Advice Re Timber Flooring Repair/Cleaning

shortarmsdeeppockets on 15/06/2018 - 09:35

Looking for some advice from folks familiar with timber flooring repair or restoration.

We have just purchased a new home, with very nice varnished timber flooring throughout the living areas.

Upon moving in, we've noticed that in several areas of the flooring it appears that damage has been caused to the flooring by shoeprints. I say 'appears', as this may simply be a layer of dirt/grime from shows that we don't know how to remove, as we're surprised that normal shoes would have been able to cause damage to flooring in this way. Normal mopping does not appear to affect it.

A couple of example photos are attached at the following link: https://imgur.com/a/cAxDD4p

Is this just dirt/grime from shoes, and if so how can we remove this? Or is this actual damage to the flooring surface, and if so is there a simple way to restore/repair it?

Thanks.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • mshanann on 15/06/2018 - 09:46
    +2

    Try some (diluted) Selleys Sugar Soap on it.

    If it doesn't come off with that, you may have to lightly sand the area and varnish/restain

  • dcep on 15/06/2018 - 09:54
    +2

    that's tradie's shoeprint dried out with some construction material residue

  • Roofus on 15/06/2018 - 09:58
    +2

    From the picture it looks like its ghosting, which means the shoe prints are underneath the varnish. It happens in a lot of newer places after around 6 months of it being varnished and then they show up

    • thatonethere on 15/06/2018 - 11:01
      +1

      Yeah that's classic ghosting. What happens is that somewhere in the life of the timberfloor someone has trod on it with boots which have some residual chemicals and slowly over time they react with the varnish. Generally it is not cleanable - sanding is the only fix…

      Sometimes it takes years to show up - or can happen post installation. Which is why it is always a good idea to ask tradies to take their boots off if they are coming into your house onto a timber floor.

    • shortarmsdeeppockets on 15/06/2018 - 12:34

      Thanks for that Roofus and thatonethere, sounds like we've got a bit of work on our hands to fix it…

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