The Hardwood Gold Mine: Restoring Hardwoods Found in Older Homes

There are a number of reasons you could choose to buy an older home. First, older homes have a lot of character that’s hard to find in newer models. Secondly, older homes can sometimes be found at a much lower costs, allowing you to get more bang for your buck. However, one benefit of buying older homes you might not realize is getting gorgeous original hardwoods.

Hardwood flooring was more common in older homes than it is today, meaning you might strike the hardwood goldmine when you buy a vintage home. Before you can start enjoying your hardwoods, however, they probably need a little TLC after years of wear and tear.

Learn these quick and easy tips for restoring old hardwoods and make the floors in your older home shine like new.

Sand the Floor

Although hardwoods are extremely durable, they can still suffer from scrapes and scratches over time. Your first step in restoring the hardwoods in your older home will be to get rid of these blemishes by removing the old finish. First, you should sand around the corners with a hand sander, which should allow flexibility around the edges.

Once you’ve sanded the trim, you can move on to an industrial sander. Sand the entire floor until the old finish is removed, leaving only the natural, unfinished hardwood behind. When the floor is sanded to your satisfaction, you can move on to the next step.

Clean Up Any Debris

After fully sanding your hardwood flooring, you are going to be left with a tremendous amount of debris. The next step in restoring your old hardwood floors will be to clean up this mess as fully as possible. For the clean-up step, you’ll need a vacuum cleaner and a flat bottomed attachment.

Carefully go over the flooring with your vacuum, making sure to go slow enough that you’ll pick up even the finest sawdust leftover from your sanding job. If necessary, go over your floor multiple times. Any leftover debris can wreak havoc on your finish, so be sure all the sanding residue is gone before you move on with the restoration process.

Add Your Stain

Lastly, when your floor is completely clean, you can finish the restoration process by adding your stain. First, you should make sure you go around the trim with a fine bristled paint brush, making sure to paint the finish in thin, even strokes.

Once your edges are filled in, you should get a long handled paint roller to stain the rest of your flooring with. Roll the stain on carefully and evenly, adding multiple coats if you feel it’s necessary. After you’ve completely stained your floor, all you have to do is let it dry before you can start enjoying your fully restored flooring.

Restore Old Hardwoods for a New, Exciting Look

When you buy an older home, you might find a treasure trove of existing hardwood flooring. However, because the flooring is aged, it probably needs restoring before you can start using your floors the way you want. Fortunately, as we have seen, restoring old hardwoods is fairly simple with the right tools and a few tips.