If your wooden floor is not quite what it used to be you can revive it.
First of all, you want to give it a thorough clean, ideally, you should empty the room completely and be cautious when doing so not to drag furniture as it could exacerbate the issue.
You should start with a vacuum, followed by a damp (NOT WET!) mop sprayed with warm water. We recommend specific combo sets right here.
You can also use a steam cleaner but if you choose to do so make sure that the seal on the floor is in good condition beforehand.
You should top up your finish, you can use an oil finish or a lacquer finish, either can be good. You can also use fine steel wool to get rid of stains.
You should also buff and polish once the finish is dry to breathe some new life into your floor and it is also good to invest in full sand and refinish if you have the time and commitment to take it on.
How much does it cost to restore wooden floors?
How much it will cost can vary, depending on the type of wood flooring you have and what type of restoration is required. It can also depend on the costs of labor in your area.
Generally, on the basis of square footage average costs run around £3.25-$5, but again this depends on the complexity of the work, and the total size of the area you want to be restored.
It is worth noting that costs may be less than this if you hire a contractor to restore all the flooring in your house, whereas they may be more if you are simply requesting a whole room.
If you have the skills you may be able to do this yourself, however, it can be tricky, but in doing so you may save the costs of hiring a professional.
Though we do recommend simply choosing a contractor to do the job as you know you will receive quality over ease, and this will result in a better-restored floor.
Editor’s Note: Find out if you should use Swiffer Wet Jet for your hardwood.
What is the best hardwood restorer?
A good hardwood restorer will fill in scratches and scuff with also polishing the floor. They will also color match to provide a perfect natural-looking blend.
Before you purchase a restorer you should also know the square footage of the area you wish to restore. For example, a 16-ounce bottle will cover 260 square feet, and a 32-ounce bottle will cover around 525 feet.
Restorers should also be applied with the grain of the wood to create an even pressure to avoid any build-up.
It is also recommended to cordon off the area until there has been enough time for the restorer to activate, foot traffic may remove or shift it.
One of the most revered products is Weiman’s Wood Floor Polish and restorer, it has a ready-to-use formula that is safe for use around children and animals.
Perfectly able to transform your dull floors into a glossy, vibrant, and beautiful surface with an easy treatment.
There are many other top-rated restorers out there, so it is best to shop around and find one that best suits your needs.
Every floor is different as is every house, and so you want to get one that is best tailored to your requirements.
How do you rehydrate hardwood floors?
Before you do anything to rehydrate your floor, you should first clean the floor, it is necessary to tidy it up as you cannot improve your floor if there are many things stuffed on top of it.
Move furniture and give the whole floor a clean. Using a broom to get rid of dust, debris, and any trash.
Then wipe the floor, for a majority of floors you can use ten parts water, one part vinegar, however, some floors may not take vinegar so well, so check this for your floor.
Most of the time, warm water on its own will do just fine.
To rehydrate you can use oil-modified urethane and water-based polyurethane.
Limiting sunlight during the application and drying because sunlight can ruin the finishing surface color, so you should close your window coverings.
For the best results, you should also monitor humidity levels in your home, you can get a hygrometer and if humidity is not high enough you can get a humidifier.
Keeping the room humid will prevent the floor and air from drying out, if you are rehydrating your floor, you definitely want to avoid this, as this would be extremely counter-productive to your end goal.
Also… do not apply water directly to your wooden floor to solve hardwood dehydration, this will just ruin the wood and result in mold.
Is it cheaper to refinish or replace hardwood floors?
If you are looking to bring new life to your floor and you do not know whether it is best for you to refinish or replace hardwood flooring, you may start looking at costs and using that as a deciding factor.
When brought down to cost, refinishing is likely to be the most cost effective option. Refinishing your hardwood floors will generally cost less than replacing the flooring, even if you use the cheapest possible materials.
This is because when refinishing the only materials you will have to pay for are the products that are used to treat the wood. Even if you get a professional to do it.
If you are replacing the floors, you are basically starting from scratch again and will need to price up the costs of the flooring planks, the treatments needed, and all other products needed to apply the new planks to the floor.
Again, even with a professional, this will be more costly.
You should take into account the state of your floors though, if they are damaged it may be more cost-effective in the long run to simply replace them rather than attempt a restoration.
How much should I pay to have my wood floors refinished?
Like pretty much everything else in the repairs, remodeling, and construction industry there is no straight answer about how much things will cost.
Refinishing a hardwood floor depends on your location, your floor type, its size, and current condition.
There is no hard and fast answer, but we can give you a vague idea of how much it will cost based on average figures.
Also, remember that having it done professionally can also present differences in price, as companies will often have different rates based on their own policies and process.
To completely refinish a hardwood floor, this includes sanding down the top layer to bare wood and then applying several coats of a new finish, you should expect to pay a professional between $1.50-$4 per square foot. Or $340-$900 for a 15-15 ft room.
If you only need it refinished due to slight wearing, with otherwise good condition, you could get it done with just a recoating and miss out on the sanding, which would cost less at an average of $1 per square foot, or £225.
When calculating cost, sanding and staining are the most major variables, so if you only need minimal work done it will cost less, the more work needs doing to your floor, the more you’ll end up paying.
How much does it cost to sand and polish wooden floors?
If hiring a professional to sand and polish your floors, can cost anywhere between $1.50-$4 per square foot. However, if you get a custom job that includes sanding, polishing, or other finishes.
It can cost slightly more ranging from $3.75 to $5 per square foot. It all depends on the state and size of your floor, and also your location.
If you want to do this job yourself, which you can easily do.
You may have to rent a commercial drum sander which can be around $60 per day, you will also need to purchase stains and sealants for the polishing and finish, which can cost between $125 to $225.
The overall cost of doing this job yourself depends on the size of your floor, which will dictate how much you need of each of these products.
If you need to do a large area or more than one room, it can be wise to get a professional to do it as it may be cheaper and you may also void the trouble of having to move furniture yourself.