The Seller (Home Inspector’s) Thinking

A home inspector by trade, this seller and our client, John, knew he needed to get his floors in shape. Being lakefront in an exclusive and well-sought-out section of Medford Lakes, his cabin needed beautiful floors to set the tone for potential buyers looking for lakefront log cabin living. The house would likely sit unless the floors screamed “wow” to them.

The Challenge

The pine floors in the living room looked tired and worn. The pine in the bathroom and guest bedroom looked slightly better. And the oak floors on the porch, which had been turned into the family room and kitchen, needed attention because the lakefront afternoon sun had taken its toll causing the floor to look bleached out in some places, while the areas where there had been furniture looked darker. In addition, there were spots from pet accidents (see for yourself in the second image).

Solution

During the free consultation, it became evident that complete sanding and refinishing was the way to go, however, John was concerned about preserving the 50 years worth of patina and richness of the living room floors and was hoping refinishing them would bring them to life again. Because of his concerns, we decided to screen and top coat the bathroom and guest bedroom (not pictured). After masking and protecting the entire work area in this room and throughout the house, we set to work. These rooms were less traveled and the appearance improved with our “touch up” treatment, but some very subtle, minor blemishes were still evident.

The living room and family room had more damage, and we came to the mutual conclusion that more aggressive work would be necessary. It would be correct to say having a fresh “canvas” to begin with we would no doubt get the “Wow” back John and his wife Barbara wanted.

In the living room, we sanded the pine floor and got it prepped to begin the sealing and finishing process. A couple of the during shots show the seal and finish being applied and reapplied. Once we finished the pine floor, it looked rich and brilliant once again. To John’s delight we maintained the lovely patina during our restoration process. When buyers saw how the refinished wood floors complimented the cabin “feel” along with the fireplace, vaulted ceiling and spacious balcony, they were drawn to the warmth of this home.

With that phase of the work done, we then focused on the family room. Once we removed the furniture and decor, there was no question (the writing was on the wall, or the floor should I say) — the sun fade was extensive and the floors were a mess, as you can see in the third and fourth image. Although this floor was much newer, the damage was more extensive. There was no choice but to sand and start over.

First, we rough sanded, then we moved to finite sanding. The sanding corrected the sun fade nicely. The finish went on like glass with the sparkle and glimmer of the lake playing on the stunningly beautiful wood floor surface.

Afterthoughts…

Clearly thrilled with the floors and how they came out, this couple did it right. Now it will be much easier to find the right buyers for this peaceful, calm and cozy place to call home.

Do you live in the Pines? Do your wood floors deserve a little TLC, such as a screen and top coat, sand and refinish, buff and touch up, or other wood floor restoration services? Our solutions are non-toxic, low VOC, water-based, made from whey, and safe for pets and kids. Call us at Sparkle Surface Care (609) 953-0472 or contact us online for a free estimate to see what we can do for you!