Hey everyone, I just bought a house and noticed the hardwood floors, which look like they're made of pine, appear a bit dull and don't seem to have any protective coating on them. I'm not sure how to determine if they need sealing or if they already have a finish. With zero experience in this area, I'm looking for advice on whether I should apply a product to protect against stains and scratches before I move my stuff in. Any tips?
3 Answers
First off, are you sure these floors are actually wood? Pine isn't classified as hardwood, so if they really are just pine, they might require a sealant to protect them better. You can check if they're sealed by wetting a small spot—if the water beads up, they're likely sealed. If not, you might want to consider applying a sealant before moving anything in.
Make sure to check if there's any finish at all. Sometimes a matte finish can look like there’s nothing there. You don't want to slap another finish on top of an existing one. If you're uncertain, maybe reach out to the previous owner (the flipper) for details on what was done. Better to clarify now than deal with issues later!
It might be a good idea to get a few quotes from professionals and see what condition your floors are really in, especially since it's hard for anyone here to give solid advice without seeing pictures. If you still want to tackle this yourself, just make sure you know exactly what you're dealing with first!