Floor Restoration: Why Replace When You Can Repair?

Flooring receives a lot of wear and tear; we walk on it every day, back and forth, in both shoes and socks. Flooring restoration is a task that takes on several different forms for several different reasons.

Before Replacement, Consider Floor Restoration

Many times a floor can be saved and the homeowner simply doesn’t know. Floor restoration contractors are trained to tackle all situations from flood or fire damage to deep cleaning to accidental damage, and while they may not be miracle-workers, flooring magicians isn’t too much of a stretch. Don’t give up on your flooring until you’ve talked to at least one flooring restoration professional.

Carpet Restoration

Whether you rent or own, at some point you’re probably going to be in need of some carpet restoration. Most of the time your carpeting just needs a good bath; but don’t wait until it already looks dirty. If it darkens and looks filthy, it means that it’s soiled down the roots of the fabric and possibly the pad and sub-floor beneath. About once a year, you may want to go beyond vacuuming (which simply uses air pressure to get the dirt out) and hire professional carpet cleaners who use special chemical agents and truck-mounted hot-water extraction to thoroughly remove the muck.

Special Carpet Restoration Problems for Experts:

• Water, fire, and smoke destruction are always a main concern because you have to act quickly: it only takes 2 days for temporary damage to become permanent. Contractors can repair the pile, remove the odor, and even dry the sub-floor if needed.
• Whether it is minor spots or stains, replacement of small patches, or just switching out the carpet pads, trained floor restoration experts are the ones to call.
• If your rugs are fading, wearing, or just need a change, don’t replace the entire rug. Instead, call the pros who can come and dye your carpets any shade you want.

Hardwood Floor Restoration

Often hardwood floor restoration is needed because the finish that protects the wood is eroding from constant wear and tear. Therefore, the most popular, and cheapest, refurbishing method is scuffing and buffing. Since hardwood is such an investment, it’s important to keep it in good shape, but it’s also important to fix it correctly. Hire a professional who can come to your home and lightly scuff your floors while creating little excess dust, and then lightly coat the flooring with new urethane allowing 1-3 days for it to dry.

Sanding Hardwood Floors for Restoration

Sometimes sanding is unavoidable: if the hardwood flooring is worn down to raw wood, if it’s warped and bent, or if it simply squeaks, you may have to completely sand and refinish. It’s costly and dusty, but once again, worth the price in order to save your initial investment. Tongue-and-groove flooring can’t be sanded and refinished as many times as planks can and planks should be at least 3/4 to 7/8 thick. Many new floors aren’t this thick which means that if sanded, too much surface is at risk of being lost so replacement may be needed.

Don’t worry; typically you won’t have to replace the entire hardwood floor. Trained contractors can often change out small areas as long as the damage is contained, creating a more complete method of flooring restoration. They can also remove blemishes, spots, and small stains without creating any more work for the entire room.

Other Floor Restoration

Stone floors, such as granite, marble, terrazzo, or travertine, may need some occasional upkeep and an annual coat of polish or sealant. If it ever gets scratched or cracked, a pro can repair, grind, or hone out the blemishes before replacement is required. Tiles may need repair if squares get cracked. If you address the problem right away, only a small replacement may be required.

Visit our Los Angeles Flooring showrooms for more information about Flooring.