Dirty old floorboards

[unionworkeruk]

I have recently taken up the carpet in a spare room and found another underneath, Under all the gunge are the original floorboards for a 10 year old terrace house. Not treated in any way but covered in grime, paint, gunge and dirt.

I have got rid of the paint and bashed in or removed dozens of tacks and nails. The boards are full of character (dints and scratches ) which I want to keep so heavy duty sanding is out of the question.

I have sanded it with 60 grit on an electric hand sander (Erbauer) and washed it with water and bleach and Trisodium Phosphate several times and still there are buckets of filthy water when I sponge them down afterwards. Parts of the boards are still virtually black while others are turning orange when wet and are beginning to look quite good..

Is there a way of speeding the process or is it a choice between weeks of sanding and washing or hiring a belt sander and taking the top of the boards destroying 100 years of character and history ?


I attach one photo when dry and one when wet.

 

[JohnD]

scrubbing brush, a bit of flash, and lots of damp towels or a wet vac to clean up the dirty water before it settles.

you can get a deck scrubber with a broomhandle, as used on boats.