Planning to renovate parquet floor

P

pna

Hello

We have a parquet floor that is looking a little old and tired.

The style of parquet is individual pieces of wood about 3" long x 0.5" wide, where about 6 are placed together to make a square, which is then placed next to another square but at 90 degrees, in order to make a nice pattern.

Our problem is some of the pieces have become loose and gaps are appearing, which is I suspect, due to central heating pipes running under the floor. The wood appears to have been fixed with a black substance (bitumin?). It has also been varnished in a dark finish, which apart from being a little oppressive, has been scratched in some places so a lighter colour shows through.

The questions I have are therefore:
1. Am I correct that it is better to restore the floor rather than replace (we kind of like it) ?
2. Is there a type of glue that is suitable for sticking the loose pieces down to avoid them lifting again?
3. Should I look to use a varnish removing chemical or attempt to sand the floor down? Is this a difficult job?
4. Once the old finish has been removed, how should I treat it (I would like it to be lighter than the previous finish).

Thanks
 
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pna said:
Hello

The questions I have are therefore:
1. Am I correct that it is better to restore the floor rather than replace (we kind of like it) ?
2. Is there a type of glue that is suitable for sticking the loose pieces down to avoid them lifting again?
3. Should I look to use a varnish removing chemical or attempt to sand the floor down? Is this a difficult job?
4. Once the old finish has been removed, how should I treat it (I would like it to be lighter than the previous finish).

Thanks

1. If you like it why not just try to restore it first. If that doesn't work out you can always decide to have another one?

2. Normal parquet adhesive should do the trick, BUT... make sure you remove as much bitumen as possible from underfloor and woodblocks. It will take a little longer for the adhesive to bond when bitumen redisue is left.

3. Try cleaning it in a small area first and see if that works (I think it will take a lot of 'elbow-grease' to do the whole floor this way, but it could work). If the result isn't to your liking you can sand the floor. And yes, it's a heavy, dusty job. If you hire a sanding machine, make sure it's a proper one, otherwise you end-up with more damages than there are now (sanding marks etc). Also make sure all blocks are bonded properly, you don't want them to end up in the sanding machine!

4. After all the existing finish is removed, try Natural HardWaxOil, easy to apply, brings out the natural colour of the wood and is easy to maintain.

for more tips and products, see our profile for the web site or our ad under Find a Supplier: floor supplier in TN24 or TN27 area
(Alright Mr mod :D )
 
Thanks for the reply.

On 3, what would constitute a 'proper' sanding machine?
 
One with an 'ongoing' belt, endless belt, never-ending belt everyone calls it something else.
Most hire centres do one where you have to roll the sand belt on the drum and 'grip' it together with a metal gripper. If not done correctly (specially the coarser belts - 40 to 60 - can be a pain to 'slot-in' correctly) the metal gripper will stick out, leaving marks on the floor with every turn.

Make sure the belt-sander is heavy enough: 70 to 80 kg.
 
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