Bringing Your Flooring Back to Life With Restoration

Your flooring is a long-term investment that’ll last decades with proper care and make your home more comfortable, stylish, and inviting. But even with regular maintenance, it’ll wear out and fade over time, looking unsightly on your property. And while you can replace it, flooring restoration is a more affordable option.

Restoring your floors removes scratches, dents, stains, and other imperfections, making them look new again, more resistant to damage, and extending their lifespan by many years. And the best part is that you can choose different finishes or designs to create a space that shows off your style.

We’ll discuss all you need to know about flooring restoration, from the benefits and steps involved to the types of floors that can be restored. We’ll also determine the costs and whether it needs professionals or a simple DIY approach to help you better understand the process.

What Is Flooring Restoration?

It’s renewing old or damaged floors to return their original beauty by sanding, staining, and polishing. It’s like giving your old floors a makeover without installing new flooring, making it more affordable.

What Are the Benefits of Restoring Old Flooring?

The main benefit is your old worn-out floor will look brand new, increasing your home’s value and making you more comfortable hosting guests. Here are some other benefits of restoring old flooring:

• Preserves the flooring’s original charm and character
• Saves you money compared to buying new flooring
• Reduces environmental impact by reusing existing material
• Improves your home’s air quality by removing accumulated dust and allergens
• Restores floor surface functionality and its ability to withstand heavy foot traffic

What Is the Flooring Restoration Process?

Restoring your flooring is a delicate project that you need to handle with precision to avoid further damage and costly repairs. Here are the steps for flooring restoration:

1. Clean the flooring to remove dirt, dust, or debris: Sweep or vacuum your floors to prevent particles from disrupting the restoration process.
2. Sand your floors: Start with coarse-grit sandpaper and work your way up to medium-grit and then fine-grit, removing the old finish and revealing the fresh wood underneath.
3. Fill any gaps: Fill the gaps between the boards using a suitable filler to create a smooth, even surface.
4. Stain the floors to change the colour: There are many different stains available, so choose one that matches your decor.
5. Apply the finish: This protects the wood and gives it a beautiful shine.

What Type of Flooring Can Be Restored?

You can recondition different types of flooring, from wooden to laminate, at a lower cost than buying new floors. Here are some examples:

• Wood flooring
• Floorboards
• Laminate flooring
• Stone flooring
• Tile flooring
• Concrete flooring

Restoring Wood Flooring

Restoring wood flooring involves rejuvenating old wood floors through sanding, staining, and sealing or simply buffing for a shiny finish. To know when your wooden floors need reconditioning, keep an eye out for scratches, fading, discolouration, or a worn finish. And watch out for any warping caused by moisture.

Here are the types of wood flooring you can restore:

• Oak
• Maple
• Ash
• Cherry
• Walnut
• Mahogany
• Teak
• Hickory

Restoring wood flooring is all about bringing back that fresh look, but the process can change depending on the floor type and how much work it needs. Still, follow these basic steps:

1. Vacuum the floors to remove dirt, dust, and debris that may interfere with the process.
2. Sand the floors to remove the old finish and any damaged wood.
3. Fill the cracks or holes with wood filler or epoxy.
4. Stain the floor to add colour and character.
5. Seal the floor to prevent scratches, fading, and water damage.

Restoring Floorboards

Renewing floorboards improves the condition of old or damaged boards through sanding, staining, and sealing. If your floorboards are damaged, faded, or outdated, reconditioning will make them beautiful and last longer. You can recondition the following types of floorboards:

• Pine
• Fir
• Spruce
• Hemlock
• Larch

Consider the following steps for rejuvenating your floorboards:

1. Sand down the board to remove the old finish.
2. If the damage is too deep, you’ll need to replace the affected boards.
3. Fill in any cracks or holes using epoxy or wood filling.
4. Stain or paint the wood to add colour and character.
5. Seal the wood to protect the floorboard from moisture and wear.

