Parquet floors are beautiful and desirable features to add to the room’s beauty. This type of flooring gets a surge in popularity. Restoring can take time and effort for those with an original parquet floor.
However, compared to the result, parquet flooring restoration is a good idea to bring back the former glory of the flooring. To do the restoration, you must know the process of rejuvenating and repairing the floor in the following explanations.
About Parquet Flooring
Parquet floors themselves were first seen in the late 17th century in France. Parquet is made of solid wood tiles or blocks, unlike other wood floorings. Usually, those blocks are laid in geometric patterns such as chevron and herringbone.
Nowadays, this flooring is available in engineered wood, so the installation cost is cheaper than the real parquet flooring made from solid wood. The color and the design also vary now. You can choose this kind of floor depending on your preferences.
Can Parquet Wood Floors Be Refinished?
Refinishing can be one of the solutions on what to do with old parquet floors. This solution will eliminate the unattractive colors in the parquet pattern. If the parquet is limited in a room, it is simple to cover it with a rug.
However, you have to compare the costs first because some rug prices are higher than refinishing costs. This is important to consider to reduce the cost of your flooring maintenance.
Meanwhile, you choose the refinishing idea for the full parquet wood floors in the room. Refinishing this kind of flooring will not be easy to get the best result, especially if it consists of many wood tiles or blocks.
In addition, refinishing is a good deal if there is no serious damage on the parquet wood floors, such as missing blocks, unstable blocks, and uneven surfaces.
How to repair parquet flooring without having to hire a professional
I want to remind you that this kind of repair is for floors with small scratches that can be fixed by polishing and varnishing.
You can also use these methods to fix small white spots left by a glass of water or another liquid that didn’t work.
When should these techniques not be applied?
White spots more than 7 inches wide are produced per pot, where moisture seepage leaves a white or black circle; depending on the time the water is filtered, it may be darker than on other occasions.
Black stains are produced by pet pee and deep scratches where the wood is visible; in this case, we recommend contacting a professional to repair them properly.
When you decide to refinish your parquet floor instead of restoring it all or part of it, some steps below will help you do the job yourself.
Preparation for Sanding
Before the sanding process, ensure that the floor’s surface is clean. A quality parquet floor cleaner is recommended for you. To get rid of scratches or stains on the floor, you should first tape off the area you want to fix. This is done with tape, marking the area you want to fix.
Sanding
The next step to refinish the floor is sanding. Orbital flooring sanders are people’s most common sanders to sand their floors. You can choose another type of sanders depending on your need. The sanding process itself will remove the permanent dirt on the floor.
Applying Stain
Applying stain on the floor can enhance the appearance of the parquet floor. Besides, it offers extra protection too for the floor. You wipe the stain, wait ten minutes to soak in, and then wipe off the excess.
Applying Finish
Use a small foam roller to make the cutouts; use a fine brush and make it smooth. Pass it over the surface several times and make sure it’s covered. Lastly, don’t forget to remove the tape, so it doesn’t stick and leave a mark when it dries.
Reasons For Parquet Flooring Restoration
Commonly, restoration is needed when the floor cannot be refinished or fixed. Otherwise, it can be caused by damage to most of the floor. Then several common reasons you need to restore your parquet floor are below.
- Missing and un-bonded blocks
- Gaps between the blocks
- Poor surface finishes
- Block section lifting from the floor
- Buckling of the parquet
- Different wood types in the blocks
- Rotten and unsound blocks
- Uneven surface
- Scratches and stains
What causes and How to Restore Parquet Flooring (Expert Ways)
A different cause of restoration may need different ways to restore parquet flooring. That is why understanding the causes becomes the first step before starting to restore them. In this case, you also can consider refinishing than restoring if you have minor damage to the floor.
After that, you should consider a specialist who will do the job. When you plan to do it by yourself, it is a good idea as long as you know what to do. Also, the complete tools and equipment are important to help you get the best result. However, looking for a professional is the best for those who don’t know parquet flooring restoration.
Moreover, the budget is the next thing you must consider before starting the floor restoration. Materials, the large of the room, the design, and the professional must be on the list for budgeting the estimated cost. To simplify, you can ask them to give you the average price.
The stages of restoring a parquet floor
The restoration process is made up of four basic steps, which we’ll go over below. All four steps must be done for a perfect result.
