A recently bees waxed and polished old pine floorboard floor has just been damaged by some heavy furniture being dragged back into place. No scratches as such just a couple of tram line like indentations. I did read somewhere that dents such as these can be removed with a damp cloth and a hot iron but would I need to remove the beeswax along the dents first? If so are there any simple ways of removing the beeswax e.g. white spirit /wire wool or perhaps washing up liquid and abrasive sponge or would I need to invest in some expensive wax removing product? I think I also heard that wax could be removed using a dry cloth and a hot iron which melts and absorbs the wax. Dent repair experts to the rescue please.
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Lime
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I think you are going to open up a can of worms if you try to remove the wax.
IME with waxed floors, the wax isn't totally impervious to water particularly where it has been damaged.
Try liberally wetting the indentation with water on a small paint brush to expand the wood.
Leave it in place for some time, perhaps a day or two. Top up as necessary.
Then mop up any water remaining and allow to dry naturally.
White spirit carefully applied to where you wish to remove the wax may work but don't be surprised if any attempt to remove the wax alters the floor's appearance.
The wet cloth and iron method may work if my suggestion fails if you really don't like the indents.... which I can understand if they lie in a particular part of the floor that catches the light.
On the other hand the heat may cause the wax to change colour/appearance as it sinks into the wood.
I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact that pine will indent relatively easily.
Any sort of movement of heavy furniture or static load will mark it.
IME with waxed floors, the wax isn't totally impervious to water particularly where it has been damaged.
Try liberally wetting the indentation with water on a small paint brush to expand the wood.
Leave it in place for some time, perhaps a day or two. Top up as necessary.
Then mop up any water remaining and allow to dry naturally.
White spirit carefully applied to where you wish to remove the wax may work but don't be surprised if any attempt to remove the wax alters the floor's appearance.
The wet cloth and iron method may work if my suggestion fails if you really don't like the indents.... which I can understand if they lie in a particular part of the floor that catches the light.
On the other hand the heat may cause the wax to change colour/appearance as it sinks into the wood.
I think you need to prepare yourself for the fact that pine will indent relatively easily.
Any sort of movement of heavy furniture or static load will mark it.
Penners
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I agree with everything that Lime has said. If you're not successful, just remember that one scratch is a scratch; a thousand scratches (which is what you'll probably end up with) are "character".
88v8
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The wetting method is more likely to succeed if you do it pronto, ie Now.
It depends on rectifying the change in moisture content that has occurred due to the wood being squashed and water squeezed out. Replacing the water by local wetting will expand the wood again, to an extent, providing the fibres have not been crushed.
Quite soon however, the moisture content will stabilise with the wood in its squashed condition. After that, nothing can be done.
The same effect can be seen when one wets a wool carpet to remove castor indents.
Wood floors, especially a soft wood such as pine, are really only practical if one is careful with them. The effects of blundering about tend to be ineradicable. Or, yes, as one might choose to describe it, 'character'. :?
Ivor
It depends on rectifying the change in moisture content that has occurred due to the wood being squashed and water squeezed out. Replacing the water by local wetting will expand the wood again, to an extent, providing the fibres have not been crushed.
Quite soon however, the moisture content will stabilise with the wood in its squashed condition. After that, nothing can be done.
The same effect can be seen when one wets a wool carpet to remove castor indents.
Wood floors, especially a soft wood such as pine, are really only practical if one is careful with them. The effects of blundering about tend to be ineradicable. Or, yes, as one might choose to describe it, 'character'. :?
Ivor
plasticpigeon
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The iron trick really works though. I used to do instrument repair in my spare time (before i bought a wreck of a house), and I once dropped a big C clamp on the front of an acoustic guitar front I was making. I never thought for a moment that the ding would come out as it was about 1mm deep in a front that was only 3mm in thickness. A bit of damp rag and an iron and it came out completely! If your floor has a coloured wax or is stained, then I would just leave it alone, don't try and fix it! if the wax is clear, try it. It might make the wax go hazy, but I can't see why wax cant be taken off with white spirit or specialist cleaner. I wouldn't use any abrasive as it shouldn't be necessary just an old cloth, something lint free like an old shirt or sheet is better than a T shirt or similar. If it is clear wax the join shouldn't be visible when new wax applied.
