Floor Filth

[unionworkeruk]

I am preparing a bare wood floor that has not been cleaned for at least 50 years. I have got layers of paint, varnish and what looks like tar off with heat gun, paint stripper, sander, bleach mix and vinegar mix but in parts there is still a stubborn coating that just refuses to move Even the sander barely affects it Its like a coating of egg shell or plaque glued to the grain in the wood.

All the professional advice is for dealing with normal dirt not 50-100 years of ingrained filth. Two buckets of clean water , one with washing up liquid and bleach and other to wipe down are black and need changing after scrubbing a single board three or four times and they are still not clean.

I can cope with the scrubbing and sanding every day for another week but what of the stubborn dirt that just will not move ?

 

[Tigercubrider]

A floor sander
You can do it yourself but paying a guy with decent equipment and dust control measures makes it far easier

 

[unionworkeruk]

I have used that and done that but I dont want to take the top layer of wood off with the dirt. I want to keep the patina so I am only using a hand sander to just smooth it and relying on wire wood and scrubbing to get the dirt out but this stuborn bit has me beat

 

[foxhole]

The patina is the filth.

 

[Tigercubrider]

changing and trying different chemicals will help.

I was removing bitumen from old parquet and discovered that white spirit worked as a solvent. I ran out and picked up what I thought was Wickes white spirit but was white spirit "substitute" and it didn't work. So I had to go again to get the right stuff.
What I mean is that you may have to try various solvents on whatever you are removing to find the one that removes it.

 

[unionworkeruk]

I want to save my sort of filth Foxhole, not just any old filth. I just found an old work top from a garage this morning which is covered in my sort of working class filth I will try white spirit on the floor this afternoon then go out for the day Tigercubrider Thanks

 

[Tigercubrider]

you could always sand it and add your own patina

 

[unionworkeruk]

I am sanding them. It is just those stubborn ugly stains I cannot get rid of with sanding (It just skims over them) white spirit, paint stripper, bleach, wire wool and heat gun........I am running out of options