Hardwood Floor Restoration

Why Consider Hardwood Floor Restoration?

Restoring hardwood floors is often a cost-effective and efficient alternative to complete replacement. Properly restored floors can look almost as good as new and provide numerous benefits, such as:

• Enhanced beauty: Restoration removes scratches, stains, and discoloration, revealing the natural beauty of the wood – you can check out some of our restoration results on our social media platforms or case studies  
• Increased home value: Well-maintained hardwood floors can boost your property’s resale value.
• Longevity: Regular restoration extends the lifespan of your floors, protecting your investment.

Assessing the Condition of Your Hardwood Floors

Before diving into the restoration process, it’s important to assess whether your floors are suitable for restoration. This step saves time, effort, and money, and it helps you decide whether a full restoration or minor touch-ups are needed.

Here are some key indicators:

• Scratches and Scuffs: Surface scratches don’t always require full restoration, but deeper, more extensive scratches usually do.
• Discoloration: Sunlight can fade wood floors, resulting in uneven colouring
• Water damage: often leaves dark spots or stains
• Warping or Cupping: Warped boards may need replacement, but minor cupping can sometimes be fixed with proper sanding and refinishing.
• Squeaking or loose boards: happen when hardwood planks shift or rub against each other, often due to changes in humidity, wear on nails, or a loose subfloor. This creates noise and can indicate areas needing reinforcement or repair to prevent further damage.
• Minor Gaps Between Boards: Small gaps can be addressed during restoration, but wide gaps or warping may indicate structural issues.
• Loss of Shine: A dull, lifeless floor suggests the finish has worn down and needs restoration to regain its sheen.

If you spot any of these signs, restoring might be the right choice to preserve the longevity and beauty of your hardwood.

When Not to Restore:

• Extensive Water Damage: If water has warped the wood or caused mould growth, replacement might be necessary.
• Severe Structural Issues: Floors that feel uneven or have severe damage are usually not good candidates for restoration.
• Engineered Hardwood Floors with a Thin Veneer: If the top layer of wood is too thin, sanding could expose the plywood underneath.

Tip: If you’re unsure, consult a professional to evaluate your floors.

Preparing for Hardwood Floor Restoration

Preparation is the key to a smooth restoration process. Here’s how to get your space ready:

1. Clear the Room: We advise moving all furniture, rugs, and decor items out of the room before restoration process starts
2. Inspect for Nails and Protrusions: Walk over the floor and check for any loose nails or staples. Hammer down any protruding nails to avoid damaging the sander.
3. Clean the Floor: Use a vacuum and mop to remove all dust, debris, and sticky substances. This step ensures the sander doesn’t get clogged or damaged.
4. Repair any loose boards:

Preparation might sound basic, but it makes the actual restoration process smoother and more effective.

Step-by-Step Restoration Process

Hardwood restoration generally includes four main stages: repairs (if required), sanding, staining (optional), and sealing. Here’s a closer look at each.

Repair and Detail Work

During restoration, we repair any noticeable imperfections:

• Filling Gaps and Cracks: We use colour-matched wood filler to address small gaps and cracks, ensuring a uniform appearance.
• Replacing Damaged Planks: If any boards are damaged beyond repair, we replace them with matching wood. This step is handled with care to preserve the seamless look of your floor.
• Smoothing and Detailing: After repairs, we lightly sand the repaired areas to ensure they blend seamlessly with the rest of the floor.

These repair steps are essential to restore the integrity and visual appeal of your floors.

Hardwood Floor Sanding

This process is one of the most important steps in floor restoration, it removes the old finish, surface scratches, and imperfections, exposing a fresh layer of wood

• Drum Sanding: We start with a drum sander (Hummel) for larger, flat areas. We use the latest model of professional-grade sanders with a dust collection system to capture debris.
• Edge Sanding: For corners and edges, we use specialised edge sanders, ensuring consistent smoothness from wall to wall.
• Progressive Sanding Grits: We start with coarse-grit sandpaper to remove the finish and imperfections, then move to finer grits for a smooth surface. This three-stage approach ensures the floor is ready for a flawless finish.

Sanding is arguably the most intensive part, but this meticulous sanding process not only restores the wood’s smoothness but it lays the foundation and prepares it to absorb stains and finishes evenly.

Cleaning Up After Sanding

Once we’ve sanded the floor, we clean up thoroughly before moving on to staining or finishing.

Staining (Optional)

Staining is optional but highly popular among clients looking to refresh the colour of their hardwood floors, it is a great way to customize the look of your hardwood floors. Whether you want a darker, richer tone or a lighter, more contemporary feel, the right stain can make a big difference.

If staining is chosen, we:

• Provide Stain Samples: We offer a range of stain samples and test small areas so you can see how each colour interacts with your specific wood.
• Apply Stain Evenly: We use specialised applicators to ensure an even application. We carefully wipe off excess stain for a consistent, uniform colour.
• Allow Ample Drying Time: Stains need time to set, and we ensure the floor has completely absorbed the colour before moving on to the final step.

Staining can enhance the floor’s depth, richness, and alignment with your interior style.