Q: My parquet floors are stained a dark walnut. How do I lighten them? ALso, some of the joints have opened up, trapping dirt. How do I seal the gaps and remove scratches in the wood?

A: Are you sure you wish to lighten your floors? Dark stained wood floors make wonderful backdrops for furniture in pale natural hues or bright pastel colours. The trick is to use a large carpet in a lighter colour and vibrant accent colours in accessories.

The only way you can get rid of a wood stain is to sand the floor down to bare wood. This will also take care of damaged surfaces marred by dents and scratches. You will have to clear all your furniture for about a week to allow the flooring specialists to sand, seal, air and polish, so the inconvenience will be major.

he gaps that appear in the parquet’s joints are natural. Wood is organic and will expand, shrink and shift as it ages. Unless the gap is so wide you can slip a coin in, do not try to seal it with a chemical sealant. This is likely to harm the wood.

simpler way to brighten up your floor is to paint it. Try an “instant antique” wood finish with the paint scrapped off to show the grain beneath. This will hide gaps and scratches too.