Kentwood's Maple Cannon Beach[/caption]Here are some common questions regarding hardwood repairs and refinish, courtesy of Kentwood Floors.Q: Can I replace a damaged section of my hardwood floor?A: It depends on the extent and nature of the damage. If the damage is just to one or two boards, they can probably be replaced. This is a job for a professional installer (it’s also an excellent reason to keep a few spare boards that were left over after the installation). The new boards will probably be lighter in color than the others but they will ‘age’ to match the rest of the floor in time. Likewise the new boards may appear to have a slightly different gloss level than the surrounding boards.Replacing a whole section of flooring is more difficult as a new order of flooring may not look exactly the same as the previously installed batch. Consult your dealer to see if the product specifications have changed since the original purchase.Q: I dropped a heavy object on the floor and it left a dent in the wood. Can this be fixed?A: Unfortunately, there is no real remedy to repair a dent in the wood. The only real solution is to replace the damaged board.Q: Can my hardwood floor be refinished?A: A hardwood floor can usually be refinished in two ways.A buff & recoat is an effective way to refresh a floor on which the finish has become scuffed and scratched over time. It involves a very thorough cleaning followed by a new coat of polyurethane finish. (Sometimes a bonding agent is required to ensure the new coat of finish adheres to the old one.) With a buff & recoat, the floor’s original finish is not compromised in anyway and the finish warranty remains in effect.If the finish has been completely worn away or otherwise damaged, the floor can be refinished. This involves sanding away the entire finish until the hardwood is exposed, then applying several layers of new polyurethane finish to the entire floor. The number of times a floor can be refinished depends upon the thickness of the hardwood wearlayer, but most floors can be refinished two or three times at a minimum. Once a floor has been refinished, the original finish warranty is no longer valid.Both of these procedures should only be performed by qualified professional wood flooring refinishers.Source: Kentwood Floors###
