With people buying old properties and decorating them I have been asked recently, what is the best way to give old solid wooden floors a new lease of life? Wooden floors add charm, warmth and elegance to a home. With a bit of sanding, staining and varnishing you can really bring out the beauty of an original hard wood floor. They are much easier to keep clean than a carpet as all you will need is a damp mop to keep them looking fantastic. It's a bit time consuming to varnish the floors but it keeps them shiny and protected from scratches.

 

First of all you are going to have to sand the floors to remove any old varnish or paint. I would recommend hiring an industrial sander for a day or weekend if there are quite a few floors to be done as this will help you get the job done in no time. Once your floors have been sanded, make sure you remove all the dust in the room. Hoover the room from the ceiling down towards the floor making sure to wipe down all the walls, windows and doors to get rid of dust. It's a good idea to do this more than once to make sure that the room is completely dust free. Hoover the floor and then wash the floor with a damp mop and leave it to dry.

 

Kneepads might be something that you should add to your shopping list as you are going to be going around the room working on your hands and knees! Before you start to paint your floor you need to plan your exit. The trick is to start at the corner of the room diagonally opposite the door and work with the grain of the wood towards the door because there really isn’t anything worse than realising that you have painted yourself into a corner.

 

Depending on your floorboards, you may want to stain the floor before varnishing it. Try Sadolin Interior Stain which contains UV filters to prevent colour fading from the effect of sunlight and a tough finish to guard against everyday wear and tear. Let it dry thoroughly before applying your varnish. Sadolin Extra Durable Floor Varnish is the perfect choice as it provides extreme hardness and prolongs the life of interior wooden floors while maintaining its natural warmth and beauty.

 

Use a brush to apply a very thin layer of varnish. Leave the floor to dry overnight and then lightly sand the floor using a fine grade of sandpaper. This prepares the varnish so you can apply a second coat. Make sure to wipe away all the dust and then varnish the floor again. It does sound like a lot of work but it is recommended to use up to three coats of varnish which will give you a really fabulous looking finish.

 

You could alternatively opt to add some warmth with a shade of paint. Painting a wooden floor is not only an inexpensive way to cover a multitude of flaws, it adds a cheery, modern quality to any room and is easy to maintain. If you decide to paint the floorboards, I would recommend that you take a look at a great Crown Paints product called Grip Extreme. Grip Extreme will allow the top coat to adhere and with Crown Solo One Coat Gloss and Satin paints you can redecorate your floors in just one day to give the entire space a new look. These paints are hardwearing and are made to be used on wooden and metal surface so they are ideal.

 

When considering what colour to paint your floors an off white is always a great option against any wall colour and will complement most interiors. Crown offer many variations of white shades that are specific for wood surfaces including Stone White, Beige White and Cream White that you might like to try. There is a variety of vibrant colours available suitable for wooden surfaces so you will be spoilt for choice.

 

Painted wood floors tend to improve with age. Although foot traffic will tend to scuff floors over time and wear down the paint, this will give the wood a soft glaze and weathered look. If you want your floors to maintain their freshly painted look longer, reapply the topcoat on an annual basis. Daily clean-up should include a quick sweep to remove loose dirt and a weekly damp mopping for deeper cleaning.

I hope this post gives you the inspiration to create truly fabulous flooring throughout your home.

 

Happy Decorating!

Neville