Board Replacement
Before polishing the parquet, it must be checked for broken or loose slats that can be fixed with glue or replaced with new slats made of the same wood.
If there are signs that woodworms are eating the parquet, the affected slats must be replaced to keep woodworms away.
Polished or sanding
During this part of the process, different kinds of machines are used. First, all of the old and worn varnishes is taken off.
Scratches and bumps are filled in, and the spaces between the planks are filled in with special putty. The parquet is then smoothed out and made ready for the next step.
For polishing, you need a professional polisher, a smaller polisher called a “shoreline” for the edges, and different grits of sandpaper.
Joint Putty
Use a putty of fine powder of the same wood mixed with resins to make a fine paste that fills the spaces between the parquet. The excess putty is then removed when the floor is polished for the last time.
Varnish the parquet floor
It is the last step in restoring parquet, which might be the most important. The whole surface is varnished several times, first with a special background and then with a finishing varnish.
Between each coat of varnish, the surface is lightly sanded, which removes the chips and makes the parquet smoother.
The finish can be done with water-based or polyurethane varnishes, and it can be glossy or matte, depending on what the client wants.
Why choose a specialist to Restore the parquet floor?
There are different ways to fix the parquet, depending on what went wrong. But if this floor is badly damaged and hasn’t been taken care of, drastic steps must be taken.
A professional in parquet will be able to look at the floor’s details to figure out how bad the damage is. For example, if the recently laid parquet is lifting because of the screed or because the work wasn’t done well, this is a clear sign that something is wrong.
It’s also possible that your parquet has been damaged by water and you haven’t noticed it in time. If so, you will need to elevate the entire floor to restore the parquet’s original appearance. It is important to have a specialist diagnose the problem and advice you on what to do.
How to lighten parquet flooring isn’t too hard to figure out since a professional will sand the floor to eliminate any scratches and then varnish it. If the damage is already worse, they may suggest putting wood-pulp putty on the damaged areas before sanding and varnishing.
It can be hard to fix if a parquet floor has been damaged in different ways. This is why experts say that professionals should always be hired to install the parquet or make it shine again.
Usually, professionals who work with parquet start by running the machine with different sandpaper numbers, 30, 60, 120, and 220, depending on the parquet type and where it is placed.
Types of finishing for parquet floor repair
Each finish has its advantages and disadvantages; the choice is yours according to the result and the use you have in mind.
Polyurethane varnish
Solvent-based parquet floor varnish makes the wood slightly darker and gives off a strong smell when it’s being put on and in the days after. It comes in matte, semi-matte, or satin, and glossy finishes, which depend on how bright it is.
Water-based varnish
Water-based varnish with a natural finish nourishes the wood, has no smell, and is better for the environment. It comes in more finishes, including “natural,” which looks like the wood has no varnish, “super matte,” “matte,” “gloss,” and “super gloss.”
Waxed parquet
Wax gives a unique look. In addition, it nourishes and protects your parquet. Easy to use with a brush, and you can make it shine with a brush, a cotton cloth, or a polishing machine after it has dried.
Before waxing your parquet floor, you should ensure it is clean and dry. We suggest putting on two layers of wax and waiting at least 8 hours between each one.
If you want a polished parquet floor, put beeswax on it after you’ve colored it.
Oiled finish
Special oil for wood is used when you want the parquet to look as natural as possible. It needs special care and to be oiled often.
The benefit of an oil finish is that it is made from plants and looks natural. Using a paint roller to spread it on is easy, and then a cotton strand is used to rub the oil into the wood in circles. Each coat should dry for 4 to 36 hours, depending on how good the oil is.
Using fine-grained sandpaper and a sanding spool, sand between each coat in the direction of the wood grain for a better finish. After the last coat is on, open the windows to help the coats dry faster.
Things to consider
We should remember many ways to refinish an old parquet floor, and there must be enough layers of visible wood to polish a parquet floor right.
This can range from 2.5 to 6 mm for multilayer parquets with floating installations to 20 mm for solid wood floors.
Parquet repair can take about a week from start to finish. It’s important to remember that all furniture must be moved out of the places that need to be fixed.
If you sand and varnish a parquet or floating floor, it returns to how it was before. When parquet restoration is done, it’s like putting a new brand on it. About 30 years is how long a parquet or floating floor can be used.
As a preventative measure, you should put a good mat at the door and a protective felt on the legs of chairs and small, often-moved furniture.