Easy Ways to Restore a Wooden Floor

A tree is beautiful, ecologic. It stores heat, creates comfort in the house. Over time, floorboards wear out. Over the years, the once beautiful wooden coating becomes smooth, you can no longer see the former beauty of natural wood, which is hidden under layers of paint. The tree gradually dries up, cracks form between the boards, through which a creak passes through, This situation can be corrected, but it all depends on the capabilities and building skills of the owner of the house. Repairing a wooden coating can be cosmetic, which includes painting. Or overhaul. During it, the coating and the entire structure are replaced.

Assessment of the condition of boards, beams

Before starting the repair, it is necessary to calculate what condition it is in. Find out what procedures will be applied. To do this, do the following:

1. An examination revealed that the surface has minor damage, and its further operation is not dangerous. To do this, you must:

• tightening or replacing fasteners;
• cover the cracks between the floorboards.

1. When you tap with a hammer, you hear muffled sounds - this indicates that the floor has rotted. In places of decay it will need to be replaced with a new one. It is best to sort out, exchange damaged areas for a new coating.

1. The creaking of the boards begins when the structure loses the cohesion of all the elements in the structure. There are several ways. The first runs from the side of the underground, and the second from the outside. But if nothing happens, and the creak continues, then you will have to completely disassemble it or completely repair the lags.
2. Sagging boards says that you need to repair it by disassembling the entire structure. Moreover, it will also be necessary to replace rotten areas. In the case when the sagging is not caused by putrefactive processes or the influence of insects under the logs or beams, it is worth laying additional supporting elements.
3. It was revealed that the lags are not located in such an amount that is necessary. In this case, you need to disassemble, upgrade the lag system with the help of additional wooden elements.

Tips for identifying problem areas

In most cases, it is difficult to understand what type of repair is needed. Examination, identification of deficiencies, violations should be carried out both from the outside and from the underground. There are some professional tips:

• it is necessary to visually examine the logs from the sides;
• to identify all the shortcomings in the basement, use additional lighting devices;
• use a sharp object during inspection, for example, an awl; with it, you can identify completely decayed structural elements.

Types of repair work

Several options are possible here:

1. A simple update to the flooring will be required. This procedure must be performed every 3-6 years. The term directly depends on what coating is used, in what condition it is under the top layer. In most cases, the update is carried out on the basis of instructions for flooring, that is, planned.
2. Cosmetic repair. It is carried out in the event that the floor is subject to deflection, begins to publish a creak. Additional features such as the formation of gaps between the floorboards and the drawn edges indicate that it’s time to redecorate it.
3. Capital. This type of repair is carried out when repair work is carried out in the whole house or apartment, as well as in cases where traces of rot and deformation are detected.
4. The flooring will be replaced completely. This type of repair occurs only when a major overhaul of all surfaces (walls, ceilings) occurs in the room. In this option, the old materials are replaced with new, modern ones.

As for the service life of the floor covering, which consists of solid wood, it is known that if high-quality materials were used and care was correct, timely, then they can last about 160-200 years.

Wood coating looping

Wood is most exposed to stress. Therefore, it quickly becomes unusable, damaged. But there is a simple way that will help revive the wooden floor and make it beautiful, well-groomed. This method is called "looping."

This process was named after the instrument - “Cycles”. With it, the top layer of the tree was removed. Now special grinders are used.

Problems to be solved by hitching

The main thing to pay attention to is that looping is best left to professionals. If you have never previously polished floors, then the first time you may not succeed. Cases when the floor can reanimate a hitching.

• the varnish on the wooden floor has worn off;
• the floor became dull, and in places burned out from exposure to sunlight;
• there are cracks on the floor;
• cleaning products do not help get rid of stains.

We loop the floor yourself

First of all, you need to find out whether it is possible to use this procedure in relation to the floor in your home. Initially, inspect it for defects, such as cracks between the floorboards or rotten boards. After identification, replace the damaged parts. Only after this can you begin to cycle.

To carry out this procedure, you will need equipment:

• clipper;
• screwdriver;
• machine for polishing borders;
• abrasive sheets, different in stiffness;
• polyethylene;
• varnish for wood;
• alcohol to remove varnishes.

The process itself consists of several stages.

1. Prepare the room for scrapping floors. During this step, free the room from furniture and decor. If the furniture is built-in, then cover it with polyethylene.
2. After dismantle the door to the room and hang it, and open the window openings, on the contrary. So, you save other rooms from dust and dirt.
3. Use alcohol to free the surface of varnish or paint. After washing the floor and leave it to dry completely for 3-4 days.
4. Proceed to loop.

1. Cycling of twisted boards. Grind them from perpendicular angles along an oblique. Repeat the process two times in different directions.
2. Change sanding sheets with medium grains. During this process, move parallel to the boards.
3. Scrap the floor at the junction with the walls. To do this, use a machine for grinding borders.

Partial replacement of floorboards

Undoubtedly, now there are such finishing and building materials that are much higher in quality than wood. They combine strength, lightness and low price. But, of these units can be safe and environmentally friendly. The beauty and warmth of a wooden floor cannot be replaced by any artificially created material.

Like any repair, replacing floorboards and logs begins with identifying damaged areas. Further, the process proceeds according to the following rules:

1. Identify the area of ​​damaged fragments of the floor covering.
2. Determine where the lags are located.The easiest way to do this is with nails, since with their help the board is attached to the lags.
3. Cut the damaged area with a jigsaw.
4. In the place where the coating is removed, install a new one.

How to close up cracks in the floor and get rid of squeaks

Wooden boards may dry out over time, leading to the formation of crevices. They eventually begin to make an unpleasant creak. There are ways that will save your floor from the gaps between the floorboards and relieve squeaks.

A great way to remove crevices and creakiness of the floor is to use a mounting foam and putty. Consider this method in more detail in the sealing of cracks between the wall and the floor.

Between these parts of the structure it is customary to leave a gap. It allows you to additionally ventilate the room and in case of expansion of the boards with a difference in temperature and humidity, get rid of excess damage. But after some time, the gaps between the wall and the floor increase, which creates discomfort to the residents of the house. You can get rid of cracks as follows:

1. Remove the skirting boards around the perimeter of the room.
2. Clean the crevices from dirt lumps and dust.
3. Fill the slots with mounting foam. If necessary, put foam in front of the foam.
4. Wait for the foam to dry completely, and then carefully cut off the excess pieces.
5. Outside the foam needs to be puttied.
6. Wait for the putty to dry completely.
7. Install new skirting boards.

You can also get rid of cracks and creaks in several other ways:

• the use of wood chips, water and wood glue;
• the use of paper and starch paste;
• sealing gaps by using a cord;
• the use of wooden slats and wedges.

Flooring on a wooden floor with a different coating

You can lay any floor covering on a wooden floor, for example, OSB or plywood, linoleum and laminate. But before you start this laborious process, pay attention to the condition of the wooden floor. What is it for? Not a single floor covering, which is laid on top of a wooden one, can save you from creaking, decay and damage to the latter.

In order for the new coating to serve for more than one year, it is worthwhile to inspect the old wooden coating and repair it if defects are detected.

Repair Cost

The cost of floor repair services depends not only on the amount of work, but also on the quality of the flooring. So, replacing a board costs less than replacing a parquet.

The price is average for Russia and may vary depending on the region.

Wood is an excellent building material. Over the years, it is prone to deformation and wear. But before deciding on a global alteration of the floor, it is worth exploring its condition. If it can be saved, is it worth it to spend a large amount of money on installing other coverage? If not, then it is better to repair the old coating and lay on it exactly the material that you dream about.