Scratches, gouges, dents, and discolorations in worn hardwood floors can leave homeowners very ready for a change.

But I advise homeowners to slow down before they decide to rip out those old floors. Underneath the wear and tear, they may already have the flooring they’re dreaming about.

I remember early in my career at Ralph’s Hardwoods Floors. I was a sander, and I arrived at a project to find a floor with an ugly orange tint—a sure sign of a floor surface that’s very old, long in need of re-sanding.

I figured it was an approximately 100-year–old maple floor. I was glad the homeowner had decided to re-sand it, because I knew we could make it look great.

But then I started noticing something unusual. Once I began sanding down into the wood, every other board was darker than the other. Eagerly, I kept sanding, filled with excitement. Each stroke revealed more, and I soon realized that I was dealing with a highly distinctive floor of alternating maple and cherry planks.

There was a hidden treasure beneath all that dirt and grime—a diamond in the rough! I felt like an archaeologist uncovering a historic site.

After sanding, we finished the floor with a natural color. When we were done: Wow!

It wasn’t just a great-looking hardwood floor. It was one of the most beautiful floors I’ve ever seen.

Needless to say, the homeowners were ecstatic. They loved the look as much as I did, and they were elated to have a floor that wasn’t commonplace.

Of course, that was an extreme example, which is why it still sticks in my mind. Nonetheless, that “wow” moment happens all the time when we re-sand floors.

Homeowners are usually astonished when they see the valuable flooring that’s been under the surface, just waiting to be brought to life. By removing the surface damage, an old, worn floor can suddenly look new and fresh, with the natural beauty of the wood drawing the eye as intended.

You can even change to a completely new look, which we can easily accomplish during the finishing of the sanded floors. You don’t have to get new flooring to change a certain color, sheen, etc., that you no longer like. We love nothing more than revitalizing a worn floor to make it look just like the picture in a customer’s head.

In almost all cases, when we’re done with a re-sanding/refinishing project, we hear the comment: “I can’t believe it’s the same floor.”

Considering the relatively low cost of re-sanding and refinishing compared to new flooring and installation, homeowners are especially pleased. They certainly act as if they’ve discovered a hidden treasure!