I have got to sand an old wood floor. It is anything up to 3-400 years old and has been, at one time, covered with sisal/seagrass on a double stick installation. There are residues of what looks like F3 remaining which I have tried to clean off with a combination of white spirit and sanding with a Rotex just to see how difficult it might be to remove. I don't want to spend forever using this method but I feel using a sanding machine will result in a load of clogged belts. Does anyone have any suggestions please?
Was the sisal glued directly to the floor boards ? There shouldn't be any adhy on the floorboards if it was plyd & done properly ?
Hi Flooringman Did a similar sounding job last year, the columbian pine parquet had been covered in seagrass for a few years, the adhesive it had been stuck down with was a real pig to get off, i used old P24 zirconia [750 x 250] belts to get the worst off, the job was only a hallway 9m2 if memory serves and we used 3 belts to get it off, then used [new] P36, P60, P80 belts to get the parquet to a good condition before resealing. Not sure how big your job is, hopefully small Hope that helps a bit Regards Gary
Either use a really course paper maybe 16 grit as they clog less, if not try the iTools split pcd disk, or a really course wire brush attachment on a rotary scrubber
Thanks for the replies. Spacey the glue is on the floorboards as they didn't use ply. Gaz and UV the area is 20 m2 - I think it will have to be a very coarse paper though I was wondering if anyone had used some sort of chemical to remove/dissolve the glue first?
Any floor sander has got loads of used papers, i've got far too many and a job like this one would certainly get rid of a few Would a PCD disc damage the floorboards ?
I have also booked a job in for the 20th of this month with a similar problem and am quite concerned about how to tackle it. The property is an old Georgian Vicarage and I have agreed to restore a couple of rooms which have previously had carpet tiles stuck on top of 6.5" Pitch Pine boards. The tiles have been lifted in one of the rooms and the other room still has some tiles stuck to the floor. The glue can clearly be seen where they have been removed, and I reckon the real reason they have called a professional in is because they have realised what a problem this can be. I have previously removed such adhesive from a very small area (cloakroom off a hallway) successfully using cellulose thinners followed by a paint scraper. It was a messy job, gloves and a mask was worn for protection as the fumes were quite strong. This time, I will be taking 3 types of solution along, the thinners, some HG Floor & Carpet Glue Adhesive Remover and a tin of Evo-Stik adhesive cleaner. I will also be taking all the old belts and discs as recommended by Gazhugs. The wholesaler I use has a product which can be used for this purpose, but when he explained about the possible side-affects - "drip some of this on your trousers and you will need to take them off pretty smartish", I decided against buying it. Any other suggestions from the forum members would be very welcome. I will of course report on how the job went afterwards. Bob www.floorfixer.co.uk
I attempted to sand some floorboards last year which had grass carpet and adhesive on it. The adhesive was pressure sensitive and every pass on the belt sander the 24 grits become clogged my upper roller clogged plus my wheels where getting covered in adhesive. It was a waste of time. I decided that planeing the whole floor(30m2) was easier. You can get specific tools to fit on your buffer for this scenario.
