Hardwood Floors Are a Valuable Addition to Your House

Hardwood floors offer beauty not found in other flooring options. The older they are, the more character they offer. Reclaiming hardwood floors is work, but the results are amazing.

For centuries, you had two flooring choices-tile or wood. Depending on the climate you lived in, you could find both types of flooring installed in every style of home. Perhaps one of the most breathtaking elements of some of these old homes was their hardwood floors. The craftsmanship used to install these floors was exquisite, and the quality of the wood selected was superior to any other. Hardwood floors were often the first choice among home builders and the people who lived with them.

New Flooring

Nearly every new home built these days comes with either tile, carpet, or wood. While tile and carpet have their uses and special qualities, wood floors are often the most beautiful and appealing. There is a wide range of new wood floors available these days. Using solid hardwood floors for flooring purposes can be quite expensive; so, many builders are using manufactured wood floors instead. Many of these flooring products make great use of renewable resources while avoiding the use of any diminishing species of wood.

These manufactured floors offer a great value, with a wide range of colors, finishes, and species. Their installation is fairly simple, and anyone with the right tools and a moderate skill for home improvement projects can do the project. The biggest thing to look at regarding new wood floors is in the quality. Some manufactured flooring uses good quality products likefloor wood stain, but some of the new laminate floors have undesirable properties. If you really want a classy looking floor using new flooring products, consider the engineered floor as a reasonable choice.

Reclaimed Flooring

Although reclaiming an old wooden floor may be an incredible amount of work, the final results are often breathtaking. Some prefer solid wood flooring, and old flooring has become very stable over the years. As long as you aren’t changing the actual climate the floor has been used in, the old wooden floor should continue to maintain its excellent qualities.

Reclaimed flooring should be of high quality and is also an eco friendly choice. If the floor has been removed from an older home, you will want to take some time looking over the condition of each piece. Depending on the overall state of the flooring, you may need to strip it down all the way to fresh wood, or just give it a light sanding or rubbing with steel wool to clean off some of the old finish. Avoid using chemical wood strippers. They may take off the old finish, but they may also damage the surface and finishing properties of the wood.

Reinstalling an old floor may be difficult. While you may be capable of doing the job, you might want to hire an experienced flooring person to help you with the project. Learning how to manage around irregularities in the floor layout, as well as working around entryways and staircases, can be a real challenge.

Replace or Repair

If you’ve bought an older house and it has existing hardwood floors, you might be wondering which choice is your best option. Refinishing an old floor is a lot of work, but it may also provide a high quality floor which you can’t find in the new products. Take some time and compare the costs. If you are contemplating removing an old floor and replacing it, don’t forget to calculate the cost of removing it. You should take care while pulling out the old boards so as not to damage them. You may be surprised at how much you can sell that old wood floor for.

Resurfacing an old floor may require some special tools, such as a floor sander. You don’t need to buy these expensive tools, as they are available from most tool rental companies. Learning how to use the floor sander properly is worth the time. Using a floor sander can result in a really beautiful floor, or one that is marred and damaged. Find a place on the floor to test the stain you want to use — perhaps in a closet or behind a door.

Make sure that the floor is clean and free of dust. Review the directions on the stain container and follow them closely. Knowing how to apply the stain and work it evenly into the floor will result in a beautiful floor. The final step is the finish. Here is where you can take advantage of modern advances in floor care. Some of the urethane floor finished are excellent to use on old floors, as they won’t yellow or discolor over time.

Whichever option you chose, having a beautiful wooden floor is well worth the expense and effort. You can hire professionals to work on your hardwood floor, but if you want to have a special connection with your hardwood floors, take on the job yourself.