Whether you're buying or renting, moving into a new home is sure to be costly. Everyone knows that flooring is a home essential -- you use it all the time to get from room to room. That's why it can feel so tempting to start a full flooring renovation as soon as you move in. However, unless you have a big budget or a tiny home, it can be very costly to replace what's there. Luckily, you don't have to. Here's how you can save money, time, and stress by renewing the existing flooring in your new home.
Hardwood
Many people choose hardwood flooring for its structural longevity -- with the right maintenance, it can last forever. However, the wood's appearance can start to deteriorate over the years if it's not taken care of. If you move into a home with worn and scratched wooden floors, you don't have to rip everything up and start again. Floor sanding is your answer. Call in a professional to sand off the top layer of your wood, and then have it finished with a stain and lacquer of your choice. Wood stains come in a variety of colours to suit any style to décor, giving the illusion of a brand new floor at a fraction of the cost.
Carpets
The luxurious and comfortable appeal of carpets comes at a price. Without proper care and maintenance, they can quickly become worn and raggedy. Thankfully, some of the most common carpet problems can be cured with a DIY touch. Damaged spots or burn holes, for example, can be patched using a carpet knife, carpet tape, and a carpet tractor. If you don't have any leftover pieces of the original carpet, cut a small, intact square from underneath a piece of your new furniture. While this may seem drastic, it works perfectly fine as a temporary solution until you save up for a replacement. Cut out the damaged section of carpet, and use your intact square to fill the hole. Stick it down using carpet tape, and then mesh the new and existing fibres together with a carpet tractor. If the repair is beyond your capabilities, a professional carpet restoration team will be able to fix things for less than the cost of a new roll of flooring.
Tiles
Years of dirt, polish, and heavy use can really take a toll on floor tiles. It's not uncommon to find tiles cracked or loose in a new home, which is especially devastating when the flooring is a charming period or mosaic piece. Luckily, you don't have to lose the quaint and luxurious look by completely reflooring. If you're willing to put in a little elbow grease, you can resolve most tiling problems yourself. You can remove most grime with a soft brush and some floor detergent. If you have loose tiles, regular PVA glue from your local craft or hardware store should do the trick. Chips can be hidden using epoxy putty in a matching colour. Missing or completely broken tiles won't be a problem either, even if you can't source the original tile retailer. Nowadays, tile restoration companies use technology to create new tile sheets quickly and easily that colour-match your existing flooring.
Share10 February 2016
Welcome to my blog, my name is Kate. My parents lived in a very old home which still had its original flooring. I loved the pattern of the Victorian bathroom floor tiles, the glow of the timber wood, and the smooth ceramic kitchen floor. I would spend many hours sitting on the floors, feeling the surface as I played with my toys. When I bought my own home, the first thing I installed was new flooring to re-create the wonder of my childhood. I have decided to start this blog to pass on my passion for flooring with the rest of the world.
