Wooden floors can be an absolute joy to own. Always in fashion, offering loads of character and completely natural, they are a highlight of many a home. Moreover, they are hard-wearing and should last for many years.
However, that does not mean they are immune to damage. The question is whether it is something you can fix yourself or something where you need to call in the experts.
For instance, something you may repair yourself cleverly is a dent, such as caused by a chair leg. This involves sanding the surface, then placing a wet towel on it and using an iron on it. The combination of moisture and heat causes the compressed wood to expand and regain its former shape.
However, more serious damage requires rather more than a few clever hacks to fix. This is when you should bring in the wood floor restoration experts.
For example, if the wood starts cupping – where it warps into a bow shape – there is likely to be excessive moisture. This may require wooden planking to be replaced if it is badly warped, but also a new underlay to keep out the moisture. If this is coming from something like a damaged pipe, that needs fixing too.
Alternatively, it can buckle in the middle, which is known as crowning, which again suggests a major job of dealing with moisture underneath.
Sometimes a floor needs sanding because it has become worn or uneven, or has a big scratch in it. If this is minor it may be something you can resolve on a DIY basis, but if it is more severe you should bring in the specialists, who can ensure it is not only sanded but can be polished, possibly varnished too and left looking good as new.
It is great when you can fix a small floor problem by yourself. But when it looks severe and is of a large scale, it makes sense to bring in experienced professionals who will be able to identify and tackle the problem.