Old stain around nails on floorboards

[lifebeginsat40]

Hi all,

I'm in the process of restoring my old pine floors but ran into a problem. On a lot of boards there is some ver visible staining around where the old nails were. The stains remain even after sanding with 40 grit and even after planing! Any ideas how I can get rid of these?

I'm thinking if I can't my only option is to stain the whole floor to minimise their visibility.

Thanks!

 

[Cubist]

The approach I've used with some success is to use a domestic household bleach in solution with water. A ration of 10% bleach to water worked well for me on fairly light stains but you can increase that for more stubborn/darker stains. Apply the bleach solution only to the stained areas with a small brush or cotton bud, making sure to get down into the nail hole if possible, and allow to dry for 24hrs. Monitor the progress and repeat if needed. For particularly heavy stains you can increase the proportion of bleach. When you get to a satisfactory colour you must then neutralise the bleach using a solution of white vinegar in water; opinions differ on the ratio but 15% has worked for me. There are also proprietary wood bleaching products available and you may prefer to research and use one of these.

 

[Stevers]

Oxalic acid is good for removing staining in hardwoods at least, my source of it being 'Bar Keepers' Friend'.

 

[lifebeginsat40]

After a bit of research it looks like oxalic acid might be the way to go. Wish me luck!