An old solid wood floor restored

Why restore rather than replace

This living room had a beautiful solid wood floor, but years of foot traffic had dulled it: scratches, stains, the finish worn through to bare wood in places. Many people's reflex is to lay a new floor on top. A shame: a solid wood floor can be sanded and restored several times in its life.

Restoring costs less than replacing, and above all you keep the original wood, its patina and its character. No new floor tells the same story.

The work: sand, repair, protect

The first step is to sand back to bare woodSanding back to bare wood: sanding the floor down to bare timber, in several increasingly fine passes. All the old finishes, stains and scratches disappear with the surface layer. Known as ponçage à blanc on a French quote.: several passes with the sander, from coarse to fine grit, to remove the old finish and get back to bare timber. That is when the floor reveals its true colour, often far lighter than you imagined.

Then I repair whatever needs it: damaged boards, gaps, small holes. Then comes the protection: a lacquer sealLacquer seal: the application of a special floor varnish that forms a clear, hard-wearing protective layer. It is the most durable finish for a high-traffic room like a living room. Known as vitrification on a French quote. in several coats, which protects the wood from daily use for many years to come, while leaving its grain visible.

The result speaks for itself: the same floor, just as it was on day one.