With a finely crafted real wood Floor as the perfect foundation for any style of decor, it is no wonder wood flooring continues to be a firm favorite with UK homeowners. As with any centerpiece though, the floor has to be in tip-top condition otherwise the aesthetic of the whole room will be affected.
Although there are various methods to keep a floor looking great there will come a time when a complete Wood Floor Restoration will be required. Fortunately, this only happens every decade or so and a well-maintained wood floor with light traffic can easily last 15 years or more before refinishing is necessary.
How to DIY
Once you have decided that floor restoration is the way forward you can take the opportunity to change the colour of the wood or the type of finishing. There are many beautiful and easy-to-use finishing products out there to give you the widest possible choice.
However before you get anywhere near that stage first comes the labour intensive part! The whole floor will have to be sanded back to remove all traces of the previous veneer. If the floor has lain untouched for some time it is likely that you will find missing or loose boards and uneven gaps between the planks. These problems should be remedied at this stage before you even think about sanding.
If the floor is old and you are struggling to find a replacement match you could try contacting a local wood floor company who can source the closest match for you.
A basic toolkit is usually enough to get the job done, but if you are doing the sanding yourself you will probably need to rent a large drum sander which is walked along the boards sanding as it goes. If you have never used such a beast before then take advice from the hire outlet before taking the machine away. The main pitfall that you should be aware of is to never leave the machine running on idle as it will gouge the boards.
Depending upon the state of the floor you will need to do two or maybe three sanding in order to get the floor to the smooth, even and blemish-free result you need before you can progress on to the refinishing stage. This being the case; make sure and give yourself plenty of time (a week or more) during which the room can safely be out of commission. Many a sanding has been botched by working too quickly or by over-sanding and ruining the boards, so learn enough about the process before you start work, and take your time. More haste, less speed!
Refinishing
When the room has received its final sanding and you have cleared away all residual dust and dirt then you are ready to re-stain or otherwise refinishing the floor. You can choose from varnish, lacquer or oil-based finishing products in a matt or high gloss finish. If you opt for wood stain you can choose a natural color or a clear stain to enhance the natural whorls of the wood, or you can completely change the color and have your pine floor as rich as dark oak if you want to.
If you have sound enough DIY skills and are physically fit there is no reason why you cannot tackle wood floor restoration yourself. If however you are unable to spend long amounts of time on your knees or have limited carpentry skills then you can choose a completely free home floor assessment and quotation from your local wood flooring experts. Either way, give yourself the best chance of success before tacking the floor, as a botched job can be expensive to put right.
