Oak block floor.

[Athley]

Hi everyone

Can you advise. We have a 1930's oak block floor in living and dining rooms. The dining room one has been stained quite dark by previous owner but living room has never been touched.

We would like to restore them - would you recommend hiring a sander or is there an easier way such as cleaning the floor (particularly the living room). I remember seeing a programme where they did a floor with something like white vinegar, white spirit and something else!!!
Any suggestions would be really helpful.

Thanks!!! ;o)

[Narolines]

It will partly depend on what kind of colouring was used on your living room blocks. If it was a water-based or spirit-based stain it will have penetrated into the wood and it will be very difficult to bring them back to their natural colour. If, on the other hand, they have been treated with coloured varnish you will probably be able to strip that and be in with fighting chance. It will be hard work and probably a long job, but I'm sure you'll think it worth it. I'd try a little patch where it won't show with a paint stripper such as Nitromors to see what happens. If it's varnish stain it'll bubble up and you'll be able to scrape it off revealing the natural wood; if it's clear varnish over woodstain the varnish will lift but the colour will remain. If you can get the wood back to natural, steel wool and white spirit work well to give it a final clean. To expose a fresh surface of natural oak ready for clear varnishing, a floor sander is the best tool - but PLEASE be careful. Floor sanders can be vicious brutes and the last thing you want is to sand great grooves and hollows out of your lovely oak floor! You CAN do the job by hand, but it's a long, long, hard, tiring job - not unlike holystoning the deck of a tea-clipper! Best of luck.

[Athley]

Thank you so much for replying. You have been extremely helpful and pointed out things we didn't know about whether the floor has been varnished or stained.

My husband is going to do a patch test first as you suggested and as he's a big strong lad I think he will tackle it by hand rather than use the thugish sander - I have a feeling that could all go horribly wrong in our house, we're not very good with machinery!!!

Once again a big thank you. :o)