Self Help

There are many variations in wood floors, ranging from pine planks and walnut to birch, beech, pecan, oak and maple, and a wide variety of patterns including blocks, strips, and tightly fitted parquet. Some are cemented down, some nailed, others pegged, and the floors may be finished with varnish, oil, stain, urethane sealer, wax, shellac or deck enamel, each with its special cleaning and maintenance requirements.

The Water Rule

Whatever kind of wood floor you have, there’s one detail that applies: Wash with as little water as possible - even on wood that has a sealer coat or is painted. Never leave water standing on the floor, wipe spills immediately, avoid water-based wax and polishes. The purpose is to prevent water spots on the surface finish and possible warping of the boards.

Stuck-On Soil

Stubborn soil that clings to waxed floors can be removed by rubbing lightly with steel wool moistened with turpentine or similar solvent. For white water spots in a shellac surface, use a soft cloth saturated with alcohol, diluted 1-to-l with water. Apply lightly; do not rub, to avoid cutting through the shellac surface.

When complete washing is necessary to clear food spills or tracked-in soil, use a detergent solution followed by a clear water rinse, in both instances using the smallest amount of water and wiping it up promptly. For an overall cleaning before putting down new shellac, always use a floor-polishing machine with a pad of No. 3 steel wool, then vacuum and rinse with clean water, sponged up at once.

Waxing Your Floors

When waxing, use the paste type, polished with an electric buffer, rather than the water-emulsion type. Worn traffic spots on a shellacked floor can be touched up readily with shellac and will blend in perfectly. After a light sanding and dusting, apply the shellac in several very thin coats, each allowed to dry thoroughly and sanded with fine-grit paper to smooth out the pebbled surface.

Remove embedded soil from a varnished floor by rubbing with a mixture of pumice in lubricating oil and wipe with a solvent-saturated cloth to pick up sticky oil, which will collect grit. For renewing a varnished area, first strip it down by sanding or with a chemical remover. Make sure that the touch-up coat matches the shade of the original.

Here’s the test that will tell you whether a wood floor is coated with shellac or varnish. Soak a small piece of cloth or blotter with alcohol (rubbing alcohol will do) and place it on an inconspicuous spot for a few minutes. If the finish becomes softened and can be wiped up, it is shellac. Alcohol will not affect varnish.