Repairing and refinishing your hardwood floor can be quite a challenge, but with the right preventive measures and maintenance techniques, your hardwoord floor can stay as good as the first time you installed it even after several years.
Some of the best hardwood flooring, for instance, have withstood the test of time and stayed around for decades, even a century. If you take a look at old homes that still stand nowadays, you will see how their hardwood floors have stayed intact and stable through the years.
Thus, if we want to enjoy the full aesthetic and functional benefits of our hardwood floors, we should know how to properly take care of them so they don't easily succumb to wear. Because hardwood floors are organic and can potentially decay, cleaning them regularly is necessary.
There is a technique to the proper cleaning of hardwood floors. For one, you shouldn't use a damp rag to wipe it because the moisture might cause damage to your finishing. If your floor has just been waxed and coated with finish, you have no reason to worry about the water seeping into the woodwork. But if it has been a while since you've refinished your floor, then you should be careful to use only soft dry rags to polish it.
When sweeping, use only brooms with exploding bristles because they are the most effective in taking out grime and dust. The wrong broom might only have the dirt accummulate in the wrong places and lead to bigger headaches in the future. There are also cleaning fluids that are exclusive for use on hardwood floors. Don't experiment with other cleaning materials or you might be sorry.
If your hardwood floor has lots of burns and scratches, sanding the area lightly and then reapplying a coat of finish will make your floor as good as new again. If sticky chewing gum is your problem, then you should ice the deposit first until it becomes brittle enough to crumble off. For hardheaded gums, try pouring floor cleaner around it so it loosens up.
Hardwood floors last a lifetime and more if properly maintained and regularly cleaned. Thus, it is our responsibility to apply the right methods to ensure that they outlive us.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Thursday, November 6, 2008
How To Repair Damages On Your Hardwood Floor
Your hardwood floor, no matter how sturdy, is not spared from wear and tear. Over time, it will be at the mercy of water or ink spills, heel scratches, hardened gum, accumulated dust and grime, and other floor nuisances. But before you pick up the phone to call for professional assistance, know that there are certain minor damages that you can remedy yourself.
Here are some tips on how to repair damaged hardwood flooring.
1) Damage caused by stains
Water is the worst enemy of hardwood floors. A single stain can ruin the look of the entire surface and, often, the only way to effect the necessarily repairs to get rid of this eyesore is to refinish the whole floor.
However, you can still try to salvage the situation by focusing on the affected spot first. If it's not something you can remedy through sanding, then that's the time you search for replacement planks. But, hey, if you think the stain is what gives your floor character, then you really have nothing to fuss about.
2) Damage caused by scratches
Some people use putty sticks to fill in the scratches. Simply rub the stick over the affected spot and then wipe it clean with a soft dry cloth. More likely than not, any semblance of a scratch will disappear. This is a quick fix to a big problem and will save you from having to bring in the experts for such a minor job.
3) Damage beyond the power of minor repairs
Of course, there will be times where the damage becomes too much for simple repair techniques to handle. In this case, you will need to replace the hardwood board that has been destroyed. Again, there is no need to phone the specialists for this job because it is something you can manage yourself.
What you should do is take out the damaged board, get a new plank that's of the same size and lay it on. Now this seems very easy but it actually involves several processes to complete. But while there are several procedures, you will find that each step is easy to follow, even for someone who is a beginner at floor board replacements.
Your hardwood floor gives you more value than you think. Aside from its physical beauty, the fact that it withstands the test of time is enough reason for you to award it with the regular maintenance checks and care it deserves. And if the job can be done using only both your hands and your patience, then spending for professional help is impractical.
Here are some tips on how to repair damaged hardwood flooring.
1) Damage caused by stains
Water is the worst enemy of hardwood floors. A single stain can ruin the look of the entire surface and, often, the only way to effect the necessarily repairs to get rid of this eyesore is to refinish the whole floor.
However, you can still try to salvage the situation by focusing on the affected spot first. If it's not something you can remedy through sanding, then that's the time you search for replacement planks. But, hey, if you think the stain is what gives your floor character, then you really have nothing to fuss about.
2) Damage caused by scratches
Some people use putty sticks to fill in the scratches. Simply rub the stick over the affected spot and then wipe it clean with a soft dry cloth. More likely than not, any semblance of a scratch will disappear. This is a quick fix to a big problem and will save you from having to bring in the experts for such a minor job.
3) Damage beyond the power of minor repairs
Of course, there will be times where the damage becomes too much for simple repair techniques to handle. In this case, you will need to replace the hardwood board that has been destroyed. Again, there is no need to phone the specialists for this job because it is something you can manage yourself.
What you should do is take out the damaged board, get a new plank that's of the same size and lay it on. Now this seems very easy but it actually involves several processes to complete. But while there are several procedures, you will find that each step is easy to follow, even for someone who is a beginner at floor board replacements.
Your hardwood floor gives you more value than you think. Aside from its physical beauty, the fact that it withstands the test of time is enough reason for you to award it with the regular maintenance checks and care it deserves. And if the job can be done using only both your hands and your patience, then spending for professional help is impractical.
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