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Renovating Flooring DIY

Can I restore this parquet flooring?

Elizabeth Smith

3 years ago

Hi, I’ve recently purchased a 1910 terrace. I hoped to sand all original floorboards downstairs, however we have discovered that the edge of the hallway, living room, and dining room is lined with what I believe is parquet flooring (approx a 400mm border of parquet). The centre of the floor is original floorboards, which I presume would have been covered with a rug? Because we are unable to have restored original floorboards as our flooring (the boards under the parquet are obviously at a lower level), I’m hoping to do something with the parquet. Is it worth restoring this parquet flooring in the living room? The pieces are VERY thin which makes me doubt its quality. It also has some form of fabric underneath it. Some pieces are missing but I could take them from the hallway, as this will be carpeted. You can see on one photo that a small part of the floor has been cut - could I fill this? I would cover the centre of the room with a large rug, as I presume was done in the past. Please excuse my ignorance, this is our first home. Examples of parquet that I’ve found online seem much thicker but I would love to restore this if I could / if it is worthwhile. I’m just looking for some advice - thank you.

Comments (2)

PRO
Inner Space Flooring
3 years ago
As this is wood, it is possible to restore this, but it's a long process. Getting floor of the same thickness and size possible, we have our own workshop doing this, or we get this made by a third party. This floor looks like oak.

Once fitted it will need a full sand, the colour of the new wood is certainly going to be different so some care needs to be taken to stain the floor appropriately. Once sanded this will look great, but it's a long, expensive process.
Rowland
3 years ago
hi Elizabeth,

The floor that you have is nice and is laid with an integral backing from your photos. it is thin as the pattern is small and it is an overlay floor, using the substrate for the strength. you can certainly lift the floor and relay it in a room of your choice. with time and patience I'm sure you will be able to restore the floor yourself, if this is something you want to do yourself.

the original floorboards will be ok underneath the parquet, although they may require sanding to remove residual glue.

you will need a slight transition strip at the door to get you down to the existing floor height, but it will look fine.

it may be worth getting a flooring company to give you a quote for the sanding as this can be a challenge.

good luck and enjoy your new home!!

best

Rowland
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