Wilmac Flooring

Advice For Refurbishing Solid Wood Flooring

Is your solid wood flooring in need of a refresh? This type of flooring gives a great opportunity for customisation, enabling you to choose a truly personal wood floor. It can be tough and durable, yet elegant and sleek. 

However, over time a solid wood floor can start to show signs of wear. The surface can become worn and you may start to feel like you need to replace the planks. But it can actually be more cost-effective and easier to simply refurbish them. It is possible for you to do this yourself too, although it will take time and effort to accomplish. Alternatively you could get professionals to refurbish for you. 

Here we’ve got some advice on how to safely refurbish your solid wood flooring.

Sanding the planks down

Sanding the floor is a great way to keep it looking fresh. However, be sure to give it a quick clean to ensure there’s no dirt or debris prior to sanding. Get any furniture out of the room and give yourself plenty of space to work in. Start by attaching a heavy grit piece of sandpaper to the sander, then you can start using it on the planks. 

When sanding, stick to following the direction of the wood grain on your floor with the sander. Once you’re finished, replace the heavy grit with a lighter grit paper, and again make sure to use this in the same direction as the grain. 

Opting to stain your solid wood flooring

After you’re done sanding your flooring, you also have the option to stain it as well. Staining your solid wood flooring can help to add more colour to it, which can appeal to those who prefer something a little different than the natural look of the wood. 

Start by vacuuming the floor to remove any debris that’s been left behind from the sanding. Choose a small area of the floor that can be covered up easily if needed, as this can give you a nice space to test out the staining first. Once you are happy with the colour, you can then start applying it to the rest of the floor. Make sure you always follow the directions on the staining product you bought, and wait until the staining completely dries before continuing to refurbish the floor.

Finishing the flooring

Once you get to the stage where you’re ready to finish your flooring, you’ll need to make sure that you have a roller and brush handy. Having these will help you to apply either a lacquered or oiled finish to your floor. After you’ve applied this, wait for around 4 hours for it to dry fully, and to really achieve great results, try adding another layer of oil or lacquer afterwards. 

It’s important to remember that choosing to refurbish your solid wood flooring yourself takes a lot of effort and time, and there are of course a few things that may not go entirely to plan. So, always make sure you are following the manufacturer instructions oh how to refurbish your flooring if they are provided. 

Every finish and stain should have individual instructions on how they should be applied and maintained. Take the time to read through these thoroughly to really familiarise yourself with them. Keep in mind, it may not be necessary to sand the floor down. If there’s no damage to the planks, a thorough clean can do the trick, before applying a stain or finish.

For any more information on solid wood flooring or any other products we provide, please get in touch today!