Refurbishing Cork Tiles

One of the many reasons that eco-friendly cork tiles are popular is that they are super comfortable to walk on. With their naturally bouncy resilience these tiles can be walked on with bare feet making them a popular choice for bedrooms and den areas. Homeowners with arthritic or stiff joints also find cork flooring more forgiving and places less stress on ankle and knee joints. With proper maintenance cork tiling will last the average user around 20 years before refurbishment becomes necessary.

Cork flooring should be sanded to remove all residual veneer and any wood floor repairs should be dealt with at this time. Although cork is a heavy tile it can be damaged by a heavy sanding so a rule of thumb is to sand light but several times. Never dig into the tiles as cork cannot withstand this type of treatment and cracking will inevitably result.

Sand up to the edges with a hand held sander. This will require close work on hands and knees so if fitness is a problem you might consider getting a quote from a flooring specialist company to do the work for you.

The next stage

After sanding carefully vacuum the tiles. If you are applying a varnish finish adhere strictly to manufacturer’s guidelines and always have a channel of fresh air in the room while you are working.

Allow maximum drying time for the varnish and only when it is fully dry do you apply another coat. Cork tiles will require two coats, possible three but that should be sufficient. Do not over-varnish or a lumpy effect will be achieved.

Time to harden

After the final layer of varnish your cork tiles will look sparkling and like new. However avoid walking on the tiles for 24 hours minimum and a full week for it to fully harden before returning furniture to the room. Leave 2 weeks before washing the tiles.

Cork floor tiling can be protected with a polyurethane sealant. Apply exactly as directed and make sure each coat is allowed maximum drying time.

Remember that cork tiles can be swept as well as vacuumed. Whilst this type of flooring can be wet-washed, care must be taken when applying a mop. Mops should be lightly moistened only avoid excessive dripping and water spillages as this will seriously damage cork tiles. Remove stubborn marks carefully with the edge of a spatula.

How to colour cork tiles

Choosing a cork floor has many plus points. Cork is versatile, warm, tough, strong – and brown. If you would like to stamp your own personality on your cork tile flooring then why not try adding a bit of colour? Colouring cork flooring is very easy to do and adds immediate character to a room.

If there is a finishing veneer on the floor this will have to be removed before applying the colour. You can, depending upon the size of the room, strip the veneer off by hiring a sanding machine or you can use an orbital hand-held sander. There is also the option of using sandpaper alone but this will be labour intensive, not to mention painful on the knees and is not recommended unless the room is very small.

When the tiles are smooth and even, vacuum away the residue and you are ready to apply the colour. Cork colour comes in super shades: bold and bright primary colours to subtle blends and pastels.

Wearing protective gloves, open the can carefully and stir with a paint stick. When the stain is well mixed apply to the floor one tile at a time. Use a clean cloth rather than a brush and begin in an area which is usually covered by furniture.

When the floor sanding is completely stained leave overnight to dry. If a darker shade is required apply a second coat. When this is completely dry you can apply a urethane protective sealant to lengthen the life of your cork tiles.

How to Successfully Screen a Hardwood Floor

Hardwood floor screening is carried out when a floor has dulled naturally through time but the overall condition of the wood is still good and does not require a full sanding and refinishing. Hardwood screening is a process whereby only the very top layer of the veneer is removed, leaving the stain or varnish untouched.

Screening is a delicate procedure that should only be carried out by professionals or the DIY-er who has previous screening experience. Heavy-handed screening will result in the whole floor having to be sanded and refinished from scratch – a costly error!

Screen your wood floor sanding using a buffing machine with screening appendage which you will be able to hire. Don’t forget to purchase suitable screening discs, which are available in 60, 80,100 and 120-grades.

Begin by affixing the roughest grade of disc (like sandpaper, the screening disc rule is that the lower the grade the coarser the disc) to the buffer then walk the machine across the floor along the length of the planks. As you move the buffer will screen off the first tier of finishing, although you must be careful to avoid over-buffing in any one place or allowing the machine to remain stationary whilst it is running. When the floor has been completely screen then lightly vacuum the dust particles away.

Begin again using a finer grade of disc, vacuum and repeat a maximum of four times each time using a finer grade of disc.

When the floor has been screened for the final time it should be markedly smoother and richer in colour than before, and completely free of tired old finishing.

Now the floor should be thoroughly cleaned with damp dusters to get rid of any particles of dust which might remain. Tie your cloth onto the head of a soft brush to get right into the corners, nooks and crannies.

