When one buys a pre-loved or even an ancestral home, the first in their to-do list would be to bring some semblance of a life back to the place. Years of wear and tear as well as lack of maintenance have taken their toll on the structure, and you should fix this as soon as possible if you want to live in the house.
You can start off with its floorboards and have them replaced, but if you want to preserve them instead both for convenience and aesthetics’ sake, then you have your work cut out for you. On that note, here are some effective ways that you can use to revive them.
Repurposing the Boards
You should remember that there are cases wherein parts of the floor are no longer salvageable. Don’t fret, since you can still repurpose these after you’ve replaced them with plywood or other interior boards. You can turn them into décor or even furniture depending on their condition.
For this method, you’ll be putting an effort in redesigning and repainting them, but with patience, you can come up with great items that you can turn into a hobby or even a source of income.
Removing Dirt
If a house hasn’t seen a lick of maintenance for years or even decades, then the chances are that dirt has already settled in and accumulated there. This means that the floorboards may have already dulled due to the dust that has been sitting there, but they can still be cleaned up.
If you plan to do this yourself, you’ll need to have soft-bristled brooms, vacuum cleaners, micro cloth, and specialized cleaners. Now if the wood is in dire need of deep cleaning, then you can always call on the professionals to do it for you.
Fixing Up Scratches
One of the common forms of damage that plague old wooden flooring is that of scratches that affect the boards’ visual appeal. Fortunately, this is the easiest one to fix up, and you don’t even have to do or spend that much for it. All you have to do is get some sandpaper and sand the whole surface.
With a bit of work, those scratches should be gone as if they weren’t there at all. If you don’t feel like doing that, then you can always use colouring materials to conceal the damage on your flooring.
Sealing Holes
Holes are another problem that you’ll encounter when dealing with an ancestral home’s floorboards. Just like scratches, this is easy enough to fix provided that you know what to do and you have the tools for it.
A quick and easy fix would be to find similar wood used for the old boards, cut them into pieces that would fit the holes, put them in, and then finish up with varnish and wood colour to make it blend in with the rest. You can do this for any other spots, and is far more cost-effective than having them replaced entirely.
As you can tell, there’s a lot of work involved with restoring your wooden floors, but they’re all worth the effort when you see their beauty. Besides, compared to a total overhaul, they cost far less to do which means you gain more money for buying new appliances or renovating other parts that need more attention.
