The flooring of your house or office is a stage. It’s what you see every day and the first thing your guests will see as soon as they walk in. It sets the tone for the rest of the area, and you want it in pristine condition because this is what will compliment everything else that is within the room.
Yet most of the time, no matter how much we take care of them, our floors get stained, scratched, cracked and broken. It doesn’t just have to happen in areas where there is lots of traffic. There could be less traffic but the floor still takes a hard beating. Since it’s not feasible to have your floors reinstalled every time something happens to them, we need to find ways to give our floors a quick renovation. Any renovation project can be hectic, so you want to make sure you know what you’re doing so your effort won’t go in vain.
Clearly, the type of renovation will depend on the type of flooring you already have. So, let’s get into it and talk about some of the most common types of floors people purchase and how to improve the look.
Hardwood
If you’ve invested in hardwood flooring, then you’ve invested smartly in all of its beauty and several other advantages. Hardwood refers to a flooring material that is solid wood. Most hardwood flooring comes in strips, planks or parquet. Hardwood is typically installed by nailing it down or gluing it to a concrete subfloor. Common types are oak, maple, or walnut that just gives a rich look to any room. The main issue with hardwood floors may be scratches.
The good news is you don’t have to sand it down to remove them if the scratches have not gone through the wood. For a rejuvenation of hardwood, first clean it well by sweeping and removing all dust and debris. You can then use a buffer. You can purchase a buffer or rent one. Once you’ve buffered, use a finishing polish specially made for hardwood. Make sure no one walks on the floor while it’s drying which could take some time depending if it’s oil or water-based. Oil-based is cheaper but takes a very long time to completely dry. Repeat this buffering every couple of years and your floor will always look rejuvenated. In the case some planks need to be replaced or you want to replace your current flooring with hardwood, then you should seriously consider hiring Flooring Installation Pros because it’s important not to skimp on proper installation of any kind of flooring.
Engineered wood
Engineered wood is a stable stack of wood veneers glued together like plywood and cut into strips that resemble solid boards. They’re prefinished and can be used in places where hardwood wouldn’t be a good choice, like a basement. Engineered wood is usually not sanded, unless there’s enough of a solid wood wear layer, but even then it’s not needed much. Regularly sweeping or vacuuming to remove loose dust and dirt and using some water can keep the look. Don’t pour any water directly onto the floor and always squeeze dry a mop well before using it on the floor. For an annual, deep, protective clean, apply a liquid wax to oiled floors and a polish to lacquered floors. This will fill in any minor scratches and scuffs plus provide the wood with a brand new, hard wearing coat. Clean the floor thoroughly first to avoid sealing in any marks. Using a mop, makes the reno task a quick and easy job.
Concrete
Concrete floors are best when it comes to taking a beating, but over time they begin to lose shine, and can become cracked. Almost any type of concrete floor can be polished. Existing floors typically require some surface preparation prior to polishing to remove dirt, grease, coatings, or blemishes. However, floors that are wavy or need extensive fixing, or are extremely porous may not be the best for polishing. Over time, this flooring becomes crumbly and fractured in places. So what are your options? You can breathe new life into the floor by polishing, but that won’t help any cracked parts. So you need to familiarize yourself with different concrete floor sealers. Some sealers are topical, meaning they give a protective layer. Others are penetrating and very slick when applied so it could need an additional slip-resistant coating. In ideal conditions, a sweep of dust and debris, a good sealer, followed by a good polish should deliver and give concrete floors an enhanced look.
If you’re looking for stained concrete finish and you’re living in Nashville are then you should look for Best Stained Concrete contractor In Nashville.
Vinyl
Vinyl is a popular option for those looking for something inexpensive and relatively durable. If your vinyl floor says ‘no wax’ it means don’t wax it! No-wax vinyl has a clear polyurethane coating that makes it shine. Wax won’t hold fast to the coating and will leave behind a mess that you’ll have to strip off. Vinyl flooring can be cleaned with very mild methods.
If it’s a no wax vinyl, find a cleaner that is meant for no wax floors. A mild detergent is enough to clean this type of flooring. This doesn’t mean to drench the floor with water and cleaner. Too much water will seep into the cracks, seams and edges. This can loosen the glue that the vinyl floor is held down with, causing it to separate, especially around the corners which can begin to curl.
Tiles
Tiles are perhaps the easiest to take care of and don’t lose their appearance that easily, even in heavy traffic areas. Basic maintenance calls for regular sweeping of dust. Like concrete, it can be prone to breaks and cracks. Replacing tiles might need the work of a professional because it’s difficult to remove one broken tile without damaging others around it.
There are a few things to avoid when renovating tiled floors such as: using any cleaners containing acid or bleach for routine cleaning, wax-based cleaners, and using harsh cleaning aids like steel wool pads or scouring pads. After cleaning, make sure to rinse well with clean water to remove any cleaning solution residue.
Regular cleaning
If you’ve noticed, keeping your floors in best condition needs routine cleaning and sweeping. Also, stop dragging furniture and other types of objects on your floor, and lift things when possible. Most of the time, when flooring goes bad quickly is because they are of poor quality and cheap. There are other areas to cut corners in a house or office, but flooring isn’t one of them. You’ll be living a long time with your flooring so choose smart from the start.
