not be good contenders for buffing.
In order to find out if buffing and coating is a viable option for their hardwood floors, homeowners should enlist the opinion of a professional hardwood floor restoration company. An experienced contractor will test the hardwood floors, analyze the state of the wood planks and finish, and recommend the best restoration option.
The best way to ensure that buffing and coating will work is to use it as a periodic hardwood floor beauty treatment and to plan such jobs before the damage is visible. By the time homeowners can see the damage, it might have reached the wood, which makes a more involved sanding job necessary. Royal Wood Floors keeps these projects affordable by offering one of the best hardwood floor buff and coat costs in the New Port Ritchey area. The company makes efforts to explain in great detail the buffing and coating process on their website.
For more information about this experienced and professional hardwood floor restoration company, or to schedule repairs by these wood floor refinishing contractors, or learn about custom wood styles or the company’s inlay and medallion installation services, phone Keith Allman at 727-267-2617. Easy estimates and appointments are currently available through the company’s website, https://royalwoodfloor.com/. The company provides top craftsmanship and cares for many types of custom and domestic wood. Visit the company’s website for examples of previous work.