Homeowners have been in love with wood floors since houses have been constructed. And it’s no wonder, they are gorgeous and long lasting. However, as with any love, they have their rough spots. Namely, when they need repairing, it must be done right to retain the beauty of the entire floor.
Following are some tips for making minor repairs to hardwood floors.
1. Remove Coverings: If your wood floors are covered with carpet, padding, etc., remove all of this – as well as any adhesive used to keep it in place.
2. Clean: Once you’ve removed everything, clean the floor. Wood soap found in any home improvement store and a soft cloth (eg, chamois) works well. After you’ve cleaned the floor, you should be able to pretty easily assess the damage to be repaired.
3. Baseboards: Now it’s time to remove any baseboards. If you see any leftover carpet that’s gotten trapped, get rid of it. You may also see protruding carpet nails. Either remove them, or hammer them in so that they are not sticking out.
4. Address Specific Repair: At this point, you may have to sand the floor or cut and fit planks into it. If the repair to be made is simply some scratches or bald spots, all you have to do is sand the area, then stain or paint it. If the repair is more severe, eg, a broken piece of wood, then you may need to cut out the affected section, then cut a piece to fit into it (secure it using wood glue and/or finishing nails). Then, just as with the repair above, stain or paint the affected area.
5. Apply Sealer: A simple coat of wood sealer or shellac will do. When all of this dries, then you put back any carpet, padding, tile, etc.
That’s it.
If this is beyond your skill set, consult your local flooring contractor to get the job done.
