Help cleaning & Protecting Parquet

11 years ago

Cleaning up my elderly father's house for possible sale in the spring. He has a very small kitchen that had oak parquet laid in 1987 during a kitchen remodel. I have already used Bona hardwood cleaner on it, but want to know if there is something else I can use to make it look better. It is not extremely warn, but is dull. I have no idea what make it is. Mom had a stroke about 8 years after the remodel, so next to nothing has been done to it for 10-15 years except vacuuming. Kitchen is barely used. Any tips or anything to avoid would be appreciated. The house is 63 years old & we are planning to sell as is, so replacing it is not going to happen. Thanks

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Comments (5)

glennsfc
11 years ago
So sell it as is.

Or, learn how to deep clean it with the Bona Prep system and give it a coat of one of Bona's waterborne polyurethanes in a satin or semigloss sheen. Bona used to make a DIY kit to do this...don't know if they still do. Go to the Bona website and look around.
gregmills_gw
11 years ago
I agree, sell it as is.

truth be told, anyone coming to buy the house will already have in mind some projects they will do to it. that may or may not include doing something to the parquet.
I understand you are trying to get top dollar for the house as you should, but simply cleaning or even putting a new coat of finish on the parquet wont increase the value by much if anything at all.

things to build the selling price would include new(er) mechanicals, roofs, appliances etc...

nothing wrong with wanting to have the place look nice, but if the parquet already has some dullness in traffic areas, then spending money on a new coat of finish regardless if done DIY or professionally, you probably wouldn't see the investment back. Just my 2 Cents.
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Cadyren
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks. I realize the parquet means next to nothing. The whole place will have to be redone by whoever buys it & it will be priced accordingly. Just wanted it to look it's best so someone wants to buy & redo! Would love to remove crappy carpet in the whole house & reveal pine 1950s floors, but that is another whole ball of wax, so it will just go as is. Sister wants to wax, but to me it's a no go because of the slipperiness for 88 year old father. Thanks.
gregmills_gw
11 years ago
im not a real estate agent but ive been around enough homes going for sale and newly purchase homes to have a semi idea.

ripping up the carpet may help bring in more people to possibly move the sale faster. it wouldn't cost you anything except the price to dispose of it.

and nothing wrong with wanting it to look good for potential buyers, but I would def. stray away from waxing the parquet. Theres a small chance that the new buyer may like the parquet and if you wax it its just going to open a can of worms for the new buyer.
Cadyren
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks gregmills. I too think the pine floors would at least look "cleaner" and might spark some interest. We have such a long way to go!