Do your old wood floors look tired, outdated, or plain grungy? Never fear -- wood flooring can be easily revitalized so that it is a beautiful addition to your home again. The following are four options that can help you breathe new life into your old wood flooring.
Option 1: Deep Clean
Sometimes all your old wood floors need is a thorough cleaning to remove years worth of dirt and grime. Begin by clearing out the room of any furniture, as it's much easier to do a thorough job if the room is empty. Then, give the floor a good sweeping with a stiff broom, followed by a pass over with a dust mop to remove the smaller particles. Finally, mop the floor with a quality hardwood floor cleaner. These cleaners are designed to dissolve grime and oily residue without harming the wood or its finish.
Option 2: Rejuvenate
If the floor is still dull after a thorough cleaning but you aren't quite ready to refinish it, you can try to rejuvenate it. There are many products on the market sold as hardwood rejuvenators, but simple teak oil is a quick and inexpensive option that works for most flooring types. Use a foam or cloth mop to apply a thin coating of the oil to clean floors, then rub it in with a mop. Stay off the floors for at least 24 hours, or until the floors have absorbed most of the oil. Finish by mopping with a clean, dry mop head so that any unabsorbed oil is removed.
Option 3: Refinish
Refinishing your floors is almost like getting brand new hardwood installed. The process begins with sanding off the old finish. If the floors have become scratched, then the very top layer of the wood is also sanded off so that a fresh surface is revealed. Once sanding is complete, the floors are buffed and a new finish is applied. A final buffing brings out the warmth and shine of the wood once the finish has cured.
Option 4: Paint
Sometimes old wood becomes badly stained, to the point where it is impossible to sand out the damage. If the stained area is small, one option is to replace the damaged boards. For more extensive damage paint may be a good option. You can either apply a finish that is darker than the stain if you still prefer a natural wood color, or you can opt to paint the floor white, black, or any other color you desire. Another option is to paint a stencil onto the floor, which will allow some of the natural wood color to shine through while still camouflaging the stain.
For more help with wood flooring, contact a company near you.
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