Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - 200 yr. old floors
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suzookigirl
04-14-02, 09:25 PM
i am in the process of buying a 200 year old house with original floors. theyre beautiful wide board floors, but theyre FILTHY. i dont know if there is still any wax or any protective coating on them at all. i dont want to sand them or alter them in any way except to clean them up and butchers wax them. what is the best way to clean them up without using too much water or sanding? i'm afraid that where there may be no coating left, water will stain them. thanks for any input.
Bazooka227
04-16-02, 02:43 PM
You can attempt to dust them off. I wouldn't wash them w/water especially if there's no finish on them.
If the floors look ok, no dings or scratches, and has no finish then you can try just screening it and poly it.
If the floors look ok, no dings or scratches, and has no finish then you can try just screening it and poly it.
twelvepole
04-16-02, 03:19 PM
First, you must determine what type of finish is on your floor. Wax, shellac or varnish, or surface finish like polyurethane? If you do a test in an inconspicuous place like in a closet or corner, you can determine what type of finish. Take a coin and scrape the surface of the floor. If the finish flakes off, it is probably shellac or varnish. The shellac or varnish will need to be sanded off before refinishing with a surface finish or wax finish.
To test for wax finish, place some drops of water on the floor. Do this behind a door or some place where wax would not have worn off. If the floor turns white, you have a wax finish. To remove white spots, use #000 steel wool and solvent based paste wax for wood floors. Wax finished floors should never be damp mopped! Solvent based floor wax will dissolve soil and old wax. When it is buffed, it restores the shine. Waxed floors should not be waxed more than once or twice a year. Buffing will maintain the shine. If necessary, high traffic areas may need more frequent waxing. Avoid overwaxing to prevent wax buildup.
If floor finish does not flake off or turn white, then you have a surface finish. Surface finishes should not be waxed as the wax will interfere with the refinishing process. They can, however, be damp mopped using plain water or a pH neutral cleaner safe for hardwood floor finishes. If surface finish has worn away and raw wood is exposed, do not damp mop or use any type of water based cleaner on the wood. The floors will need to be sanded and refinished.
To test for wax finish, place some drops of water on the floor. Do this behind a door or some place where wax would not have worn off. If the floor turns white, you have a wax finish. To remove white spots, use #000 steel wool and solvent based paste wax for wood floors. Wax finished floors should never be damp mopped! Solvent based floor wax will dissolve soil and old wax. When it is buffed, it restores the shine. Waxed floors should not be waxed more than once or twice a year. Buffing will maintain the shine. If necessary, high traffic areas may need more frequent waxing. Avoid overwaxing to prevent wax buildup.
If floor finish does not flake off or turn white, then you have a surface finish. Surface finishes should not be waxed as the wax will interfere with the refinishing process. They can, however, be damp mopped using plain water or a pH neutral cleaner safe for hardwood floor finishes. If surface finish has worn away and raw wood is exposed, do not damp mop or use any type of water based cleaner on the wood. The floors will need to be sanded and refinished.