Farmington, CT Hardwood Floor Refinishing – Restoring Sun-Faded Oak Floors
Removing years of uneven color left behind by carpeting while preserving the warm appearance of the original hardwood
When new homeowners purchased this home in the Chimney Hill Drive, Colt Highway and Mountain Road area of Farmington, Connecticut, they already liked one of the home's biggest features—the existing oak hardwood floors.
They weren't looking for a dramatic color change. They liked the traditional warm appearance of the wood and wanted to preserve as much of that character as possible.
But after the previous carpeting was removed, there was a problem that couldn't be ignored.
Why Hardwood Floors Can Look Different Under Old Carpeting
Hardwood flooring naturally changes in appearance over time. Exposure to sunlight, normal aging, the existing finish and even furnishings or carpeting that block UV light can cause different portions of the same floor to age differently.
That's exactly what had happened in this Farmington home.
For years, carpeting had protected one section of the hardwood while the surrounding exposed flooring received considerably more light. Once the carpet was removed, its former location was plainly visible.
The homeowners' new room design wasn't going to cover the same footprint, so the difference would have remained noticeable.
This is one reason hardwood floor refinishing can be so valuable when carpeting is removed from an older home. Sanding removes the existing finish and a very small amount of the wood surface, giving us an opportunity to bring areas that have aged differently back toward a much more uniform appearance.
Choosing the Right Refinishing System for the Look the Homeowners Wanted
When I met with the homeowners, we spent time discussing the finished appearance they were trying to achieve.
This is an important part of wood floor refinishing that isn't always apparent from before-and-after photographs. The sanding equipment may be the same, but the final appearance can be very different depending on the sealer and finish system selected.
In this case, the homeowners specifically told us that they liked the existing warm color of the floor.
They didn't want us to turn it into a very pale, raw-looking floor, and they weren't looking for a gray or contemporary color. They essentially wanted their existing floor back—just without the old finish, carpet outline and uneven appearance.
We therefore chose a traditional finishing system consisting of one coat of commercial sealer followed by two coats of oil-based polyurethane.
Oil-based polyurethane naturally adds warmth and amber coloration to oak. For this particular project, that characteristic worked in our favor because it helped us retain the traditional appearance the homeowners already liked.
The important point is that there isn't one finish that's automatically right for every hardwood floor. The finish should be selected according to the species of wood, existing conditions, expected use and, most importantly, the appearance the homeowner wants.
Sanding Away Years of Wear and Uneven Aging
The floor was professionally sanded to remove the old finish and expose fresh wood.
Professional hardwood floor sanding is a progressive process. We don't simply make one pass over a floor and apply polyurethane. Different sanding stages are used to remove the old coating, flatten and refine the floor and prepare the wood for the new finishing system.
Our sanding process also uses professional dust-containment equipment to capture the majority of airborne sanding dust at the source.
With the old finish removed, we could address the visual difference between the areas that had been exposed and those that had spent years underneath carpeting.
There are situations where extremely deep discoloration or damage can remain in the wood even after sanding, so we never believe in promising that every mark will disappear. But this floor responded extremely well to refinishing.
A Fast Turnaround Before Moving Day
There was another challenge with this Farmington project: time.
The homeowners had just purchased the house and were preparing to move in. After meeting with them and discussing the project, they needed the work completed quickly.
We were able to return the following day and begin sanding.
The entire project was completed in approximately two days, allowing the finishing process to be completed before their move.
That's another advantage of refinishing an empty home before furniture arrives. We have unobstructed access to the flooring, and the homeowners avoid having to move furniture out of the rooms later.
Why Experience Matters With Older Hardwood Floors
Projects like this are also why we spend time talking with customers before deciding what products to put on their floors.
Sometimes a homeowner wants to completely change the appearance of an older floor. Other times—as with this Farmington project—the goal is exactly the opposite.
They want it to look like their floor, only restored.
Knowing the difference matters.
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring is a fourth-generation family hardwood flooring company, with our family's flooring history dating to 1927 in Maine and our Connecticut operation dating to approximately 1972. We are also a proud member of the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).
Over those decades we've worked on everything from relatively new hardwood floors to floors that have been in Connecticut homes for generations. That experience helps when determining whether a floor should be repaired, sanded and refinished, or approached in another way.
The Finished Farmington Hardwood Floor
Once the commercial sealer and two coats of oil-based polyurethane were applied, the floor regained the warm appearance the homeowners had liked when they purchased the house.
More importantly, the old carpet outline was no longer dominating the room.
The homeowners were ecstatic with the finished project and later left us an outstanding review. Within a few days of purchasing their home, they were able to move in with the hardwood floors completed.
For us, that's what made this relatively straightforward Farmington hardwood floor refinishing project a good one: we listened to what the homeowners wanted rather than automatically changing the character of their floor.
Hardwood Floor Refinishing in Farmington, CT 06032
Patrick Daigle Hardwood Flooring provides hardwood floor refinishing, wood floor refinishing, dust-contained hardwood floor sanding and hardwood floor repairs throughout Farmington, Connecticut 06032, including homes around Chimney Hill Drive, Colt Highway and Mountain Road, as well as other neighborhoods throughout Farmington.