Wood Floor Refurbishing: It Worked!

The floors are DONE and the house is ours again. We still haven't moved all the furniture back, nor did we have time to install a new water heater before Greg left, so it's on the to-do list for his return.

The floors turned out pretty good except for one deep scratch that you can only see if you stand over it. (I'm still upset about that.) We bought runners that cover the heavy dog-traffic areas. First, to keep their sandpaper paws from rubbing off the finish, and secondly because the floors are slick now. They feel more sure-footed on the carpet.

I don't know if the pictures will do it justice, but I'll post before and after photos. But first, a photo of one area that seems to have acquired a couple of spots when I was taking pictures. Pests? Troublemakers? Floor rats? Yes. The only way to remove them was to bribe them with cookies.

I can recommend this process of refurbishing wood floors as long as it's just lost its color or is rough-looking. It disguises or removes light scratches, but it can't remove deep scratches. The company we used is called NHance.

This process was cheaper than sanding floors to bare wood and refinishing. Had we gone with traditional refinishing, it would've taken weeks instead of days, and I'd have to live with fumes until the finish cured. All in all, a better option for us. 


Notice the traffic wear marks--all DOG-made. The guy told me that dog pads are the worst things for wood floor. Not their nails, but their pads. All that trotting back and forth slowly sandpapers away the finish.





The same floor but from the opposite angle. Everything is smooth and even-colored.










My front living area and library. It's the most serene room in the house. Excellent for reading.




I am glad this renovation is over. Now to work on the water heater and then prepare for family descending upon us in June.


UPDATE: I have to say that after several months (this is December 2013) I wish now I had spent the money to strip the floor to bare wood and refinish them from scratch instead of refurbishing them. 

Even though I've placed runners and taken a lot of care in keeping the floors clean, the color is beginning to come up in spots. I can no longer recommend this process.

***

Can you believe May is half over? 

We were hit with supercell thunderstorms last night, and a town where we once house-hunted got flattened by a tornado. There were several tornadoes spotted, one a mile wide, but thankfully, they missed us. I was ready to herd the dogs to the laundry room and spend the night there. Very scary night.

Comments

B.E. Sanderson said…
Glad you made it through the storms okay.

The floors look gorgeous. If we had any real wood floors in this house, I'd definitely consider the refurbish thing. Right now, though, it's all fake wood laminate.

And CUTE PUPPIES!
Angela Brown said…
I read about the tornadoes this morning. So glad you and the fam are safe. We got part of that craziness in our area as well. Lost a bit of sleep staying alert just in case.

The floors look great!
Maria Zannini said…
BE: I was really sweating it. I was afraid it wouldn't look as good as they promised.
Maria Zannini said…
Angela: Last night's storms were rough, weren't they?

I checked with one of my friends who was in one of the areas hit, but he happened to be vacationing in Florida. Thank goodness.
Stacy McKitrick said…
Beautiful floors! One of these days (like after we win the lottery - ha ha), we might put wood floors down in the rest of the house. I really like the way they look in the hallway, living room, and dining room. They're certainly easier to clean!
Maria Zannini said…
Stacy: I was really glad this house came with wood floors. I'd had wall to wall carpeting in the last house, and although it felt good on the tootsies, it was hard to keep clean.
LD Masterson said…
The floors look great. Maybe you could by the dogs some slippers to wear around the house.

I'm glad the storms missed you. Always scary when they get close like that.

Are you without hot water until the heater gets installed?
LD Masterson said…
Grrr...make that "buy" the slippers.
Maria Zannini said…
Linda: LOL. It's still early in the morning. I actually considered putting socks on the dogs, but I know they'd never keep them on.

Re: water heater
We have two water heaters so half of the house (including the kitchen) is covered. It doesn't bother me in the least, but if we have company, we'll need both to accommodate everyone.
Unknown said…
Looks beautiful. Nice job! We put down a similar color in our condo when we refurbished it.
Mike Keyton said…
The floor looks good and Ref They feel more sure-footed on the carpet. your puppy looks decidedly unsure about everything : )

I've noted the comment about worn areas and dog's pads like sandpaper. I'm sure that will come in useful some day ref writing. I love picking up arcane scraps like that.

And I'm glad you escaped the twister. Fort Worth area had some sad experiences.
Unknown said…
looking good, Maria! isn't it great when a renovation is over?
Jackie said…
Very glad your floors turned out to meet your approval Maria, and yes going all the way to wood and then having to wait for it to cure and fumes to dissipate would have meant moving out and staying with Greg probably.

Tornadoes in the north texas area really rocked you guys world, so glad we only had thunderstorms here!
Glad the terrible storms missed you. Your floors are lovely.
Jenny Schwartz said…
The floors look wonderful ... but that black and white pest sitting in the middle of one, I could take her for you :)

I didn't know dog paws were so damaging. Interesting.
Looks awesome. I know what you mean by sandpaper paws. Though mine sleep more than walk, it seems.
Maria Zannini said…
Sorry to be gone so long. My internet was down. They tell me they're still working on it so it may go down again, so I'll try to answer these comments while I can.
Maria Zannini said…
Diane: If I'd had the option I would've gone for something lighter, but this particular process limits you to what was on the floor already. They're matching the color.
Maria Zannini said…
Mike: I knew there was a reason I liked you. LOL. I always pick up on arcane information too.
Maria Zannini said…
Jim: Renovation is never over though. There's always something that needs work. That's what keeps us young--or gets us old. I haven't decided.
Maria Zannini said…
Jackie: Those poor people in Cleburne and Granbury got hit hard. I especially hate it when tornadoes come at night. You can't see it coming.
Maria Zannini said…
Susan: Re: storms
Me too! My house has floor to ceiling windows all around it. Had I known we'd see this many tornadoes, I might've gone another way. :)
Maria Zannini said…
Jenny: LOL. Oh, she's a BIG pest, but we wouldn't trade her for the world. She has Greg wrapped around her little paw.
Maria Zannini said…
Barbara: The older dogs do a lot of sleeping, but Iko and Nana treat the house like a racetrack. I should start a betting booth.
Maria Zannini said…
Jennifer: And I'm glad it's over too. It took longer than they estimated, but at least they were thorough.
Shelley Munro said…
The floors look brilliant, Maria. Your storms made our news. Glad you are fine.
Maria Zannini said…
Shelley: You know it's bad when someone's storms make international news. It was terrible. Those poor people. Plus, the town of West is still trying to rebuild after the fertilizer plant explosion.
Anonymous said…
Glad the bad weather missed you.

The floors look fabulous! I'd love to put hardwood in here, though the dog pad comment has me second guessing that now.

And Nana's sitting so pretty for mummy to take her picture! How can you call her a pest? LOL
Maria Zannini said…
Raelyn: Oh, she's a big pest. But you can't stay mad at her. She's like honey with a tail.
James Garcia Jr said…
Congratulations. From what I can see in the photos everything looks great. :)

-Jimmy