Thanks Rosser for your tale about clogging. However, I had just finished the job when your post appeared, and was not able to take advantage of your warning. I did quite a lot of research (see below) before getting on with it and eventually decided on the 24 Grit belting as suggested by Gaz. The reason for this was because none of the other methods seemed to work. The 24 grits certainly did clog my upper roller on the Hummel and the wheels on both belt sander and Flip edging sander were covered in adhesive by the time I had finished. The upper roller clogging dislodged the sanding belt making it run unevenly and has cut through some of the protective metal guard on the machine. I'm now spending valuable time this weekend taking the machines apart to clean-up ready for next week! The end result was really good though, and the company's Boss was delighted. I intend putting some pics of the job on my website Gallery this weekend if time permits after the clean-up. Here's a copy of the research I did for anyone interested - (Rossers idea should also be added) : Test on the old carpet first – not the wood floor! Methods: (they are all worth considering, - and don’t forget the protection warnings!) Old Abrasives Belts and Discs will quickly become clogged so any discarded ones can be used to remove glued up areas. The most efficient will be the highest grit rating (lowest number) as they will take longer to clog-up. Sawdust Worth a try – just sprinkle over the area and tread it in. Let it soak into the glue before scraping or sanding as described above. Steamer A portable steamer – used for wallpaper removal may soften the glue enough before scraping off with a putty knife. Warning: The wood will need to dry out before sanding, and steam can burn skin! Dry-Ice It will freeze the old glue almost instantly allowing you to scrape it off much more easily. The nice thing about dry ice is that when it melts it's gone. It leaves no residue. Unlike normal ice that leaves water in its path, dry ice evaporates into thin air (well, foggy air anyway). A medium-sized chunk (1/4 to 1/2 pound at a time) is needed for the average job and any excess can be kept in the freezer. Be forewarned though, it will continue to melt in the freezer and it will freezer-burn items it lays against unless insulated by a packaging material such as polystyrene. Put a dry cloth on the glued surface and then dry ice on the cloth, or place the 1/4 to 1/2 pound piece in an old metal tray with handles at both ends. Set the tray and ice on top of the area you want to scrape away next. After a few minutes time, the area directly underneath and around the tray becomes VERY BRITTLE and much easier to remove. Meanwhile, you can move the tray and ice to prepare another area while you are scraping away at the first spot. Warning: You need to be very careful handling dry ice -- it's extremely cold. Wear gloves or other protective covering over anywhere you may come into contact with it. DO NOT TOUCH! It will freeze-burn bare skin. Heat Gun Heat can sometimes soften the adhesive enough to remove it with a scraper. However it can melt the glue and drive it between boards or even into the wood grain as can solvents which may also discolour the surface of the hardwood so deeply that sanding will not remove it all. In many cases, the cure can be worse than the disease. Mineral Spirits Mostly orange or other citrus based product which leaves a lovely aroma. Apply to the glue and leave for a few minutes before scraping off. This type is only useful for less severe glues, but is very safe to the environment - and the user. Warning: Any type of solvent may also penetrate the wood grain or discolour the surface. Cellulose Thinners Quite expensive if bought in small quantities but it certainly works on most types of glue. Apply to a cloth made into a pad and wipe it over the glue using a fresh side of the cloth for each for each wipe. Scrape off the glue after a short while when softer. Warning: Highly inflammable – leave used cloths outside to dry before careful disposal. Protective gear must be worn when using this product – Gloves, Goggles, Mask and anything else you can think of. WD40 Spray over the glue and let it sit for 10 to 20 minutes to soften before scraping. Apparently works on some types of glue, but I am unsure as to whether this is an oil-based product and if so, it could penetrate the wood grain and leave a stain.
Just one more 'Ultimate' solution - a real piece of kit for those who regularly encounter this problem is manufactured by http://www.diamabrush.com/ . Terry of Ultimate Floor Sanding also shows how it can be used to good effect on Youtube. Seems to be a rather expensive outlay for the occasional 'sticky' job, but the machine may be available through a local Hire Depot at reasonable rates.
Not a good idea using the diamabrush on floorboards unless you can guarantee all the nails are well under the surface.A set of replacement blades for the Hardwood tool are not cheap.This tool is great on hardwood blocks & possibly strip that have got multiple layers of old lacquer/glue but it would break my heart if i hit a fixing .
Thanks for the advice Tony, I wouldn't contemplate purchasing one anyway but if there was one available from a local hire-shop, I might give it a try. It would certainly have come in handy this week on the sports floor we are working on - took three of us two full days to remove the many layers of varnish and polish gunk off a well laid maple floor with no visible nails. I'm hoping the Trio will finish the job off tomorrow before adding the court line markings and sports lac.
Yes, I've done quite a few recently. I've heard that there's a bloke also based in Leicester who apparently travels all over the country doing it, so I assume there's plenty of work out there if you know what you are doing. I did my research on the web and first offered the service to the Secretary of a Village Hall committee who were wanting a refurbishment job on the floor and a badminton court marking out. I told her it would be my first attempt and that I would do my best. Bought the kit, had a go and found it to be easier than expected. You just need to try it without any pressure to get a bit of confidence.
