How to Renovate Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors, if properly maintained, can last for hundreds of years. However, no matter how gently you treat them, they will show signs of wear. While some level of wear can add character to your floors, eventually your hardwood floors will need some sprucing up. There are several things you can do to renovate a hardwood floor to bring back its beauty without completely refinishing it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wood putty
- Wood filler
- Putty knife
- Vacuum cleaner
- Nylon scrub brush
- Floor buffer
- Wood polish or paste wax
- Clean rags
Instructions
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Fill scratches with wood putty and gouges with wood filler that match your floor's color.
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Flatten buckled floors by placing a heavy weight on them for a few days and keeping water off of them.
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Use wood putty to fill in gaps that have developed between planks or just leave them alone. Call a hardwood floor installer to tighten any gaps or to repair damage to the subfloor when you have gaps of more than an eighth of an inch.
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Vacuum the floor thoroughly after making any repairs. Clean any ground-in dirt with a nylon scrub brush; do not use water.
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Buff the floor with a buffer to even out any differences in the finish and to restore shine. Place the buffer in the middle of the floor, working in a circular motion toward the edges of the room. Buffers can be rented from many hardware stores.
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Vacuum any debris off the floor again before polishing, as polishing will seal in any debris or dirt on the floor.
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Polish the floor using a coat of paste wax or polishing solution. Apply by hand to a clean, dry floor, working in small sections.
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Tips & Warnings
Buff your floors every two years or so and polish every year to keep your floors shiny and in top shape.
Never wet-mop your floors or leave standing liquids on them. If you need to clean stubborn stains, use vinegar or other appropriate cleaning products made for wood floors.
Clean your floors by dry-mopping with a floor cleaner, sweeping or vacuuming.
Use floor mats and runners in high traffic areas and in front of exterior doors to prevent scratches and imbedded dirt.