Oil or water?

To screen properly you really need to know whether the existing finishing is oil or water-based. Oil-based finishing is best cleaned by a cloth dampened with paint thinner and water-based finishing should be cleaned with a water dampened rag.

Polyurethane finish

Using a good quality lambs wool mitt apply the new finishing to the floor sanding, starting at the corner of the room furthest away from the door from which you will exit. Do not completely submerge the mitt into the finish but allow it to soak up only as much as it can hold before bringing the mitt towards you in a pulling motion. Always move along with the wood grain, never against it. Polyurethane finishing should always be introduced to the floor in smooth and even strokes. Avoid puddling and seepage. Do not be afraid to wipe away residual finishing as you go and keep a dry cloth by you as you work.

Allow a full 8 hours (or preferably overnight) for the finishing to completely dry before returning to the room.

A little sanding goes a long way

 

When the finish has dried the floor is ready to be sanded by hand using a very fine grain of sandpaper. Use a light hand here as all you are looking to do is to bring a slightly matt effect to the sheen which is necessary if the next layer of finishing is to adhere to it properly. After the sanding clean up with dampened cloths as before.

Repeat the whole process again exactly as above. When you apply the third and final polyurethane coating do not sand to allow the natural shine of your newly screened hardwood floor to come through.

For best results leave the room unoccupied for 48 hours before returning furniture to the room.

Repairing and Sanding Solid Wood Flooring

When your wood, parquet or mosaic flooring is in need of repair, regardless of the size of the problem it is better to attend to the matter as soon as you notice the damage. With hardwood flooring it really is a case of a stitch in time saves nine. Many homeowners have ignored damp patches, squeaks and creaks or splintered planking only to discover months or even a year down the line that the once small eyesore has now become a major problem that spoils the aesthetics of the entire room.

Damp patches in particular have a propensity to spread and, along with dry rot, should always be dealt with as soon as they are discovered. In addition to the stale, moldy smell that comes with wet rot, there will also be noticeable spores that spread out in weird and wonderful shapes, some of which have an attractive frilly edging. However make no mistake - these pests are anything but attractive and will ruin the whole floor if they are not checked.

Unless you are an experienced craftsman it is not recommended to undertake a course of dry or wet rot treatment yourself. If you suspect you have any kind of rot in your floor boards, contact a professional wood floor specialist company who will offer a no-cost evaluation and solution.

Rot is not the only problem to afflict a wood floor. In fact the most common flaws come in the shape of split or missing boards, wood which has discolored over the years or is badly stained. Fortunately in these cases, the remedy can be within your own hands if you are reasonably competent at DIY and are not afraid of a bit of hard work.

Look after your floor and your floor will look after you in terms of aesthetics, comfort and elegance.  A beautifully maintained wood floor is always a talking point for visitors and guests to the home as well as the envy of neighbors and friends. It is not uncommon for a real wood floor to last 100 years or more, making it the most cost-effective flooring option on the market.

Repair

Much of flooring repair comes in the shape of refitting planks and replacing where necessary, removing dangerously upright splinters, screws and nails, gap filling and securing loose boards.

Once these jobs have been completed the next stage is the sanding. In order to bring the floor back to its pristine original condition, the existing veneer (which may well be patchy, discolored and faded if your floor has not been refinished for a long time) should be re-sanded back to its basic condition.

Sanding

Sanding involves totally removing not only the veneer but also a minuscule top layer of the wood itself to leave smooth and blemish-free boards. Do not attempt to apply a resurfacing product on top of a floor which has not been sanded. This never looks good and often results in an expensive and time consuming effort to put right. Floor Sanding is integral to the finished product and should therefore never be omitted.

The best way to re-sand is to hire an industrial sander from a good DIY shop. Before you take the sander away make sure the machine has been regularly serviced and maintained and adheres to current Health and Safety regulations.  These sanders are large vacuum-sized machines which you can guide along the boards sanding as you go.

If you have never used a sander before treat it with a gentle hand until you become familiar with the machine. For best results allow the sander to glide across the floor and avoid digging into the wood. It is better to lightly sand two or three times rather than one heavy sanding that leaves ruts on the floor.

 Finishing

When sanding is complete then you can apply your finishing whether it be lacquer, wood stain, varnish or oil. If you like the ‘bare board’ look of the floor after sanding then you can simply buff and polish although if you choose this option remember that the floor has no protection and is unlikely to last as long.