How do I remove carpet pad marks, gooies, fuzzies from hardwood floor
Hi. I recently removed an old carpet and the underlying padding from a hard wood floor. The padding was old and disintegrating and has left marks, gooey pieces, and bits of spotty slightly sticky dullness on the hardwood floor. Many of the marks are red and black stains-left from the corresponding black and red foam pieces that were interspersed in the old padding.
Does anyone have any tried and true ways or liquids or solvents that will remove these padding marks, stickiness and residue?
The top suggestions I’ve read so far from my searches on the Internet are as follows:
Mineral spirits
Wd-40
Goo-Gone
Vinegar
Somethings called DeSolviT and or Resolve (some sort of carpet cleaners)
Heat Gun
Some people praise the above solvents while others say that they didn’t work very well.
I’ve tried a green scrubby and warm water but this kind of works but after it dries you can still see the spotty dullness left from the carpet padding.
And, no, this isn’t an adhesive that was left under the carpet padding. It just seems to be the result of at least 30 years of old padding slowly disintegrating under the carpet. These marks are left in the areas that received the most traffic. In the areas that had the least traffic and the thickest wood finish there are NO marks or residues whatsoever and the padding simply came up with no effort at all.
Thanks to all in advance.
Replies
I'd try a wood floor cleaner first, then Goo Gone. Maybe a liquid floor wax. In all cases, use a SOFT scrubbie so as not to scratch (further).
But keep in mind that the friction from traffic will have caused the floor finish to wear, and may have driven some of the pad chemicals into the wood. It may be necessary to refinish.
A refinish would be the quickest and produce a fine floor
But if not, try all the chemicals (knowing that you might drive some of the gunk deeper into the pores of the wood).
Then screen it and maybe you can just recoat a new finish-without the work of an actual sanding.
Remember that if there was wax on this older floor, a refinish would be the only real way to go as you cannot successfully recoat over wax.
Best of luck.
Removing those carpet pad marks and fuzzies
Thanks Calvin. One question, though, what does "screen it" mean?
Screen it.
There are rental units that look like a commercial floor scrubber. They have a series of coarseness pads that are like a pizza.........however, they dull and "clean" the finish. Good floor finishers will often use them between coats on a new finish job, or-sometimes just use them b/4 and during a light refinish.
Be similar to lightly sanding between coats (to knock the dust marks down and to give tooth to the next coat.
Have also seen these pads for the rectangular vibrating type floor sanders
Screening the hard wood floor
In addition to the caprpet padding issue, the hardwood floor that we exposed does not have an even coat of finish on it. I remember when I was very young my parents had large area rugs on these floors and only the exposed hardwood was finished with some sort of coating (don't know what it is) the rest of the floor (under the area rugs) seems to have only a very light coat of something. I guess they were trying to save time and money that way.
Since the finish is uneven (with the perimeter of the room having a heavier layer of finish) does this mean that a screening is not in order here and that a real sanding is warranted?
Also is there a way to tell what kind of finish this is? I know you can do a test by applying alcohol or mineral spirits and testing to see if it softens the finish or something like that but I can't remember the exact process. I'm assuming it could be either one of the following: polyurethane, shellac, lacquer or varnish. I don;t htink there's any wax either.
I read that you can only screen a floor that has a polyurethane finish on it. Why so?
Well
screening only poly? maybe varnish and wax and shellac would soften with the inevitable warmth of the screen-thus stick-i-fying the gunk.
Shellac-softens and comes off with alcohol.
Min spirits, I don't think would do much of anything.
Wax, don't know how you'd figure that one out-but...............if it's on there and you try poly over it-it splotches and then peels. No good that.
Having a non uniform finish-I'd light sand it at the minimum.
Back to the original question-how old is this floor? 50's-usually varnish and could def. have been waxed. Most likely was thin oak x 2 to 2-1/4" or so............sometimes narrower-1-1/2. Can be sanded, just don't opt for coarse grit rather than medium and using more because the finish is gumming up the works. You CAN sand through the groove............not easily or the first time sanding, but it is possible. Especially trying to get out deep stains from pets or some stupid clay pot someone thought looked good on the floor and watered it continually......................
Age of the floor
The house was built around 1932. Not sure if they were ever re-finished or sanded in the past. Maybe once sanded.
