How to Fix a Parquet Floor
The way you fix a parquet floor hinges on how it is damaged. Minor damage, such as light scratches, can be covered with a touch-up stick. For extensive damage, the easiest and most sensible solution is to remove the parquet tile (or plank) and replace it. This is particularly true for the increasingly popular floating parquet floors, which have pieces that simply lock together. You can repair most forms of damage to a parquet floor by filling it in and sanding it. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Varnish remover
- Rag
- Dust pan
- Broom
- Vacuum
- Wood filler
- Putty knife
- Orbital sander
- Palm sander
- Sandpaper
- Floor finish
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Instructions
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1
Remove any finishes on your floor, such as wax or shellac, with a varnish remover and a rag. Brush up debris and dirt with a dust pan and broom.
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2
Inspect your floor for any damage, such as nicks, dents and missing wood. Fill in those areas with a wood filler that matches the tint of your floor. Smooth over the wood filler with a putty knife and allow it to dry.
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3
Attach a medium-grit sandpaper to orbital and palm sanders. Sand the majority of the floor with the orbital sander in overlapping passes from one end of the room to the other. Turn your sander 90 degrees and sand across the rows you just sanded. Sand along the walls and any tight spots the orbital sander could not reach with the palm sander.
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4
Attach a finer-grit sandpaper to the palm and orbital sanders. Sand the entire room again with the method listed in Step 3.
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5
Sand and completely smooth the floor one last time with your finest-grade sandpaper and the two sanders.
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6
Vacuum up dirt and debris.
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7
Apply a new finish to your parquet floor.
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Tips & Warnings
It's a good idea to test your varnish remover in a corner of the floor first to make sure it doesn't have any adverse effects on the wood. Unlike most hardwood floors, it does not matter if you sand with or against the grain, because with parquet floors the grain points in all different directions to begin with.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit blue parquet abstract image by weim from Fotolia.com
