I bought my house about 4 years ago and was told that the hardwood floors, which are nearly 50 years old, were sanded and refinished. Recently, I've noticed that some areas of the floor are losing color and fading, even in spots that don't see much foot traffic. I've shared a few images to illustrate the problem. I wash my floors lightly about once a month and have stopped due to this fading issue. I suspect that whoever refinished the floors might not have done a thorough job or cut corners. Can anyone help me understand: A) what might be causing this discoloration? B) How can I fix it, and what might the cost be? It's not the entire floor; just certain patches are affected. Thanks!
3 Answers
It looks pretty typical to me. I also have hardwood floors that are about the same age, and I see similar wear. Even under rugs, foot traffic can create wear since dust acts like sandpaper. If you're looking for perfectly uniform floors, you might need to consider refinishing them again. It often happens, especially with older wood floors.
I have older floors that were last refinished quite a while ago, and they don’t seem to wear as much as yours. It looks like your clear coat might be on the thin side. A thicker sealant could help prevent wear and fading. I'd definitely call in a flooring expert to take a look and get more tailored advice.
Hardwood flooring does fade over time, especially in areas with direct sunlight. You might notice darker spots if you move a rug after years of it being there. It looks like the natural wood absorbed stains unevenly when refinished. My advice: clean your floors with a wood-specific cleaner, and check the faded areas versus the unaffected sections to see if the finish is still intact. If it feels worn down, you might need to reapply something to hide the fading or think about refinishing again. Depending on how often it's been refinished, you might be limited on how much more you can sand off.