If I sand, do I need to go over each and every nail hole and re-sink it deeper with a nail set prior to sanding? I suppose if I don't the sand paper will get torn up from some errant nail sticking up too high.
nail hole?
Was this floor face nailed? or do you mean the holes left from the carpet tack strips?
Most nails that are just below the surface and those flush, will sand. This makes them stand out real well and easy to see (depending on the light and your eyesight.
I would hit the floor once, locate any nail holes, set if nail is present and then fill. Fill all the holes. Final sanding will take care of the filler. Some use a mixture of glue, the finish or stain and the floors own sawdust. Others use wood filler that might match when you stain (or seal). Testing the outcome of your method is the only way to know they won't stand out as white or light colored dots when done. Wood fillers don't take stain like the wood of the floor.
one question pertaining to the forum software which they threaten to fix.................
Did your last post get replied to me (using the reply button below my post?
or
Did you use the reply button under one of your posts that you made?
thanks.
Flooring
I replied to your post by hitting the reply button under your post.
Yes there are nail holes around the room but have to go back to the house to see if all the boards were entirely face nailed each one. I can't remember now. I'll let you know as I am going over there tonight to test whether, mineral spirits, or hardwood floor cleaner, or denatured alcohol, or citrus cleaner will work on those carpet pad stains. Oh, and goo-gone too. Tryin' em all, not messing around :)
Thank you for that reply.
They keep asking for problem explanation (tho they do diddley with it) and we've been wondering why for instance-your post to me (latest) says from pizza to pizza. And when I click on the [original] just below the heading of that reply-I get sent to your first post.
I've got "notification of all comments" set in my profile, so I did rcv. notification of your reply, but might not have if I had chosen only comments to me......................
and of course, if I wanted (or others wanted) clarification for what the heck you were replying to and used that [original] thing as the link to the post you replied to.................I'd get sent to the first post.
Just another stink'n problem with this software that has taken a yr and a half to get the POST button changed from .....................enter or whatever it used to say since they rolled out this antique.
But I digress.............
Best of luck on this project.
De-natured alcohol worked
Well I tried the different chemicals I brought on those carpet pad stickies and dullness and found that the de-natured alcohol worked. Although you must be careful how long and how much you rub and use because I thought I detected the underlying finsh softening up. Also, the alcohol left a white stain if you didn't mop it up thoroughly.
About the reply problems: I noticed that when I got notification that you replied in my email inbox , I would click on the link to view it and it will take me straight to your reply as it should (at this point I haven't logged in, which may be a key clue).
Having not logged in yet, at the bottom of your post there is a button that says "reply to post" so I go and hit that and then it takes me to the login page where I login. After logging in it took me to my very first post as if I was replying to that. So I didn't reply at this point and then searched for this whole thread in general discussion forum looking for your reply at the bottom (the one I want to reply to).
Now, after I found that and scrolled to the bottom, where your reply was (the one I want to reply to), I noticed that little button now read something different. It said "Reply to this" instead of "reply to post" so I hit that and the result is this reply to your post. Which I think will read as my (pizza) reply to your post (calvin), I hope.
Hope that helps.
Thank you
That's an explanation that I will copy/paste to Dan Morrison so he might have an idea of what we were talking about.
Surely a technical thing that I have no idea about. If we do this again, try logging in first and then use that url from your email.
thanks
The alcohol should indicate shellac as a possible finish. Go in a closet and attempt to take ALL the finish off of one board. If this does work, then shellac it is.
My problem is, what to tell you to do to clean up easily, sans sanding.
I used Stanley Steemer Carpet Cleaner. They were a little expensive, but they did a great job and I think it was worth it!
no kidding
Tell me more.
Aw, Calvin, you're being too rough -- I really wanted to hear the guy explain exactly how a carpet cleaner removes marks from wood.
dan
moi?
I use "McCulloch MC-1275
I use "McCulloch MC-1275 Heavy-Duty Steam Cleaner". It is convenient to use.
My inserted spam link was removed, but I'm still the know nothing nimrod I was b/4.............
so, don't use stanley steamer or whatever the heck a chainsaw steam cleaner I mention above.
They're probably both junk and anything from cape giradeau that has to do with fire and storm restoration would be as well.
OxyClean Works on removing carpet pad marks on hardwood floors
Use OxyClean according to instructions for hard floors. Leave solution on marks for 5 minutes and wipe off with terry cloth. Also takes off dried paint marks. Mop floor with clean hot water.