Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Ellington, CT: Removing Pet Stains and Giving an Older Floor a Fresh Start

Buying a new home is exciting.

But sometimes, once you get inside and really start looking at the floors, you discover a few surprises left behind by the previous owners.

That's exactly what happened on one of our recent hardwood floor refinishing projects in Ellington, Connecticut.

The homeowners had recently purchased the house and discovered pet stains throughout the hardwood flooring.

Some of the discoloration was significant enough that there was an obvious question:

Are these floors going to clean up, or are we going to be looking at replacing hardwood?

Fortunately, this story had a very good ending.

Pet Stains Can Be Some of the Toughest Hardwood Floor Damage

Pet stains aren't the same as ordinary surface dirt.

When pet urine penetrates through the finish and gets into the hardwood itself, it can leave dark discoloration in the wood fibers.

And once it's in the wood, cleaning the surface isn't going to remove it.

That's when professional sanding can sometimes make a dramatic difference.

We began sanding away the existing finish and carefully working on the affected areas.

As we progressed through the sanding process, the floor began changing.

The old coating disappeared.

The discoloration started disappearing with it.

And eventually we reached the point we were hoping for:

The pet stains came out.

We Don't Promise That Every Pet Stain Will Disappear

This is important.

We don't want homeowners reading one successful project and assuming every dark pet stain can simply be sanded away.

It can't.

Sometimes the contamination has penetrated too deeply into the hardwood. Sometimes individual boards need to be replaced. In other situations, a small amount of discoloration may remain.

There's also a point where you don't want to keep aggressively sanding a floor just to chase one stain deeper into the wood.

Every project has to be evaluated individually.

On this Ellington project, however, we were fortunate.

The additional work paid off, and the hardwood cleaned up beautifully.

From Raw Wood to a Warm, Natural Water-Based Finish

Once the sanding and stain-removal work was completed, we could turn our attention to the appearance of the restored floor.

For this project, we used a Bona waterborne finishing system.

We started with one coat of Bona IntenseSeal, followed by three coats of Bona Mega.

IntenseSeal is a waterborne sealer that helps enhance the natural richness and depth of the wood while still allowing us to build the floor with a water-based system.

Then Bona Mega provided the protective finish coats.

The combination gave this floor a beautiful, clean appearance while still bringing out the natural character of the hardwood.

Instead of looking tired and stained, the floor looked fresh again.

Same hardwood. Completely different house.

Why We Like Showing the Before-and-After Pictures

This is one of those projects where the photographs really matter.

Look at where we started.

You can see the pet staining throughout the hardwood.

Then look at the floor after sanding.

And finally, look at it after the IntenseSeal and three coats of Mega.

It's a great example of why we don't immediately give up on an older hardwood floor.

People sometimes see dark staining, scratches and worn finish and assume the floor is ruined.

That's not necessarily true.

One of the greatest advantages of genuine hardwood flooring is its ability to be professionally sanded and refinished.

When conditions allow, we can take a floor that looks like it's at the end of its life and give it an entirely new beginning.

We've Been Working in Ellington for Decades

Ellington isn't a new area for Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring, Inc.

We've done a tremendous amount of hardwood flooring work throughout this part of Connecticut over the years.

Going back to our earlier years in the Connecticut flooring business, we worked on many new homes associated with LaCava Construction, including substantial residential work in communities east and northeast of Hartford.

Ellington was an area where we spent a lot of time.

We installed and worked on hardwood floors when homes were new, and decades later we're still coming back to communities like Ellington to repair, sand and refinish hardwood floors for another generation of homeowners.

That's one of the things we enjoy about being a fourth-generation flooring company.

We don't just remember individual houses. We remember neighborhoods being built.

Ellington: Farms, Open Space and Connecticut Character

Ellington has always had a character of its own.

The town still proudly identifies with its farming history and open spaces, even as residential neighborhoods have grown around them.

There's Crystal Lake and Sandy Beach, a familiar destination on the eastern side of town.

There's the historic Nellie McKnight Museum on Main Street, associated with the Ellington Historical Society.

There's Arbor Park, the Town Green and the trails and open spaces that help Ellington retain the rural character that distinguishes it from some of the more developed communities closer to Hartford.

That's one reason we enjoy working here.

Ellington has a mixture of older houses, established neighborhoods, newer homes and properties surrounded by the open landscape that has long been part of the town's identity.

And inside many of those homes is something we know very well:

Real hardwood flooring that's worth taking care of.

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 today we combine generations of hands-on hardwood flooring experience with modern sanding equipment and today's professional waterborne and oil-based finishing systems.

We're also proud to be ranked #1 in Hartford County by BusinessRate, along with our recognition as #1 in Connecticut.

Our projects take us throughout Ellington, Vernon, Manchester, South Windsor, Tolland, Somers, Enfield, Glastonbury, East Hartford and communities across north-central Connecticut.

Some floors simply need refinishing.

Some need repairs.

And others—like this Ellington project—require additional work before we even know how successful the final result can be.

Have Pet Stains on Your Hardwood Floors in Ellington?

Don't automatically assume the floor has to come out.

Let an experienced hardwood flooring contractor evaluate it first.

Pet staining can be difficult, and no contractor should promise that every stain will disappear completely.

But sometimes the transformation can be remarkable.

That's exactly what happened here.

The homeowners bought their house and inherited hardwood floors with pet stains throughout.

We professionally sanded the floors and put additional effort into those damaged areas.

The stains came out.

Then we applied Bona IntenseSeal followed by three coats of Bona Mega, creating a beautiful water-based finishing system that brought the natural character of the hardwood back to life.

For new homeowners, that's a pretty good way to start fresh.

The house may have come with somebody else's damaged hardwood floors.

But the finished floors now belong to them.

Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring, Inc.
Fourth-Generation Hardwood Flooring Craftsmanship Since 1927
NWFA Member
Ranked #1 in Hartford County by BusinessRate
Serving Ellington, Vernon, Tolland, Manchester, South Windsor, Somers, Enfield and communities throughout Connecticut