Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Newington, CT – Part 2: From Raw Wood to a Lighter Natural Finish
In Part 1 of this Newington, Connecticut hardwood floor refinishing project, we showed the original floors and the time we spent with the homeowners choosing the right finish.
They originally thought they might stay fairly close to the darker, warmer color they already had. But once we showed them two natural-looking options—one representing the warmer appearance of an oil-based finish and the other showing the lighter appearance of Bona IntenseSeal—they changed direction.
They chose IntenseSeal with three coats of Bona Mega.
Now we could begin the transformation.
The first photograph shows the stairs after sanding. Carpet had previously been installed in portions of this area, leaving nail holes and other marks that required some additional preparation.
Once the old finish was removed, the homeowners could immediately see just how light their natural hardwood actually was.
Sanding Away the Older Amber Finish
This photograph really tells the story.
After our professional dust-containment sanding process removed the older coating, the hardwood underneath looked dramatically different.
The strong orange and amber appearance was gone.
Instead, we were looking at clean raw wood with natural tan tones, lighter boards, darker boards and the individual grain patterns that had been hidden underneath the old finish.
This is one reason we like homeowners to see different finishing options before we begin. Sometimes people have looked at an older amber floor for so many years that they assume that's simply the natural color of their hardwood.
Once we sanded this Newington floor, it became clear that it wasn't.
After the First Finish Applications
By this stage, the Bona IntenseSeal and initial finish applications had been put down and allowed to dry.
Now the homeowners could see their color choice across an entire room instead of simply looking at the smaller sample we had shown them at the beginning.
The floor still had warmth.
What it didn't have was that heavy orange and amber appearance they wanted to get away from.
Buffing and Preparing Between Coats
This photograph shows another important part of the refinishing process that homeowners don't always get to see.
After the initial applications had dried, we buffed and prepared the floor before continuing with the final finish coats.
This preparation helps us achieve the smooth, consistent finished surface we're looking for.
You can also see how much lighter the entire area feels compared with the original photographs from Part 1.
The Finished Newington Hardwood Floors
This is where everything came together.
The homeowners wanted the house lighter, but they didn't want a white floor and they weren't looking for a gray floor.
They still wanted it to look like natural hardwood.
The Bona IntenseSeal brought out enough of the natural warmth and grain without taking the floor back to the darker amber appearance it had before.
The individual boards are much more noticeable now. You can see the lighter and darker variations and the natural character of the hardwood throughout the room.
The Final Result
The final result came out great.
When you compare these finished floors with the original photographs from Part 1, the difference is easy to see.
The floor isn't dark anymore.
The older orange and honey appearance is gone, but we didn't take away the warmth and character that make a real hardwood floor attractive.
Most importantly, the homeowners were extremely happy with the outcome.
They started this project thinking they might want to stay fairly close to their old color. Taking the time to show them the two different finish options before sanding gave them an opportunity to see another possibility.
Once everything was finished, they were very happy they chose the lighter direction.
From an Older Amber Floor to a More Natural Look
This Newington project is a great example of why hardwood floor refinishing isn't simply about sanding a floor and putting the same color back down.
Sometimes homeowners don't realize how much an older finish has changed the appearance of their hardwood.
Once we removed the existing finish, this floor was dramatically lighter. Using Bona IntenseSeal and three coats of Bona Mega allowed us to preserve that lighter appearance while bringing enough warmth back into the wood to highlight its natural grain.
The finished floor looks cleaner, brighter and much more current, while still looking like the original hardwood that belongs in the home.
For this family in the Brookside area of Newington, CT 06111, that's exactly what they were hoping to achieve.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Newington, Connecticut 06111
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring provides hardwood floor refinishing, wood floor refinishing, professional dust-containment sanding, hardwood floor repairs, stair sanding and refinishing, color changes and hardwood flooring installation throughout Newington, CT 06111 and surrounding Central Connecticut communities.
This project shows the complete progression—from the darker older finish shown in Part 1, through sanding and preparation, to the lighter natural floor the homeowners selected.