Can you clean hardwood flooring to look, as new?

[Dave123456789]

hi all

I was told laminate is cheap so when choosing flooring for hallway went for hard wood in 2010 - big mistake!!

As you can see it's just got really dirty at least the laminate was wipe able!!!

So is there any way I can rescue this??

Longer piece of carpet to cover isn't a suggestion

Iv heard about maybe sanding down - but then how does it look "oak" again if raw wood?

Who from yell pages can I call of there is a professional solution?

Thanks

 

[Dave123456789]

 

[JohnD]

what varnish did you use?

Where's the doormat?

 

[Dave123456789]

i didn't use any varnish......was i meant to???!

sorry i took it out for the sake of the pic its in the small porch area but door is shut for the sake of providing full pic in case you wanted to see beading or anything like that

sorry i am no chippy just upset its so dirty!

 

[JohnD]

It ought to be varnished. The dirt will have worked into the pores of the wood. You can try scrubbing it with a nylon brush, but it may go pale. I think you will end up sanding it.

If the colour is patchy afterwards, you can use Colron wood dye to even it. A good trick is to mix up a few shades and do alternate boards in different tints, it hides unevenness better than if you try to do it all the same.

When fully cleaned, use a satin Diamond floor varnish. A clear one will be easier to recoat in future than if you try to use a tinted varnish or stain. Not a gloss one as it will highlight imperfections, and looks unnatural.

A soft mat just inside the door will reduce dirt and wear. Have a more bristly one outside by the step.

 

[Dave123456789]

Wish I just bought laminate honestly!! At least it keeps colour

Thanks for your suggestions it sounds like a skilled job

Who in yellow pages can I search for to do this type of thing can you recommend?

ie the profession

 

[vinn]

Whoever trades as: Hardwood floor sanders.
Lightly buffing the finish off and re-finishing will work but you have other, more urgent, problems according to your other post.

 

[Dave123456789]

thank you

i cant believe sanding is the only method

you'd think there would be some sort of wood cleaning detergent

 

[vinn]

Its not being suggested that sanding is the only method.
The trade of: "Hardwood floor sanders" have usually developed expertise in cleaning wood floors.

 

[crazydaze]

You can try wood cleaning soaps, but that looks far too ingrained and needs a light sand.

It looks like you have an oiled floor there, they need constant maintanence and the correct cleaning soaps to stand a chance of staying looking good.

If you want a real engineered floor but it needs to be easier to live with, a Lacquered finish is the answer, the same finish as a laminate but with the look of real wood underneath.

If it's a UV Oiled finish, you may get more out with a wood soap than you may think.

Of course, have you ever used water to clean the floor??

NEVER use water on a wood or laminate floor.

You should use either a Laminate spray cleaner, or a Wood Soap Spray cleaner, never introduce more moisture than that as the water will darken the grain and damage the wood.

As has been mentioned, where is the protective door mat???? Essential to have a mat system with any wood or laminate floor.

 

[chappers]

You made the right choice getting a wood floor, just looks like you made the wrong choice of finish for a heavy traffic area such as the hallway, you needed something like a heavy duty lacquer rather than an oiled finish. to be honest if its 6 years old and only that dirty you can't have been too hard on it.
Give it a scrub see what happens if not get it refinished.
As an aside our wooden hall gets mopped on an almost daily basis , thanks to the mud from the dog and has been down about 10 years and is still fine

 

[crazydaze]

Chappers, it's a cardinal sin to wash a wood floor, it's not recommended by any wood flooring product I have come across, there are correctly designed soaps and cleaners that are suitable. Open grained non-sealed product like UV Oiled and Oiled surfaces will be very quickly damaged, the potential for peaking joints and warping boards is also a big risk.

 

[Dave123456789]

The sanding and re finish sounds like a lot of expertise which I don't have ...and expense? I'm not sure who could do this for me??

And will I truly get it back to a decent condition ?? I let you tell me

Otherwise I'm thinking of putting in a cheap laminate instead now it can't cost much just to do the hallway area and as its laminate it should last longer! Upstairs fairly heavy traffic and hasn't changed colour

Or I will go for a laminated hard wood / lacquer finish

It's annoying cos I put the same flooring in my living room adjacent to hallway just a couple of years ago. That's kept its colour but over time will it get the same as hallway?

Ps we mop the floor with flash or something every month

Didn't realise water was bad for it???

 

[crazydaze]

Did'nt realise water was bad for it? The instructions with the floor will clearly have stated not to mop the floor, look at products such as the 'Wood's Good' range of cleaners for the type of products that you should be using.

A reputable wood flooring company would be ble to advise on a light renovation of the floor without the need to replace it, that's the route I would go down.