The $ Steps Involved In Restoring The Original Hardwood Floors In Your Period Home
Renovating and restoring a run-down period home is a popular choice for many Australians. It's a chance to create a beautiful and modernised family home that is full of character, charm and heritage. Before you begin the restoration process, it's important to explore the home and see what hidden gems are waiting to be uncovered.
Your period home may have been given some dubious redecorating or modifications throughout its history, but often the original features are still intact and waiting to be restored to their former glory. Hardwood timber flooring is one of the features that are commonly found in period homes. Here are the four steps that are involved in bringing old hardwood timber flooring back to life.
1. Investigation
The first step will be to ascertain whether your home still has the original hardwood flooring. This will involve removing any extra layers of floor coverings that have been added over the decades. In some cases, this may involve stripping back many different layers of carpet, linoleum or tiles to get back to the timber.
2. Preparation
Once you've found out whether you do have hardwood flooring in your home, you'll need to prepare it for the restoration process. This involves stripping off any layers of flooring materials that have been added over the top, clearing the floor of debris and ensuring that any nails, carpet tacks or staples are removed. If there is adhesive residue from the application of linoleum or tiles, then you may need to have it professionally removed.
3. Sanding and polishing
Once the floor is tripped and clean, the restoration process can begin in earnest. Even dull, stained and worn timber floors will look like new after the surface has been sanded back and polished. While it's possible to do the sanding and polishing yourself, this can be a tricky, messy and time-consuming task for a novice. A professional timber floor restorer will ensure that your floors are sanded to perfection and no accidental damage occurs.
4. Sealing
The final step in the restoration process is sealing your hardwood timber floors. Sealing will protect the timber from wear and stains. It will also help to condition the timber and give it a longer lifespan. There are a number of different sealants available depending on your preferences. This includes wax, oil, varnish and polyurethane, which all come in a variety of different shades.
Restoring the original timber flooring in your period home is a satisfying way of preserving the history and heritage of your home. It's also a great way to cut your renovation budget, with the cost of restoration being significantly less than the cost of installing brand new flooring.