Q: I have a hardwood floor that the builder Installed in 1999. A large area rug covered most of the floor ever since we moved in. I removed the rug recently and saw that the entire perimeter area of the floor’s finish outside of the area rug has dulled, and the floor underneath where the rug was looks brand new.
Is there some product I can try on the area that might “refresh” the polyurethane finish to try to blend it in with the high gloss finish where the rug was? I don’t know who the manufacturer of the hardwood is. I don’t understand why next door neighbors who have the same flooring installed by the same builder, and receive the same amount of sunlight, don’t have any dull areas around their rugs that are down all year round.
The only product that had been ever used on the floor since 1999 was S—-‘s —— —- cleaner and preservative. I don’t know if S—-‘s might’ve been the reason that the sun dulled the finish outside of the rug area. I haven’t tried anything yet, but I was wondering if you knew whether any specific product brand might be worth trying to bring the finish back to a gloss before I have to consider hiring a contractor to have the floor refinished. Other than that, i.e., (the dulled finish), the entire floor is in fine condition. Thanks in advance.
A: I’m surprised you aren’t reporting the coloration difference because of the sun’s effects on the exposed wood. For dullness it is very likely that treatment you used is the main or contributing culprit. I would suggest wiping it down well several times with a floor cleaner made by wood floor and finish manufacturers. They have products that don’t leave any dulling residue. You can search out Poloplaz, Bona Kemi or Basic Coatings for such cleaners or pay a visit to the nearest wood floor retailer. They should have a cleaner which can help remove contaminants.