It's official! Carpet is out and hardwood floors are in. However, homeowners should know that the quality of their hardwood floors matters, too. If you're looking at the wooden floors in your home and wondering if now is the time to embark on hardwood refinishing, you've come to the right place. Here are five signs you need to refinish those beautiful hardwood floors!

Scratches Everywhere

Is there a favorite desk chair that is constantly being moved out from under its accompanying desk? Chances are there are also scuff marks or scratches that outline the exact pattern of movement that the chair has made on your hardwood floors. If you notice many areas of scratches or grooves on your floors, it's probably time to consider hardwood refinishing.

Loss of Luster

Have you noticed that your floors don't seem to shine as brightly as they used to? Hardwood floors should have a glean, or luster, to them that tends to fade away with sunlight and time. In areas of your home that receive a lot of sun, it's common to find that the wood is a little duller there as well. If you're seeing this in your home, it's definitely time to start the hardwood refinishing process.

Water Damage

You've probably heard how bad it is to let spilled liquids soak into wood floors. This is a legitimate worry for those who have hardwood floors. If your floors have water damage, it is really important to refinish your floors before the problem becomes worse. If you don't take care of this problem, it can become a very expensive problem down the road.

Greying Boards

If you notice that some boards in your house appear to have turned grey, this means that the polyurethane, of the varnish used to protect the floors, is now wearing off. Without this protection, your hardwood floors run the risk of absorbing liquids that could permanently damage your floors, to the point where they have to be replaced. Save yourself from an expensive project by investing in hardwood refinishing as soon as possible.

Boards That Have Blackened

You may not have noticed that some of your flooring was turning grey and, consequently, now you're noticing that areas of your wooden floors are now black. This is a sign that you will either have to invest in staining the rest of your floors to match the blackened boards, or you will need to replace the blackened boards entirely. This is why it's super important to notice the signs you need to refinish your floors before it's too late, and they require replacement.

Hardwood Refinishing is Important

Deciding to begin the process of hardwood refinishing not only helps protect your floors from damage and aging, it can also be a sound investment in the equity of your home. In fact, according to Millionacres.com, 27% of realtors suggest to their clients that they refinish their hardwood floors before listing their homes, and 5% say that doing so actually helps close a sale. People are attracted to homes with flooring that has a beautiful sheen to them that really accentuates the beauty of the wood. Don't wait until it's too late to refinish your floors!