I think they have not been changed since the 1930s or 40s and may have been finished then, but never really kept up. Basically, I want to know what products are best to clean them.
2006-08-07 08:34:48 · 5 answers · asked by m 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Almost all wood floors in houses have some form of a finish on them when they are installed. They may not get stained but they will have some form of an oil or polyurethane finish on them.
The best way I know to clean them is with oil soap, but go lightly with the water(can cause warping and swelling),and maybe use a scotch-brite pad lightly (try not to sand off the finish with it) to remove the stubborn dirt. Then get a good wax and a floor buffer.
As far as your comment about changing them. Hardwood flooring is not like linoleum. You don't change it, it doesn't wear out.
However if you get the floors good and clean and are not satisfied with them then you do have the option of refinishing them. In which case you would sand all the finish off and apply a new finish to them.
2006-08-07 08:48:00 · answer #1 · answered by GKFTAF 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Typically, you can pull up a corner of the carpet to check the floors. If they are from the 30's or 40's, then chances are they were finished as carpeting did not really become popular until the mid 70's to early 80's. The were originally stained and then waxed. If the carpeting is really old, you will probably have some work ahead of you as the padding is probably deteriorated (gets stuck to the floor and crumbles into a fine powder). If you have this situation (as I did), a paint scraper works really well to remove the old padding. Then use ammonia and water to clean the floors. It smells bad, but nothing cleans like ammonia. Murphy's oil soap works well for finished floors that are waxed. Waxed hardwood floors require a lot of maintenance though to keep them looking well. I have refinished my house that was built in 41 and although the floors were finished, I sanded them, stained them, and refinished them. The floors condition made this my best option. I recommend using a non oil based polyurethane when you finish them. By doing this, you do not have to re-wax and buff them and they keep a nice sheen. Then I just use Orange Glow hardwood floor cleaner (make sure to read the label-some are made for waxed floors and some for non-waxed). I hope this helps!
2006-08-07 08:50:33 · answer #2 · answered by b21_hope 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was carpet mentioned? I didn't see that..
Look- refinishing hard wood floors is FUN and personally satisfying! You can rent a floor sander from a local rental place for about $50 a day. One or two days is usually all that is required for an average house.
Once you have sanded the floors off, you can stain them if you want to to give them just that perfect tint you wanted. Stain is cheap cheap cheap and there are TONS of colors. If the color is OK skip the stain- but believe me staining makes them gorgeous and evens out all the tones.
THEN after they are dry and very very clean. Paint a urethane finish on them by brush. Choose a glossy finish or a satin finish.
Put on at least three coats. I like four to five.
You can do this if you can work on your knees for a couple hours at a time. The sanding machine is a stand up walk behind. BUT staining and finishing is on the ground.
If you do it yourself, it is cheap, satisfying, AND GORGEOUS.
Try it.
Good luck
2006-08-07 17:05:08 · answer #3 · answered by Frust Parent 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I use Murphy's oil soap on my finished hardwood floors, and then put one or two coats of clear wax over it after mopping.
2006-08-07 08:38:34 · answer #4 · answered by Miss Taryn 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
THERE IS A SHINE IF FINISHED
2006-08-07 08:40:31 · answer #5 · answered by richard S 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