Birch is a softer wood that will scratch very easy over time if not taken care of. This house was no exception. The homeowners had just bought the house and the previous owners dogs scratched the floor to the bare wood. When called out to give our initial bid they were worried that the wood not look new or that the scratches would fully come out. Below you can see the before pictures and what the hardwood flooring looked like prior to re-sanding and finishing it.
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- Entry Way Finish Wearing
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- More Scratches
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- In front of the sink
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- Deep Scratches
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- Vent Problems
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- Scratches in the floor
Sanding Process Used
- Belt sand at 60 grit
- Edger at 80 grit
- vacuum
- Trio at 60 grit
- Vacuum
- Edger at 100 grit
- Trio at 100 grit
- Vacuum
- Waterpop
- Sealer
- Finish x2
Birch is so soft that the 60 grit belt sand takes out almost everything on the first pass and by the time the 60 grit trio work is done everything is 100% out. By using 60 grit vs 40 grit you save some of the wood by not going as deep and then extend the life of the hardwood floor by a few years. The floor came out amazing and there were no scratches left in the floor at all. All scuff marks and finish issues were also corrected.
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- Dining Area After
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- Kitchen
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- Close picture of grain and finish after
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- kitchen area after
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- in front of sink #2 after
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- entryway from garage after
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- In front of the sink after
The transformation of the floor was beautiful. It made the house have a little bit extra wow factor and the homeowners absolutely loved the end product. There were not scuffs, scratches or marks after the job was done. The only unfortunate part about birch is you have to be very careful not to drop anything jagged or heavy as it will dent. No matter what finish you put on the wood, finish can only be as hard as the wood itself. But, Birch is one of the more stunning woods there is so it is all about your preference and what will be happening on and around the floor.
