There’s an alternative to ripping up all of your existing floor finishes and having fresh replacements put in. It isn’t an avenue recommended by most Interior Designers, as the margins for this sort of work is a lot lower than retiling or even overlaying with new tiles.
If you’ve taken over a space with floor tiles that are scuffed, you can often bring them back to life by opting to have them refinished. In general, choosing to go down this route means you’d save on up to 80% of hacking and tiling costs. A not-insignificant amount, considering tiling can run into the tens of thousands of dollars.
But as with everything in life, there’s a catch. Not every type of flooring can be refinished. In general, tiles with a smooth finish can be brought back from the brink. Parquet flooring can also be refreshed, and with good results too.
How is it Done?
Specialists use a variety of polishing tools to wear away the scuffs on the tile. They use orbital machines with liquid abrasives to eat away the peaks of the scuffs. Increasingly fine grades are then utilised, until a perfectly smooth surface is revealed.
Depending on the type of floor finish, an additional sealant layer may be added to increase the overall durability and create a longer lasting lustre. There are slight differences in the processes of each refinishing job. We’ll break them down by explaining the differences from each of the tiles!
Natural Stone
These tiles are almost always suitable for refinishing. Your existing flooring could have numerous protective layers already applied, and there’s a chance that the scuffs and stains have not yet penetrated the slab itself.
Even if that was the case, specialists can grind down the top layer of your tile, before buffing it back up to a deep gloss. You can also opt to use Marble Gum instead of grout. This epoxy-like substance creates a perfectly level and smooth finish!
Homogenous Tiles
Full-Bodied Porcelain tiles can be polished infinitely. At least, in theory. The patterns you see on these tiles are present throughout the entire slab, so there isn’t a chance that you’d grind away the pattern.
Glazed Porcelain tiles are made of the same material, though they more closely mimic the look of Natural Stone. This is achieved by adding a thin decorative layer on top of the Porcelain tile. You can still polish these tiles, but not excessively as you’d wear away the top layer and ruin your floors.
Whilst you can use Marble Gum for these tiles too, experts often will not recommend it. The lack of imperfections and minute pockets of air in the tile itself does not allow for the expansion and contraction of the floor tiles, which means the tiles may pop out or crack in the long run.
Parquet Flooring
You’ll get the best results from refinishing Parquet. The nature of this material allows you to replace areas with the most severe damage, then using a variety of grinders and stains to allow for a perfect overall match throughout your home.
But you Shouldn’t Always Refinish Your Tiles
If the existing tiles of the unit that you’ve just purchased happen to complement the design you’re looking for, refinishing your floors can be a realistic, compromise-free option to saving big bucks. However, there’s no use having to deviate from your ideal vision just to save money on your flooring.
What’s the use of having perfectly finished floors if you are living in a space that you don’t particularly like the look of? As the design styles locally trend towards having wooden floors, consider opting for a quality vinyl tile to overlay the floor instead!
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