By Guest Blogger Liz Nelson
The floor takes the most abuse of any other aspect of your home. Over time, it can begin to show this use in a variety of ways. At some point, it may even become torn up or marred in a terrible fashion. Before you decide to rip up the floor and begin anew, it could be cheaper to simply restore the afflicted section or otherwise refurbish the area than to replace the entire floor.
1. Hardwood – Millions of people appreciate the elegance that hardwood flooring can produce. Older homes could see a great deal of damage to this wonder over time. Instead of replacing the hardwood, you may be able to sand down the floor, stain it, and apply a sealant before the damage is beyond repair. However, not all hardwood floors can handle being sanded down to remove gouges and cracks. Many floors are produced simply too thin to sustain such a repair and you could be left with a bigger mess.
2. Stone – Marble, granite, and other stones are also susceptible to time. While stone floors are more resilient than wood, they can still suffer shifts in the Earth and crack or otherwise suffer a devastating impact from a heavy object. As long as you maintain the floor properly and regularly, you can stay on top of a problem before it needs to be replaced. Minor cracks and blemishes can be repaired by grinding or honing the affected areas. Sealants can be added to prevent cracks from widening.
3. Tiles – A cracked or broken tile is easily repairable, provided you are able to find the matching type. If the tile piece is no longer available, you may have to settle for a tile that is roughly the same thickness as the others and the fact that it may become quite obvious if someone looks down. If you’re able to find the matching tile, clean out the previous grout and reapply the piece to the affected area.
4. Peal and Stick – Peal and stick tiles are a cheap way to cover a floor for those who don’t have a lot of money. In the event one of the tiles becomes loose or peals up, replacing the tile is much the same as the above. A matching piece will need to be found otherwise you can use a different design and create a chaotic look on your floor. The difference with peal and stick tiles is that you don’t have grout to chisel out. However, if the tile works itself out of the same position repeatedly, sand the area and apply Kilz before placing another tile.
5. Carpet – Tears in the carpet can become problematic to repair. Unlike the styles listed above, carpet needs to be stretched in order to become effective. Repairing an area that is torn out could require extensive labor and time. However, simple slices or tattered areas may be easily accommodated for by using a patch and an iron. Blemishes could also be repaired by cutting out the area and replacing an identical piece in its place.
If you can do the work yourself, you can save a great amount of money on repairing your floor. Depending on the style of floor you have, repairing the area could save even more compared to replacing. Before you look at buying a new floor, why not see what you can do to restore the area to its former glory?
This is a guest post by Liz Nelson from WhiteFence.com. She is a freelance writer and blogger from Houston. Questions and comments can be sent to: liznelson17 @ gmail.com.