Restoring Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring can be refurbished by cleaning, repairing, and sealing, removing damage and making your floors look new again. Plastic laminate flooring can’t be repaired, so it has to be replaced. However, you can fix engineered wood laminate, making it a more sustainable choice.

Follow these steps to renew your laminate flooring:

1. Vacuum the flooring to clean dirt and debris, or use a laminate-specific cleaner.
2. Fill in scratches or holes with a laminate repair kit.
3. Lightly sand the floor to smoothen the surface.
4. Apply a new coat of laminate finish.

Restoring Stone Flooring

Resurfacing your stone floors involves cleaning, polishing, and sealing to make them look brand new. You can reclaim the following types of stone flooring:

• Marble
• Granite
• Limestone
• Travertine
• Slate
• Sandstone

Take these steps to give your stone flooring new life:

1. Clean the floor with a mild soap solution or a professional-grade cleaner.
2. Polish the flooring with fine-grit sandpaper or a polishing compound to remove blemishes.
3. Fill any cracks or chips to prevent more damage.
4. Seal with a protective sealant.

Restoring Tile Flooring

This involves renewing the appearance of old or worn-out tile surfaces by cleaning, regrouting, and resealing. If your tiles look dull, dirty, cracked, or chipped, you may need to restore them before the damage worsens. The following types of tile flooring can be restored:

• Ceramic tile
• Porcelain tile
• Natural stone tile

Here are basic steps to help rejuvenate your tile flooring:

1. Clean the floors with mild detergent and water.
2. Repair or replace damaged or broken tiles.
3. Replace the old grout with a new one.
4. Polish the tiles to restore their shine.

Restoring Concrete Flooring

This is renewing old, damaged, or stained concrete to make your floors look better and prevent them from further damage. If your concrete looks dull, stained, or cracked, you may need to rejuvenate it by staining, polishing, and coating. Here are the types of concrete flooring you can refurbish:

• Plain concrete flooring
• Stamped concrete flooring
• Stained concrete flooring
• Polished concrete flooring

The following steps will help you renew your floors’ appearance:

1. Sweep the floors to remove dirt and debris.
2. Use concrete patching material to repair holes or cracks.
3. Grind the concrete surface to make it smooth.
4. Apply concrete sealer to protect the floors from damage.
5. Polish the floor to give it a glossy finish.

How Long Will the Restoration Last Before It Needs Redoing?

Anywhere from 10 to 50 years. The following factors influence how long your restoration project will last:

• The amount of traffic it receives
• The quality of the workmanship
• The type of restoration
• The environment

How Much Does Flooring Restoration Cost?

Restoration usually costs £13 to £25 per square meter. Still, the actual cost varies depending on the floor’s size, the wood’s condition, the type of restoration required, and the level of service you need.

A larger floor will cost more to restore than a smaller one because it requires more materials and labour. Plus, if you use poor-quality wood flooring, it may require more restoration, increasing the cost. And if you need experienced professionals to renew your floors, it will cost you more.

The type of restoration you need will also affect the total cost because sanding and refinishing your flooring is more affordable than replacing damaged boards.

Do You Need a Professional, or Can You DIY?

That depends on the extent of damage and your experience level. If your floors need light reconditioning, you may DIY the project. But if there’s so much damage, you should hire professionals. In general, it’s always best to hire experts because these projects are delicate and involve working with power tools.

Here’s a table showing the pros and cons of hiring a professional for flooring rejuvenation:

Here’s a table showing the pros and cons of DIY flooring rejuvenation:

What Happens if My Current Flooring Can’t Be Restored?

You’ll have to buy new flooring. It may sound disappointing, but new flooring allows you to choose a fresh look and upgrade your space to your liking. As you shop for the best flooring, you’ll need to consider your budget, the style of your home, and the amount of maintenance you’re willing to provide.

Conclusion

Flooring restoration is a great way to breathe new life into your old floors and make your home the best place to be. Before you start sanding your floorboards, consider the benefits of a professional finish to your property. And since it’s a delicate process, DIY may cause more damage than you’d think.

If you’re ready to bring your floors back to life, contact us today for a free estimate and learn more about your options.