Do you know the feeling you get when you step onto a nice fall? What, exactly, a nice floor is may depend in part on your personal preferences. Some people really like hardwood, while others think carpet is the premier type of flooring. Also, some types of flooring work better in certain rooms than in others. For example, hardwood looks lovely in a dining room but is not the best choice for a bathroom. As you can see, there is a lot to know about flooring. That's why we are proud to offer an array of articles all about flooring right here on this website.
How To Remove Cigarette Burns From Your Hardwood Floor
Dirt and scratches on hardwood floors are things that most homeowners will eventually learn how to handle. If you are someone who has had hardwood floors installed in your home, then you understand how important it is to take care of them. Hardwood floors are not easy to install, nor are they cheap to buy. So, when something happens to your flooring that damages it and makes it look unattractive, you will want to address it and have it fixed as soon as possible. While some things such as spills, stains, and small scratches are relatively easy to remove, some things are more difficult. One of the most difficult types of damage to hardwood floors is cigarette burns.
While most people don't intentionally put cigarettes out on their floors, it can happen. Perhaps your teenagers held a big party while you were away and some wayward friends of theirs left the burns. Or perhaps you rented out your home while on vacation and came back only to find the burns. Whatever the cause, it's something you will want fixed. Here is an overview of how those burns are removed. It might appear that the floor is ruined and needs to be replaced, but a good hardwood floor refinishing service can come in and work magic.
Sanding Out The Burn
The piece of wood that has the burn mark on it doesn't have to be completely removed. That would require a lot of effort and end up damaging neighboring boards. Instead, what the experts at the hardwood floor refinishing company are going to do is sand out the burn spot. They will probably take a detail sander, which is much smaller than the larger belt sanders you might be used to seeing, and sand away the dark burned wood. They will use a vacuum to make sure all of the dust is removed and clean the area with a cloth before moving onto the next step.
Filling The Cleaned Out Burn Mark
The space where the burned wood once was is going to leave an indentation. If you were to stain and poly over this, the floor would look damaged because there would be a small, noticeable hole where the burn used to be. So, it is important that the hole be filled with wood putty. The type of putty used will depend on the type of hardwood flooring you have. The technicians from the hardwood flooring service will likely take photos of your floor before working on it and will use those photos to match up an appropriate putty and stain (which will be applied later). After the putty is applied and dried, it is time for the final step.
Re-Applying Stain And Sealer
The final step involves the application of stain and sealer. The stain is used to make sure the putty is going to match the rest of the hardwood floor. Once the stain is applied and it has dried and set, then the last step is to apply a sealer. This might be something such as polyurethane or it might be a natural oil.
Contact a hardwood floor refinishing service to learn more.