When buying a home that needs a little TLC, the flooring may be one of the first things you need to tend to. Ensuring your flooring is safe and liveable will need to be taken care of before you can move in.
If you have hardwood floors in your fixer-upper, you’ll likely need to completely repurpose them. Depending on their condition and age, you’ll need to follow the right steps to preserve them and make them look new again.
Instead of total replacement, here are some of the steps to take when it’s time to implement hardwood floor repairs.
Steps to Take When Implementing Hardwood Floor Repairs
Hardwood Floor Repair
Because hardwood floors are so durable, one of their many pros is that they can be repaired even after years of damage.
Clean the Floors: One of the first things you’ll need to do is clean the floors, even if they’re in bad shape. Sweeping and mopping go a long way to helping you understand where the worst damage is and avoiding even more cleaning after sanding.
Sand the Floors: After you clean the floors, you’ll need to sand them with an electric sander. There are hand sanders and vertical stand-up sanders, so it’ll just depend on how large the space is so that you’re not overdoing it with a sander that’s too small. You’ll buff out scratches and scuffs so that the floors look newer and undamaged.
Vacuum the Sand: Once sanding is done, you’ll need a shop vac to vacuum it up as soon as possible. Otherwise, you’ll create a huge mess around the house. Then you’ll want to wipe down the area with a mop or cloth.
Apply Stain: Once the floors are sanded and cleaned, you’ll want to apply the color of stain you like. Flooring contractors or painters can guide you in the right direction so that you can make the right choice for the interior of your home.
After hardwood floor refinishing is complete, you’ll be able to start moving into your fixer-upper and enjoying the charm of an older home with like new floors.
How to Protect Hardwood Floors
After you’ve followed all these steps and invested your time and money, you’ll want to ensure you preserve your hardwood flooring.
Keeping up with regular sweeping is essential so that dirt and debris don’t settle into the floors. When you mop, make sure you only mop with lukewarm water. Harsh chemicals will hurt the hardwood floors.
Placing rugs in high-traffic areas is a good idea, too, so that the floors stay unharmed as long as possible.
Once the floors do start showing some wear and tear again, you’ll just want to make sure to restrain or call a flooring contractor to restore them.
Contact Ozburn-Hessey Company!
If you live in the Nashville, TN, area and have just purchased a fixer-upper, contact Ozburn-Hessey today to get started on hardwood floor repairs.