At a house in Lutherville, Angelic Floor Care was doing a screen and recoat on some damaged hardwood. That’s the sort of job that brings up the question many a homeowner has: do you clean the floor or do you need to look at the finish? If you’re thinking about having your hardwood floors refinished in Edgewood you need to be absolutely clear as to the difference between the two before you book any service.
For a busy household, the choice will also have an impact on how long the room is out of action. A good screen and recoat can in fact avoid the bigger disruption of a full sand. The condition of the floor will be the determining factor there.
What Regular Hardwood Floor Cleaning Can and Cannot Do?
Footfall brings in dust, grit and spills. You can remove the loose dirt with sweeping and a damp mop, but that may leave behind a grime that just sits on the surface. A professional hardwood floor clean will deal with that grime and will also restore the natural color of the wood if it’s been dulled by grime.
Cleaning will remove all the years of dust and grime. Polishing is all about restoring the shine. Neither of the services will in any way prepare an old finish for another coat.
A freshly cleaned floor can still look dull. Cleaning doesn’t in itself remove the old finish or the old products that may have been on the floor and which can have a detrimental effect on a new coat. The next stage will depend on what’s left on the floor after cleaning.
Signs Your Floor Needs More Than a Regular Cleaning
After cleaning, does the floor still look cloudy or feel sticky underfoot? Old wax could be the problem. Wax build up can leave the hardwood looking dull, sticky and/or uneven.
Scratches and worn patches point to a different issue entirely. They may well be indicative of a finish that needs looking after rather than just another clean. A clean won’t restore a worn finish. Prior to arranging any hardwood refinishing in Edgewood, it’s imperative that you have a professional take a look at the surface and determine whether the problem is indeed dirt, wax or finish wear.
These signs don’t in any way tell you which treatment to go for. They do however give you a reason to have the floor checked prior to spending any more money on another cleaning service.
What Actually Happens When a Hardwood Floor Is Prepared for Refinishing?
Wax removal and screen and recoat deal with different issues. Neither one in any way replaces the need for regular cleaning, and cleaning on its own won’t prepare every floor for a new finish.
Old wax will of course build up over time and trap the dirt. Angelic Floor Care’s wax removal service uses the right products and the right equipment to strip that layer away and leave the floor perfectly ready for polishing, recoating or refinishing. It’s perfectly logical, really, when you think about it, as the wax is what’s causing the cloudy, sticky, uneven look rather than the normal dirt.
Screen and recoat takes a completely different approach. They lightly screen the existing surface and then apply a fresh protective coat. Angelic Floor Care states that this can deal with minor scratches, dullness and the general day to day wear and tear of a floor that doesn’t require deep sanding. It will refresh an existing finish that is suitable without the major disruption of a full sand.
Consider the difference when you’re choosing between the two services. Wax removal is about removing an unwanted layer that’s sitting on the floor. Screen and recoat is about preparing an existing finish to take on a new protective coat. A floor may in fact require one or the other, or may require a completely different treatment.
What if you see both wax build up and surface wear? Get a technician to look at the floor before you commit to a number of services. The state of the existing finish should be the thing that dictates what’s recommended, not some standard package or a ‘guess’ as to what it’s like based on how it looks.
The time taken is important to the homeowner too. Most refinishing jobs can be completed in a single day. Professionals like Angelic Floor Care use dustless tools as part of the process, which can go a long way to minimizing the disruption that sanding normally causes. It’s not the case that every job will be completed in one day and there will be absolutely zero dust. If a job does take longer than one day they will be very clear as to why.
Where Wood Floor Restoration Fits Into the Decision
Some floors require more than just a clean, a wax off and a screen and recoat. Angelic Floor Care has wood floor restoration as a separate service. You need to ask the technician what conditions require restoration and what the service entails prior to agreeing to it. If you’re thinking about having your hardwood floors restored in Edgewood, you should expect a very clear explanation of what the recommended work is and why the floor requires it.
Choosing the Right Service Without Unnecessary Work
Start with what’s left after a proper clean. There’s still dirt/grime on the surface? Then professional hardwood floor cleaning will be sufficient. Old wax requires a different step (wax removal). A worn but acceptable finish may be adequate for screen and recoat. More complex issues will require an assessment prior to any decision being made as to whether restoration is appropriate.
Angelic Floor Care serve’s the Edgewood and surrounding Harford area homeowners. They offer a free consultation and will explain up front if a job is going to take longer than expected. Before you book a hardwood restoration in Edgewood, you should get an assessment and a full explanation of what they recommend. Then you can get a quote or book an appointment. That conversation will give you a real sense of what your floor needs and what kind of disruption you can expect.