stripping black edging from victorian floorboards

[sonicsimon]

Hi
Could anyone give any advice on the easiest way of stripping the black edge often put on victorian floorboards (other than getting someone else to do it). Any advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[WoodYouLike]

I'm not sure what you mean here.
Are you talking about a strip (10 to 15mm wide) in different wood-type glued - nailed in between pattern and border of parquet/herringbone flooring?

 

[sonicsimon]

The strip is some kind of black paint which has been painted onto the existing floorboards. When we have tried to sand it off in the past it has got sticky (so I don't know whether it is some kind of stain, its almost like some kind of tar). We were under the impression that a lot of Victorian houses had this type of border as it was also on some of the floorboards on our last house (and my brothers), we think at the early 1900s people used to have fitted rugs over the floorboards and would paint this black stuff around the rug for some reason. If you come across it you will find that it is a pain to get rid of, so we thought that we would ask anyone in this forum if they have found any ways of doing it, as we think that someone is bound to have had similar experiences.

Thanks anyway

 

[WoodYouLike]

I'm afraid I can't help you there. We only encounter the 'proper' strips and border I've explained in my first post.

Have you tried (in a small corner or underneath furniture) to remove it with White Spirit?

 

[masona]

I'm not sure what you mean here.

My grandparents and my old property has about 18" border all round and the carpet fitted to that border edge like a rug.

I got mine off with the floor belt sander.

 

[flooringman]

Sanding is the best way to remove this. It does however quickly clog the sanding belt but you can get plastic blocks (or just a length of old plastic waste pipe) to remove the residue to save on countless replacement belts.

 

[chappers]

The edge was painted back in the times before fitted carpets.
hire a floor sander and go over the whole lot.

 

[kev28uk]

Hi ive got the same problem with this substance, hired an edging sander but its coming off but going through the disc's really quickly, is 36 the lowest grade i can use, it works for a short period of time

 

[dextrous]

Use a paint stripper heatgun and a scraper to get rid of the worse, then sand it

 

[Symptoms]

simon - border painting of floors was the norm then but only in what we now call reception rooms and what the Victorians called palours; these were generally the only rooms fitted with a rug (other rooms were often bare boards or they might just have had a home-made clippy mat). Anyway, original Victorian paint was based on linseed oil (and lead) and as a result tends to soften when sanded thus clogging the belt or disc. Heat & scrape then sand (as per dextrous advice). Unless you're an expert with a propane torch & scraper do use a heatgun to avoid scorching the boards (or burning the house down), mask-up and ventilate to avoid lead fumes.