Should you refurbish or replace a damaged solid wooden floor?

Do you have a real solid wood floor in your home?  If it was there before you moved in to the house, you may not know that solid wood floors are one of the hardest wearing and longest lasting floor coverings you can have.  If you made the investment in the floor, you already know that it is designed to last - but even the toughest wooden floor will eventually show some signs of wear and tear.  Unlike other floor coverings, this does not necessarily mean it’s time to rip up the floor and start again with another floor covering like laminate, carpets or tiles.  Before you make that decision, read on to find out a bit about why you should always consider getting a solid wooden floor refinished before jumping to replace it as well as a few hints and tips if you go ahead with refinishing. 

Take the time to check what’s needed

Unless you are an expert on wooden floors, you may be completely at a lost about what you actually need – so rather than lifting the floor and replacing it, give us a call and we can come and look at your floor and recommend what would be best for it.  The work needed will vary greatly depending on the age of the floor, if it is in a heavily used area, whether anything has been spilled on the floor, how well it has been maintained and where the flooring is e.g. is it in a flat area or on stairs.  Some of the common things we see which suggest a full refurbishment would be best are:

• Water damage, where it is clear that the water has got deeper into the wood and sometimes has caused the wood to warp or stain. In this case sometimes boards may need replaced.
• Significant scratches which can no longer be covered up
• Unsightly stains which you can’t remove, which is normally a sign that the spill or damage has got deeper into the wood.

If you have found a wooden floors under your carpet it’s best to get an expert opinion before doing anything drastic as you may find there is only minor damage due to tacking the carpet in place.  We are also happy to give guidance before the carpet is lifted, as there may be ways to do this more carefully to stop damage occurring. 

[sc_fs_faq sc_id="fs_faqydck5jvks" html="true" headline="h2" img="5766" question="Cost of refurbishing your wooden floor?" img_alt="floor sanding cost" css_class="" ]Refinishing your floor gives you the same ‘new’ look but without the cost of a new floor Refinishing your solid wood floor means sanding it down, staining it again and then adding a new finish to bring it back to its original beautiful clean, shiny, pristine finish.  Depending on its condition, it may not need all these steps, so unless you are considering a cheaper, inferior floor covering, refinishing is normally cheaper than replacing the floor.  If you want a fresh look, you can opt for a new colour by changing the stain – so you are not stuck with the colour of wood you have if you are ready for a change.  Sometimes people find a solid wooden floor when they lift a carpet.  If this is the case, a refinish may give you a beautiful finish with a lot less effort.[/sc_fs_faq]

Make sure you completely clear the room before work starts

Unsurprisingly sanding a wooden floor will create a lot of mess and the dust travels.  Make sure the room is completely clear before the work starts, and that includes taking things off the walls!

You need plenty of fresh air to help it dry and it will take a few days to refurbish

We all know that when you paint something, it needs plenty of fresh air to dry fully – and refinishing wooden floors is no different.  You will need to ventilate the room well, so depending on the size of the floor being refurbished and the size of your home, you may want to think about staying with friends or family for a few days while the work is being undertaken.  You won’t be able to step on the floor until it is dry – so don’t make that mistake or you will have to refinish it again!

If you want to know more?

If you have any questions about solid wooden floors or how to refurbish them, feel free to give our team of experts a call and find out the cost savings or refurbishing your wooden floor.  We are always happy to help and with a combined expertise of 120 years, we know plenty about keeping your solid wood floor looking beautiful for years to come.