Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Bloomfield, CT: Repairing Water Damage and Sun-Faded Prefinished Flooring
Sometimes you get called to a hardwood flooring project for one problem—and when you arrive, you discover another.
That's exactly what happened on a recent hardwood floor refinishing project in Bloomfield, Connecticut.
This condominium townhouse had experienced water damage from a refrigerator, and the hardwood floor needed to be sanded and refinished as part of an insurance claim.
That was the original reason for the project.
But once we got into the home and took a good look at the flooring, we discovered something else.
Years of sunlight had dramatically changed the color of the exposed hardwood.
An area that had been covered by carpet hadn't received the same amount of sunlight, leaving a noticeable difference in color.
And to make the project even more interesting, this wasn't an ordinary site-finished hardwood floor.
It was prefinished flooring.
Now we had a challenge.
Refrigerator Water Damage Can Travel Into Hardwood
A leaking refrigerator can create much more damage than homeowners initially realize.
Water can migrate underneath and between hardwood boards before the problem is fully discovered.
Depending on how much water is involved and how long the floor remains wet, the result can include cupping, discoloration, finish damage and—in more serious cases—boards that need to be replaced.
For this Bloomfield townhouse, the flooring had reached the point where the insurance restoration called for professional sanding and refinishing.
But water wasn't the only thing that had changed this floor.
What Happens When Sunlight Fades a Hardwood Floor?
Hardwood flooring naturally changes color as it ages and is exposed to light.
Furniture, area rugs and carpeting can protect portions of a floor from that exposure.
Move the carpet years later and suddenly you may see exactly where it used to be.
That's what we encountered here.
The exposed flooring had experienced significant color change from sunlight, while the area protected by the carpet had aged differently.
The contrast was obvious.
This is one reason we tell homeowners that you can't always determine the final potential of an older hardwood floor simply by looking at its current color.
Sometimes you have to get underneath the old finish and discoloration to see what you really have.
Prefinished Hardwood Can Be Difficult to Sand
There was another challenge.
This was a prefinished hardwood floor.
Unlike traditional unfinished hardwood that's installed and then sanded and finished as one continuous surface in the home, prefinished flooring receives its factory coating before installation.
Those factory finishes can be extremely durable.
That's great when you're living on the floor.
It can make things considerably more challenging when the floor eventually needs to be sanded.
Depending on the particular product and construction, the factory coating can require additional work to remove, and the flooring itself has to be evaluated to determine whether it has enough usable wood above the tongue-and-groove system to be safely refinished.
This Bloomfield floor was a difficult sanding job.
But we were able to get through the existing coating and bring the floor back to a properly prepared surface.
Getting Past the Old Color
As the sanding progressed, we began correcting both problems at once.
We removed the old prefinished coating.
We addressed the appearance associated with the water-damaged flooring.
And we began reducing that dramatic contrast between the sun-exposed hardwood and the portion that had been protected by carpet.
This is the point in a refinishing project we always enjoy.
You're no longer looking at what happened to the floor over the years.
You're looking at what the floor can become next.
Once the sanding was complete, we were ready to build an entirely new finishing system.
Bona IntenseSeal and Three Coats of Mega
The homeowners decided to go with a water-based Bona finishing system.
We applied one coat of Bona IntenseSeal followed by three coats of Bona Mega.
IntenseSeal is a waterborne sealer that helps bring richness and depth to the natural appearance of hardwood while allowing us to stay within a water-based system.
We then protected the floor with three applications of Bona Mega.
The finished result gave this Bloomfield townhouse a fresh, clean appearance and allowed the beauty of the hardwood to become the focus again.
Instead of seeing water damage, an old factory coating and a dramatic carpet line, you could finally look across the room and appreciate the floor as a whole.
Why We Don't Promise That Every Prefinished Floor Can Be Refinished
This is important for homeowners with prefinished hardwood.
Not every prefinished floor is automatically a candidate for sanding.
Some engineered products have a limited wear layer.
Some floors may have already been sanded previously.
Others may have damage that extends beyond what sanding can reasonably correct.
That's why we evaluate the flooring before deciding on the appropriate approach.
Experience also matters when removing a tough factory-applied finish.
The objective isn't simply to attack the floor with increasingly aggressive sanding.
It's to remove what needs to come off while preserving the hardwood underneath.
A Hardwood Floor Can Have More Than One Problem
This Bloomfield project is also a good example of why we look at the entire floor, not simply the reason listed on an insurance claim.
The refrigerator leak was the event that brought us there.
But the sunlight and carpet had created another visual problem.
And the prefinished construction added another layer of difficulty.
So we weren't solving just one issue.
We had to consider all three:
Water damage.
Sun-related color change.
A difficult prefinished coating.
The finished floor needed to bring everything back together.
Hardwood Flooring in Bloomfield, Connecticut
We've worked throughout Bloomfield and the surrounding Hartford County communities for decades, and it's an area with a character all its own.
Bloomfield grew from the old Wintonbury Parish, which was formed in the 1700s before Bloomfield became its own town in 1835.
Today you still see that history around town.
There's the historic 1796 Old Farm School on School Street, Bloomfield's oldest public building.
Then there's Penwood State Park along the Talcott Mountain ridge, one of the beautiful natural areas that gives the western side of Bloomfield its distinctive landscape.
Bloomfield is also known for Wintonbury Hills Golf Course, along with its parks, open spaces and views toward the Talcott Mountain area. The town itself highlights three golf courses as part of its recreational landscape.
It's a community that combines established neighborhoods, condominiums and townhouses, older homes and newer development—all within a short distance of Hartford.
And we've refinished hardwood in just about every type of property.
Four Generations of Hardwood Flooring Experience
At Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring, Inc., our family's hardwood flooring tradition dates back to 1927.
We're proud members of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), and we combine generations of hands-on flooring experience with today's professional sanding equipment and modern finishing systems.
We're also proud to be ranked #1 in Hartford County by BusinessRate, along with our recognition as #1 in Connecticut.
Our hardwood flooring projects take us throughout Bloomfield, West Hartford, Windsor, Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Hartford, Manchester, Glastonbury and communities across central Connecticut.
Some are straightforward sanding and refinishing projects.
Others require a little more problem solving.
This Bloomfield townhouse definitely fell into the second category.
Have Water-Damaged or Sun-Faded Hardwood Floors in Bloomfield?
If a refrigerator, dishwasher or another appliance has leaked onto your hardwood flooring, don't assume you know the full extent of the problem just by looking at the surface.
And if you've moved an old carpet or area rug and discovered a dramatic difference in color underneath it, don't automatically assume the floor has to be replaced.
Let an experienced hardwood flooring contractor evaluate it first.
On this Bloomfield project, we started with refrigerator water damage, significant sun-related color differences and a difficult prefinished hardwood floor.
We professionally sanded the flooring.
We brought the surface back together.
Then we applied Bona IntenseSeal followed by three coats of Bona Mega for a completely refreshed water-based finishing system.
What began as an insurance claim became an opportunity to give the entire floor a new life.
Sometimes damage is what brings us to the house.
But restoration is what completely changes it.
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring, Inc.
Fourth-Generation Hardwood Flooring Craftsmanship Since 1927
NWFA Member
Ranked #1 in Hartford County by BusinessRate
Serving Bloomfield, West Hartford, Windsor, Simsbury, Avon, Farmington, Hartford and communities throughout Connecticut