Protecting Your Investment: Professional Hardwood Refinishing vs. Deep Cleaning

Your hardwood floors are a long-term investment that adds significant value to your home. However, as Flooring Experts, we know that years of foot traffic from kids, pets, and Georgia red clay can dull even the toughest finish. The question for many of our neighbors in Dalton and Calhoun is: Do I need a full refinish, or just a deep clean?

The Power of the “Screen and Recoat”

Many homeowners believe that once a floor looks dull, it’s time for a messy, weeks-long sanding project. That isn’t always the case! If your floors have minor surface scratches (the kind that only show up in certain light) but the wood underneath is still healthy and the color is vibrant, a professional deep cleaning and a “screen and recoat” is the answer.

In this process, we use specialized equipment to deep-clean the grain and then lightly abrade (the “screen”) the existing topcoat. We then apply a fresh layer of high-quality finish. This restores the original glow, fills in microscopic scratches, and adds a fresh layer of protection. It’s a cost-effective way to extend the life of your floor by a decade or more without the dust of a full sand.

When to Choose Full Refinishing

If your floors have deep gouges, graying areas where water has seeped through the finish, or if the wood has turned an orange hue you no longer like, a full sand-and-refinish is necessary. This is where our expertise truly shines. We sand the floor down to the raw, natural wood, removing all imperfections. This is the perfect time to modernize your home by choosing a new stain color—perhaps a trendy light oak or a deep, rich walnut. While this is a larger undertaking, it can make 50-year-old floors look brand new, saving you the massive cost of a total floor replacement.