Is it oak? I'm trying to get someone who can replace this floor after some contamination.

[AmberWood]

I'm trying to work out:
(a) what the floorboards are - Oak, Elm, other?
(b) who can replace them? (Insurance company is not doing well - we're 4 months on and no better off)

Below this floor is a cellar - which can get damp - so the boards need to be able to cope with this.

The boards (as can be seen) are of differing widths, so no option to just pop new boards in.

Anyone help, please?

 

[a twig]

What contamination is requiring their replacement?

 

[AmberWood]

What contamination is requiring their replacement?

erm - following a death.. rather not go into details..

 

[a twig]

Understood, apologies.

I guess just bleaching/cleaning the contaminated faces and then flipping the boards over isn’t an option?

 

[AmberWood]

Understood, apologies.

I guess just bleaching/cleaning the contaminated faces and then flipping the boards over isn’t an option?

The contamination seeped through the boards (prob through gaps)- which are also painted on the underside and not straight - so poss why the companies (2) that came to look said would need to be replaced - I hadn't thought of that before though - I suppose they could flip a good chunk of floor.. though we are three chemical cleans in and stains remain...

 

[Lacan07]

Is that the stain in the photo? What about sanding it? it can't have gone too deep into the wood.

Or failing that just cut out the contaminated section and splice in a suitable replacement. Some people specialise in selling 2nd hand old floorboards. At I guess I'd say its probably soft pine, but If its oak I certainly wouldn't be replacing the rest of it.

 

[AmberWood]

Its finding *anyone* who can identify and replace the boards that's my challenge
Def not pine - would be rotted through - any recommendations for someone in the midlands who can do the work.
sanding not an option as contamination seeped through to underside too (which is the ceiling for the cellar)

 

[Matt Green]

Sand the end grain and I'll have a go


View attachment 12319
Oak/Pine/Elm

 

[Lacan07]

Its finding *anyone* who can identify and replace the boards that's my challenge
Def not pine - would be rotted through - any recommendations for someone in the midlands who can do the work.
sanding not an option as contamination seeped through to underside too (which is the ceiling for the cellar)

Toby used to be the resident expert when it came to identifying wood but is no longer here.

I'm amazed it penetrated the entire thickness of the wood.

 

[Stevers]

It has the medulary rays characteristic of oak, without the whirly grain of elm.

 

[AmberWood]

It has the medulary rays characteristic of oak, without the whirly grain of elm.

Thanks - getting some confirmation is really useful - nobody who has been has had any idea at all
if anyone knows of someone who can quote to replace this - it would be really helpful.

 

[Flyfisher]

I'm surprised the insurance company is not being more helpful as they must have contacts with all sorts of specialist cleaners/repairers.

Many years ago a friend came home from holiday to discover that a storage heater had fallen away from the wall. Fortunately there was no actual fire but the prolonged smouldering caused massive smoke damage throughout the house, even to the extent of seeping into books. Their insurance company dealt with everything and brought in specialist cleaners who did a very good job before complete redecoration. The friend was was amazed to learn that such specialist cleaning companies even existed.

 

[Nsar1]

No expert but I'd say oak. You say sanding isn't an option because of the cellar ceiling which I don't really understand, if your efforts so far have aimed to clean the surface?

 

[Lacan07]

Thanks - getting some confirmation is really useful - nobody who has been has had any idea at all
if anyone knows of someone who can quote to replace this - it would be really helpful.

I don't know if he's near you or whether he could help:

Contact - NEWELL FLOOR SANDING & WOOD RESTORATION

To arrange a free no obligation visit, estimate or simply for more information please call Toby on 07967157605 for a chat or you can either email me at tajnewell@gmail.com The more information you give me (please see below the form) the faster and more accurate will be my reply, many thanks. If...

newellwoodworks.co.uk

 

[Nsar1]

erm - following a death.. rather not go into details..

If you Google "trauma cleaning Midlands" several contractors come up.

 

[AmberWood]

If you Google "trauma cleaning Midlands" several contractors come up.

They've tried cleaning - that stain is after 3 cleans....

 

[Nsar1]

They've tried cleaning - that stain is after 3 cleans....

I think your choice is either belt sander or local joiner to replace. Either way the cellar has still got staining. I didn't know whether you'd used a specialist contractor who does post fatality cleaning

 

[Cubist]

A left field idea as the concern seems to be the staining rather than anything else. Any good local Furniture Restorer will have both the knowledge, skills and materials to clean the boards and to re-stain and blend the colours to eliminate the stain.

May be a little pricey but considerably cheaper that stripping and re-finishing the entire floor. It would also be a damned shame to remove all those old boards just to get rid of a relatively small stain.

 

[AmberWood]

Thanks for all the replies.

Based on responses and further searching after same, it does look like this flooring is OAK.

To clarify - I now need to find someone who has the capability to replace this floor.

It has been cleaned by specialists contractors three times and it has helped, but not sufficiently. That discoloured liquid has seeped through to the cellar and in a humid spell dripped to the floor (and on to one of our heads) is testament to the cleaning really not having removed the contamination - whilst it should not be hazardous, it is not ideal, I'm sure you can understand.

Insurance company has agreed that it needs to be replaced - judging it beyond economic repair.

The contractors they have contacted and who have visited cannot do the work as it is beyond their capability to source the proper materials and install them in the environment described (with confidence that they would be suitable)

I need a specialist who can replace this floor and have searched online a number of times, sent requests to a number of potential businesses, none of which have replied. This forum seems to have some very clever people so I thought it may yield what I need - and the answers so far have shown how much people do want to help.

If anyone reading this IS able to quote for the work or actually knows of someone who can/will, then, please, reply.

Obviously, someone who knows what they are doing in this field will likely be able to refinish and repurpose the wood that is removed, as I do concur, it would be sad for this to simply be scrapped.

I've been through a lot trying to get this sorted and the physical reminder of a loved one's death is a continuing challenge.

Thanks for your support.

 

[Nsar1]

Thanks for all the replies.

Based on responses and further searching after same, it does look like this flooring is OAK.

To clarify - I now need to find someone who has the capability to replace this floor.

It has been cleaned by specialists contractors three times and it has helped, but not sufficiently. That discoloured liquid has seeped through to the cellar and in a humid spell dripped to the floor (and on to one of our heads) is testament to the cleaning really not having removed the contamination - whilst it should not be hazardous, it is not ideal, I'm sure you can understand.

Insurance company has agreed that it needs to be replaced - judging it beyond economic repair.

The contractors they have contacted and who have visited cannot do the work as it is beyond their capability to source the proper materials and install them in the environment described (with confidence that they would be suitable)

I need a specialist who can replace this floor and have searched online a number of times, sent requests to a number of potential businesses, none of which have replied. This forum seems to have some very clever people so I thought it may yield what I need - and the answers so far have shown how much people do want to help.

If anyone reading this IS able to quote for the work or actually knows of someone who can/will, then, please, reply.

Obviously, someone who knows what they are doing in this field will likely be able to refinish and repurpose the wood that is removed, as I do concur, it would be sad for this to simply be scrapped.

I've been through a lot trying to get this sorted and the physical reminder of a loved one's death is a continuing challenge.

Thanks for your support.

I sense this is a frustrating issue, but if you replace the floor the contamination below remains, so I'm not sure why you are ruling out a professional floor sander?