How to Refurbish a Parquet Floor?

The floor sways and creaks from time to time. However, the sounds of a waltz, the flutter of crinolines, and the dizzying movements of dancers have been preserved in their aristocratic nature for dozens of generations. Even if it has been steady for years, it will eventually begin to move, and it will be able to profit from current advancements that make it more robust, easier to install and maintain. When the hardwood flooring starts buckling and floating, it's time to refurbish the parquet flooring with fresh design ideas.

Refurbishing a parquet floor: why invest in it?

Whatever type it is: glued, floated, or laminated, it is easily restorable given its original appearance. When you opt for engineered parquet flooring, it can be combined with your favourite decorative styles. On the practical side, refurbishing a parquet floor means ensuring the durability of the floor in all rooms, even in the bathroom. It is natural, antistatic, and because it adapts to moist areas and is compatible with underfloor heating, it may be preferred over other forms of flooring, such as tiling. The daring parquet-tile combination is not out of exception. Solid parquet has undeniable aesthetic and mechanical advantages.

The only drawbacks that may be resolved are those related to price and quality. The layout is also vital, and you should get a professional to help you with this. From the 1940s onwards, parquet floors were fashionable, and they were installed atop substrates that lacked the durability of current concrete and moisture-resistant sub-grade membranes.

As a result of this, many parquet floors have deteriorated, but only in rare cases, the parquet floor is irreparable.

Process of refurbishing the original parquet

Mainly, the processes depend on age and condition. Because age is so crucial when recovering your parquet floor, you should think about what it was covered with previously: carpet, rubber underlays, and so on. When the planks are lifted, the blocks are often loose, in some cases rotten, and need to be replaced. The floors in the best condition are those that have not been covered because the wood has been able to “breathe”.

Common problems that require the refurbishing of a wooden floor

•      Loose, unbound blocks

•      Rotten and unhealthy blocks

•      Missing blocks and areas filled with concrete instead of replaced with other blocks

•      Gaps between blocks

•      Poor finish and surface appearance

•      Stuck sections that lift off the ground due to faulty substrates

•      Inappropriate blocks of different kinds installed on the ground

•      A lack of expansion joints causing the parquet to buckle

In what cases we can avoid a replacement? 

Every floor is fixable unless it has been fully damaged by dampness and has been suffocating beneath the underlayment for years! While a handyman may fix certain problems, sanding and finishing the floor at the same time should only be done by experts who have the appropriate oscillating sanding equipment. Homeowners who rented drum sanders from local rental companies have ruined a lot of floors. As a consequence, the parquet was scraped and ruined. Certain repairs and alterations to a parquet floor require the use of specialised machinery. Satisfactory results may only be expected from trained and skilled experts.

*Tip for refurbishing an old parquet floor

To refurbish old parquet floors, we still sometimes use the nailing of slats on joists. But most of the time, the old-style solid wood slats are replaced by laminated slats, bringing together several slats, generally finished and varnished during manufacture, 7/8" thick.

Types of parquet according to the layout

In general, glued parquet comes in a variety of styles and may be used to create a variety of ornamental effects. You can glue up to 3/8" thick layer on a cement screed, old parquet or tiling, short carpet, needle-punched carpet, or plastic coating. It has to be sanded down and finished after it's in place. When it comes to insulation, we recommend a cork underlay. Floating parquet is, without a doubt, the most popular style of installation. It is made up of interlocking panels with grooves and tongues that have been lightly glued together. As floating floors are easy to install, they can be placed anywhere, even on a layer of insulating or an anti-condensation film against humidity. They, too, provide perfect firmness and stability.

The parquet floor offers exceptional visual effects because of its consistent solidity. These paving stones are cut perpendicular to the wood grain, rather than in the direction of the grain. Sometimes they are injected with resin, which makes them waterproof and stable. Almost everyone opts for a parquet that is left in its original colour. Matt lacquer treatments serve to give the floor a natural look as if it has been waxed a long time ago.

How to take care of the refurbished solid parquet?

Nothing will need to be replaced for a long time once the parquet is installed. As with all other wood floors, the lacquer will need to be renewed from time to time as it fades off (typically every 7 years or so), but the floor will last forever. Longer than some of the less expensive engineered floors, which have just 1/16" of actual wood compared to solid parquet, which has up to 7/8" of wood. A well-maintained hardwood floor may last for decades. If yours is starting to look a little tired, or if you've recently moved into a home with damaged hardwood floors, you should be able to repair their condition. All it takes is a little effort and specialised products designed to clean and refresh this type of elegant flooring.

What should be considered with the refurbishing of the parquet?

There are a few things you may do ahead of time to alleviate your concerns. Using your vacuum cleaner, clean the furniture and remove dust and dirt from the hardwood flooring. Wash the surface with a gentle brush suited for hard floors after mixing a solution of lukewarm water and a wood cleaner. Because too much water might harm the parquet, press the mop as firmly as you can to keep it moist rather than soaked. To erase stubborn marks, use a scrub brush. To eliminate all traces of soap, repeat the washing process with clean, lukewarm water.

Second, if you're not sure if the floor was originally finished with a wax or oil finish, check a hidden area such as behind a sofa or a pair of shelves. Fill them with two drops of water and set them aside for 10 minutes. Pay attention when examining the results; white spots on the parquet indicate that the floor was previously coated with oil or wax. Remove white spots from the parquet floor using a piece of steel wool coated with floor wax. Lacquer or varnish has been used if there are no stains.

What maintenance product?

Third, get a suitable maintenance solution for your parquet's original finish. Follow the manufacturer's directions before applying the product to the floor. In the case of an original oil or wax finish, you have the option of using a varnish or hard wax. If you have an oiled or waxed floor that is in bad shape, add two layers of hard wax.

Polish the parquet 

Follow the manufacturer's directions for how long you should keep the cleaner on the floor before polishing it. Use a traditional buffing block or a semi-professional pad with a big white cloth. A typical home buffer may not be able to produce the required finish in case of parquet refurbishing. The colour of the parquet must be a stylish addition to the interior design.

*What tools are needed?

You will need a vacuum cleaner, wood cleaner, broom, bucket, mineral spirits, floor care product, cleaning cloths, buffing block/ semi-professional buffer.

Tips to warn you

1.   Keep the room well ventilated when using maintenance products on your hardwood floor and when removing excess wax stains with mineral spirits.

2.   Never use dishwashing detergent to wash parquet flooring. Use a special wood cleaner.

3.   If you find that the floor is very dirty when you start cleaning it, wash it with the detergent solution. Leave the solution on the floor for five minutes before rinsing the soap from the surface. Immediately repeat the washing and rinsing process.

4.   If you notice spots of a dark, sticky substance on your floor, too much wax has been used at some point in the past. Remove it using mineral spirits and a cleaning rag before beginning the cleaning process.

5.   To avoid scratches and damage, keep the floor as clean as possible. Vacuum daily with a soft brush attachment to remove dust and debris.

6.   Place floor protection pads on chair legs and furniture bases.

Thanks to in-house finishing treatments, parquet boasts advantages that make it durable. Sanded, varnished, matte, shiny, and satin, it requires simple maintenance: a mop to dust it and a mop or a slightly damp sponge for stains. All this explains the very lively revival of this warm, pleasant, and naturally beautiful coating.