Penners
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Possibly the only time in my life that I have admitted to knowing that such things as tea-towels exist.
Keith Bowman
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Moo said:
Mr Punch, I think, from some time in the distant past:
"She walks, the lady of my delight,
In heels of an enormous height.
Our lino once was smooth and bright.
It's perforated now"
Toby Newell
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1. Strip section of floor boards with DCM solvent stripper and Trollul no 5 wire wool. Neutralise with meths or cellulose thinners followed by hot water (if using a stripper like Paramose water washable water is all that is needed) White spirits or cellulose thinners or gum turpentine if you prefer the smell can soften and remove the wax but this will take longer, in this case use something like a no 3 or no 4 grade wire wool (Trollul) and terry towelling, turn and change the cloth regularly. Once most of the wax is removed you will need to sand lightly with this method with P120 to remove the last of the wax residue before you apply the water and the iron, solvent stripper will remove the wax more completely and faster.
2. Whilst still damp (or whet again) place damp lint free cotton or linen cloth (doubled or tripled up) over bruised area and apply hot iron to cloth.
3. Wait until grain has raised and dried. Nib back down with P180 or similar (whatever grade you used to finish the floor the first time) reapply wax to are.
4. Alternatively you can scrape and sand the area once it has been stripped if the bruise turns out to actually be a scratch to remove the scratch, sanding to remove the wax in the first place is not advisable as wax clogs the abrasive before the grain gets a chance to act.
TIPS:
Try not and get adjacent areas wet or touch them with the iron.
This method will only work for bruised i.e. compressed fibres and not fibres that have been cut i.e. a scratch for which sanding will be required in addition.
IMO I would not bother, pine is soft, this will likely happen again, put it down to patination and next time try and be more careful. You should apply felt guard protectors to the bottom of all furniture and castor cups with felt guard bottoms.
Toby
2. Whilst still damp (or whet again) place damp lint free cotton or linen cloth (doubled or tripled up) over bruised area and apply hot iron to cloth.
3. Wait until grain has raised and dried. Nib back down with P180 or similar (whatever grade you used to finish the floor the first time) reapply wax to are.
4. Alternatively you can scrape and sand the area once it has been stripped if the bruise turns out to actually be a scratch to remove the scratch, sanding to remove the wax in the first place is not advisable as wax clogs the abrasive before the grain gets a chance to act.
TIPS:
Try not and get adjacent areas wet or touch them with the iron.
This method will only work for bruised i.e. compressed fibres and not fibres that have been cut i.e. a scratch for which sanding will be required in addition.
IMO I would not bother, pine is soft, this will likely happen again, put it down to patination and next time try and be more careful. You should apply felt guard protectors to the bottom of all furniture and castor cups with felt guard bottoms.
Toby
Sorry all. I’ve been away and have had no access to PPUK.
Prior to going away I tried Limes method of applying water to the indentations over the course of a couple of days and then conveniently, due to my departure, was able to allow the wood to dry out for almost a week.
On my return I found that the indentations had risen sufficiently but the marks had whitened.
I applied a further coat of beeswax to the marks and left it for 24 hours before
re-polishing. The results are relatively acceptable.
Toby’s methods sound exhaustive and very professional but on my old pine floor which has a few dodgy saw cuts in it anyway, the water method was good enough for me.
Thanks all
Prior to going away I tried Limes method of applying water to the indentations over the course of a couple of days and then conveniently, due to my departure, was able to allow the wood to dry out for almost a week.
On my return I found that the indentations had risen sufficiently but the marks had whitened.
I applied a further coat of beeswax to the marks and left it for 24 hours before
re-polishing. The results are relatively acceptable.
Toby’s methods sound exhaustive and very professional but on my old pine floor which has a few dodgy saw cuts in it anyway, the water method was good enough for me.
Thanks all