Software
Houzz Logo Print
cbuntz

Need a hardwood expert!

12 years ago
We have put hand-scraped burnished acacia hardwood in our new addition. The installers left it a mess with sheetrock dust and dirt tracked all over it. I vacuumed the seams and used a wet towel to wipe up followed by a dry towel. It still does not look clean and pretty. After contacting the retailer about how to properly clean it I got a generic answer about being careful to cover the floor and to not use abrasive cleaners. I know that! Can someone tell me a product that I can use other than water to clean. Don't want to do anything to risk messing up the finish.

Comments (10)

  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I'm assuming there is finish on it. So....the best thing to start with is mild soap and water. Dawn dish washing liquid is good mixed with water (weak mixture). If it still doesn't look clean, try TSP, but try it in an inconspicuous area first. My guess is that along with the dirt, are scratches and dings that are going to leave the floor looking worn. In this case you are going to have to talk to a qualified floor refinisher.
  • 12 years ago
    They just laid it Saturday, don't plan on refinishing it for a long time.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    Kind of late to the party... but in our experience the best approach was to perform what we call a "color wash" on the floor.
    We've had all too many experiences where our hand-scraped flooring was installed prematurely or abused during the construction process... our Walnut is a prime candidate for similar situations that you're experiencing.
    Unfortunately, sheetrock dust is a dark floors worst enemy!
    It's both (mildly) abrasive as well as so fine it literally gets into everything (even tile & grout).
    The problem is that if you try to clean it with water... you simply make a muddy film that spreads around and looks okay until it dries.

    I agree with Al F. in his suggestion that the installers should step up to the plate.

    I'm not sure what product you used or the finish system that was applied by the manufacturer... so I can only speak in terms of what we recommend for OUR product.

    And that would be the "color wash" and another coat of finish applied (if the original finish will accept another coat).
  • 12 years ago
    Oh, I so hope that's not what happened. After 7 1/2 long months of this simple construction project I wouldn't handle that very well. Someone would be paying with a pound of flesh. I actually thought professionals would clean up their mess before they left anyway. Guess not.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    @cbuntz...
    I'm afraid the term "professionals" has become a relative concept.
    This is one of the problems some of us "old dawgs" get so frustrated with nowadays... there's just too many self-proclaimed EXPERTS who don't have an ounce of finesse (or for that matter, common sense or pride in their trade).
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    It sounds like cbuntz has dirt between the seams, in the bevels. This is a common complaint of a prefinished and beveled floor. I would suggest using a brush and floor cleaner to go through each bevel. Telling the installer to pay for supplies or labor may not be a bad idea, it should look great when they leave.
  • 12 years ago
    Thanks for your comments. Oak & Broad, you are correct that it is prefinished and beveled. I did use my sweeper's soft brush on each seam before wiping the whole thing with a soft damp towel followed by a dry towel. Maybe there is still more dust in those bevels. I see products like Bona on the store shelves but am so cautious about those after having a bad experience on my oak floor with orange GLO. Quickly learned my lesson and took about a year to get my floor back.
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    last modified: 12 years ago
    Bona Kemi is a great brand and the hardwood floor cleaner is definitely something you can use if your floor is pre-finished (typically with aluminum oxide). Do not use the "refresher" or the "hard surface cleaner" for the situation you are describing. Also I agree with you - you should not use any products that have oil/waxes in them on a pre-finished floor. So no orange glo, swiffjets, sharks, steamers, mop and glo, murphy's oil. Good luck!
    Chyre Buntz thanked simpleFLOORS Seattle
  • PRO
    12 years ago
    I am going to suggest that you find out what type of finish is on the acacia. Is the flooring engineered or solid? Is it finished with Aluminum Oxide, or Ceramic bead/nano-bead finishing? If it is aluminum oxide over an engineered product, then the very difficult answer is it is almost impossible to refinish these types of flooring.

    The next thing you will have to do (to make sure the "right" people pay for the problem/clean-up) is to have the manufacturer's requirements written down - like the floor must be installed LAST OR covered with "Ram Board" during the REST OF THE WORK! Then find out the type of product required for a "buff and coat" or a refreshing of the finish. That is when you will be told what to use to make this better.

    Once that is in writing, you then go back to the contractors and ask them if the precaution for protective coverings was followed. If not, then they are in for a very expensive leason.

    Find out the finish - polyurethane, urethane, waterborne, water based, acrylic, aluminum oxide, ceramic bead, nano-bead etc. Once that is discovered then you can go about finding the appropriate cleaner for YOUR finish.
    Chyre Buntz thanked Cancork Floor Inc.