Find out what kind of wood you are trying to restore.
Lucky is the homeowner who finds a fabulous wood floor underneath grimy old carpet. Wood floors were used almost universally in homes before the advent of wall-to-wall carpeting. Barring extensive damage, you can restore wooden floors. Before beginning a restoration project, it's good to know what type of wood you're working with. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Research the history of the house and the floors, if possible. Original floors in a home built prior to 1880 are probably wide-plank floors made of pine, chestnut, elm, ash or fir. After 1880, homeowners used strip flooring made from narrow strips of maple and oak. In general, wood floors were made from whatever wood was available locally, according to the Old House Journal.
2. Inspect the grain of the wood. Maple and cherry woods have fine, uniform or somewhat wavy grains. Oak and pine have more pronounced grains and knots.
3. Look at the color of the wood. While it might have faded or yellowed with age, unstained wood colors are as follows: pine -- white to almost yellow; maple -- creamy white to warm nutmeg; oak -- light yellow to light brown; and cherry -- dark red or brown. The color of cherry wood often varies considerably from plank to plank. Stained wood is much harder to identify by its color.
4. Rub your hand across the surface of the wood. Maple and oak are the hardest woods and generally have fewer nicks and dents. Pine or cherry woods are quite soft and sustain more damage over time.
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