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With regular care and maintenance, you can expect your hardwood floors to last for many years. Hardwood needs to be taken care of carefully by resealing and/or refinishing the surface when it begins to show signs of wear. There are many factors that contribute to hardwood flooring wear: sunlight, high foot traffic and even climate changes. When you notice your hardwood flooring looking less lustrous than usual, it's time to have it refinished. Here are four signs you need to have your hardwood flooring professionally treated so that you will know when to call a flooring expert for assistance. 1. You See Worn Spots It's not uncommon to see spots wearing out in your hardwood flooring, especially in high-traffic areas. These areas include: Hallways Sitting areas Around the kitchen sink Wear includes faded or scratched hardwood, dry areas where the wood grain is exposed and splintering and rough patches of flooring that are uncomfortable to walk on. Your flooring expert will attend to your wood floors by sanding down worn areas and resealing the entire surface for a beautiful, protected sheen. 2. Your Floors Fail the Water Test There is a quick test you can do on your hardwood floors to see if they need to be refinished: take a small amount of water and pour it on an open spot of hardwood. If the water forms small droplets or pools in individual puddles, then your hardwood flooring's finish is still in good condition. If the water is quickly absorbed into the wood or disappears with time, then the floors are not properly sealed. To prevent water and stain damage on your hardwood floors, call your flooring specialist right away for repairs. Keep in mind that you will need to remove all furniture from the rooms being treated so the specialists can perform their services quickly 3. Your Floors Are Deeply Scratched While most hardwoods used in flooring are designed to withstand a lot of foot traffic, scratches and deep dents can occur over time. Scratches from pets or deep dents from moving furniture can make your hardwood floors look dated and abused. Scratches and dents will need to be removed by having the wood sanded down so the floor's surface is even, followed by refinishing to protect the flooring against future heavy use. 4. Your Floors Are Turning Color Sunlight can fade many types of hardwood over time — lightening the grain and giving the surface a yellowish or whitish appearance. Water stains and other surface damage can turn your floors from a rich golden brown or red hue to a blackish tone. Don't ignore color changes in your flooring — have a flooring installation specialist inspect your hardwood to see what may be causing the stains or color changes in your hardwood. An old or fading finish is often the cause of hardwood discoloration. Your flooring expert will treat the affected areas and likely refinish the entire flooring surface to protect your floors against discoloration in the future. To preserve your hardwood flooring, talk to your flooring expert about how often you need to have your floors refinished. It may also be wise to invest in rugs to cover high-traffic areas to protect your floor's surface. Hardwood flooring is a beautiful and alluring feature in your home, and you want to keep it looking amazing for as long as possible. Trust the flooring experts at Blair & Sons Floor Co. to keep your hardwood in its best condition. Call us today to set up an appointment so you can preserve your hardwood floors for as long as you are in your home.