The yellowing of “poly” can also make your home show signs of aging, as sun and heat cause floors to darken in more exposed areas and will remain lighter under the covered areas. This means that area rugs or large pieces of furniture that get moved after an extended period of time will have lighter areas underneath them and will take time to “catch up” to the other floors.

People in the industry call this “ambering” and the only way to resurrect your floors back to their original color is to sand them.

“Wear and tear” is also another way to tell if it’s time to have your floors refinished. Stairs and high trafficked areas (i.e. your kitchen) will become scratched and the poly will become thin and often discoloration or darkening will occur in those areas.

This means that your hardwood is now unprotected from the normal household usage.

New floor finishes have certainly become more popular over the years. Water-based finishes have many benefits that were not options even a decade ago. Most brands let off VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds) into your home over its lifetime, but water-based poly is one of the best options for a safe home.

The materials dry much faster and take only a third of the time it used to in order to refinish your floors.

In many instances, rooms can easily be occupied the day after the final coat is on. Depending on the size of your home, what would take over a full week, can now take only just a couple of days.

Water-based “poly’s” are also much more durable and do not yellow with time, so your updated finished floors will look newer for much longer.

Hardwood refinishing is also a great time to add on to your current flooring. Carpeted areas can be wooded and finished at the same time as other floorings, which will provide better air quality and improve the overall health of your home.

In the end, hardwood floors are an excellent investment, and like anything in a house, it needs to be maintained. Refinishing is recommended every 10-15 years depending on the home’s use.

Flooring in permanent residences and rental houses bear the brunt of harder living and will need to be done more often. In most cases, homeowners know when the floors no longer “look as good as they used to” and that’s the time you want to look for a reputable floor refinisher to help breathe some life back into your home.