Hi,
I'm trying to clean a thick (75 year) wax layer from an oak floor.
I've been scrubbing with a strong detergent for an entire weekend but a good deal of wax still remains in the grain.
If I try hand sanding with 80 grit the paper clogs within a few seconds so I would think a floor sander would be a waste of time.
The floor is in good condition, does anyone know how can get down to bare wood so I can varnish.
Thanks, Steve.
Remove remaining traces of wax with a cloth moistened with mineral spirits (paint thinner). Repeat if needed.
You can use course wirewool instead of cloth
Why not just take it down a bit further and oil and wax again? It seems a travesty to make an oak floor look like plastic.
You mean white spirit?
Repeat if needed.
Yes, coarse wire wool, and lots of it. Buy it from a plumbers merchant.
I wish you hadn't said that. I've been torn between waxing and varnish for weeks and I finally decided I'd give the varnish a go.
I've seen varnish on modern solid floors and I agree they just look like a sheet of melamine. I figured that since my floor is worn that varnish would look the same as wax but be more hard wearing and maintenance free.
To keep the wax in good condition I found I had to redo it every three months. It's bugger on your knees and I can't afford a scullery maid.
Will they really look so bad? You've got me worried.
It won't be too bad if you use matt or semi-matt varnish - polyurethane.
Mary
How it looks is down to the care taken in the application. French polish can look like plastic if it's toshed on with a brush
making very sure that any pieces are removed before other treatment. The tannin in the oak makes steel produce a black stain.
Buy yourself a floor polisher.
We got a Fakir 3. Yes it really is called that.
Having three brushes rather than two means that it doesn't wander around the floor too much under its own steam but is light to move around as well. It will also go almost into the corners.
I bought mine at a janitorial supply place during a trip to Germany. You can get them in the UK, from similar places although there is a large variation in prices. There are a few places doing reconditioned ones as well, which I think would be a good bet.
I did also look at Kaercher who have a product (FP222). This is less expensive but lighter build as well so I preferred the Fakir, but this one appears to be OK as well.
At any rate, one of these will turn a real chore into quite a pleasant job that doesn't take a long time at all. No housemaid's knee or hurting back.
I would never varnish a proper hardwood floor. Keep in mind also that apart from the aesthetics, when varnish has been used and it is damaged or worn, the whole lot has to be redone. With oil/polish, you can treat small areas if needed.
Varnish always looks like plastic to a greater or lesser degree and has to be taken off altogether if there is damage or wear. Overall, far worse to maintain.
I was thinking that too; one thing to varnish a newly sanded pine floor, another thing to remove a period wax finish from oak.
Buy or hire a floor polishing machine, or even a polishing pad on an electric drill.
It will definately look *different*.
Owain
Indeed it does. Bad advice on my part. Stainless steel wool doesn't IIRC but I may not remember correctly.
In article , Steve Jones writes
If all else fails, try some citrus based snowboard cleaner, designed to remove wax from deep pored ptfe bases, the ultimate degreaser/dewaxer.
Until, several years down the line it starts to wear off. At least with oil or wax you can easily keep it looking good.
I've the floor in the downstairs bog to sort out (varnished/stained 20 years ago, now with great tracts of grey patches where the varnish has worn off).
Hi,
I'm trying to clean a thick (75 year) wax layer from an oak floor.
I've been scrubbing with a strong detergent for an entire weekend but a good deal of wax still remains in the grain.
If I try hand sanding with 80 grit the paper clogs within a few seconds so I would think a floor sander would be a waste of time.
The floor is in good condition, does anyone know how can get down to bare wood so I can varnish.
Very unlikely IME. Once you have waxed, especially over 75 years you probably won't ever get it back to base. Nothing really bonds to wax very well.
Best option is to clean it up with white spirit & re wax it.
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