I bought a new house with new maple hardwood floors about 6 moths ago and the finish has numerous scratches and wearing is off in several high traffic areas. I have always had hardwood floors and never have had a problem like this. Also, I am not hard on the floors, so I think maybe the poly finish is the problem -- have any ideas what it could be? I can't afford to redo the whole first floor. Can the floor be sanded and redone in several small areas? thanks.

 

Do you know if the floors were prefinished by a manufacturer? If they were finished by a floor finisher for the builder of the house? Do you know who built the house? Can the realtor find out this information for you? Is the house under warranty? Even if you knew all those answers, we still wouldn't be able to answer the question about your finish without seeing it. There are many factors that could product the problem you describe. If the finish is defective, it will have to be redone by a professional. I am so sorry you have this problem in your new home.

 

I'm not sure whether you mean the house is new to you or was just built. If the house was just built, you should have a warranty. Get a hold of the builder pronto and get them out there. (Understand the squeaky wheel gets the oil.) The finish should not be wearing off, though scratches in the finish are normal.

If the house isn't new, then get a hardwood contractor out there. Some charge, some don't for the estimates. Get a contractor who specializes in hardwood or at least does this alot. Not one of the generic floor covering folks who handle carpet, ceramic, vinyl, laminates and hardwood. Anybody whose been in the hardwood business for a while will be able to identify the manufacturer or a least narrow it down. They may also be aware of the problem from some of their customers. You might look at the National Wood Flooring Association site for a contractor.

As for sanding and finishing just a portion at a time, this can be done, but only if the wood isn't contiguous or doesn't change direction. Though if the finish is wearing off to the bare wood, this may be a way to save the floor until you can get the whole floor done at one time. Understand the floor will not look right. The contractor may even ask you to sign a waiver so that you understand the final product will not be up to their usual standard.

Leighsah