Reclaimed Parquet Block Cleaning

Elgie · Posted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 12:37 pm Post Subject: Reclaimed Parquet Block Cleaning

I’ve recently bought some reclaimed parquet blocks to put through out my house down stairs. I have 55m2 to do, and I’m now realizing how much work I have to do !

I have found a quick way to remove the pitch from the back of the blocks using a heatgun and I’m not doing too bad cleaning the three groved edges using a sheet sander. I am struggling to clean up the remaining edge that has the tongue on. I’ve been scrapping this edge to get the majority of the stuff off and then using a mouse sander to clean it up, but its painfully slow and I have so many blocks to do…

Any advise on a quicker way to clean of the stuff that’s stuck to side of my blocks would be much appreciated !

Thanks

Elgie (with sore hands ! )

NatalieB · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:13 pm Post Subject: Cleaning parquet blocks

I am about to finish the mammouth task of cleaning 25 sq m. This is how I did it after trying sanding, NitroMors and chisels. You will have found that any friction causes heat and the bitumen to become sticky and nightmarish.

My preferred method works best in winter:

Take an old hand saw (wood one) with big teeth (we cut a long saw in half). Use the teeth edge to bang the large chunks of bitumen off then use the teeth at angles to saw/scrape off excess. Take a triangular scraper and use this to clean the grooves and then brush off with a wire brush. This was the fastest method. The bitument flies all over the place so be prepared to get covered and wear gloves. This method works best in the winter (when it's cold) or if you have to do it in summer put the blocks in the freezer before cleaning.

topgazza · Posted: Mon Dec 03, 2007 2:56 pm Post Subject:

Lucky they're not floorboards....big freezer required

Thats an excellent method though.

Turpentine or Turpentine Substitute destroys bitumen but will soak into the wood if too much is used and cause staining but might be useful for those stubborn bits. Put on a cloth and wiped on it should remove light patches left after scrapping. Try it on a small off cut first to see how it fairs.

daviddce · Posted: Sun Mar 02, 2008 4:20 pm Post Subject: Reclaimed parquet floor

I am considering buying some parquet that will need restoration. My idea was to run the blocks through a thicknesser to remove the bitumen, then to run through again to prepare the floor surface. Any comments would be appreciated!

rawtimber · Posted: Sun Nov 15, 2009 11:11 am Post Subject: cleaning reclaimed parquet floor

The best way to clean parquet blocks is with a flap wheel placed in a spindle moulder. Carefully pass the blocks past the wheel on all four sides taking care to apply even pressure. This will clean the tougue and groove allowing you to fit with a nice tight joint.

If you wish to remove the tar the best method is to use a thickness planer. This will remove upto 90% of the tar with one pass. However it is best to clean the top surface after you have laid the flooring, to retain as much of the character as possible.

Make sure you have adequate dust extraction facilities and sharp tools and adequate PPE during either process as this will make the job safer and a more pleasurable.

Happy Cleaning!!!