Oiled timber floors continue to be in demand with a large increase in the number of prefinished products now available. Unfortunately when any type of prefinished flooring is installed there is a very real risk of damage occurring to the surface. The common 'damage'’ inflicted is in the form of adhesive residue on the surface of the flooring, which can be very difficult to remove depending on the adhesive used. Another scenario is when within a complete re-fit of a building, or a new build, the flooring is the first part of the project to be completed. As electricians, decorators etc follow on and begin erecting ladders and continuing the work the floor invariable suffers. When damage occurs to prefinished lacquered floors it can be challenging to rectify sometimes resulting in the whole floor requiring sanding back to bare wood before a new treatment is applied. Not only this is highly unsatisfactory from a disturbance point of view but ultimately the customer wanted the quality of finish associated with a prefinished product which can be difficult to recreate when applying finishing products on site.
Such a situation arose recently with a prefinished oil product installed into a ‘new build’ situation covering a significant area, approximately 80M². Due to continuing works on site the floor had become marked with paint residue, plaster and had become scratched in places. The client, who had now moved in to the premises complete with some large items of furniture was unhappy about this and insisted, very strongly, that the appearance was restored to its former glory. To do this the flooring contractor applied a traditional floor oil to the surface. This product was designed for producing a finish on bare timber and as such would ordinarily penetrate the top layer of the timber producing the matt, enhanced appearance one would associate with traditional oiled floors. However in this scenario the oil had been applied and because the surface had already been 'sealed' in effect by the factory applied, UV cured oil, it was unable to soak into the timber. Instead it was allow to dry on the surface producing a very different effect to the original finish. The surface was glossy with widespread swirl marks produced by the buffing process. In some areas raised circles were apparent formed by the oil container having been placed on the floor and oil running down the sides. Once this work had been completed the direct sunlight from large windows in either side of the building had dried the oil to a hard state, analogous to a satin sheen varnish. Ordinarily, if excess oil had been allowed to dry on a floor which has been recently oiled it is a simple matter of applying an oil with a higher solvent content which then softens the surface allowing the surface build to be buffed off. However in this case the surface build was so thick and cured to such a hardness that this remedial treatment proved to be a painfully slow process. A faster process was finally employed using a fine screen to sand the excess oil from the surface before a thin application of maintenance oil was applied and the excess completely removed. A matt surface as close as possible to the original was finally produced.
When attempting to rectify any damage or imperfections to a new floor one needs to remember that the customer has noted and reported them. Consequently, it follows that a highly critical eye will be cast over any remedial action and comparisons made with a new floor. Unfortunately if this process is unsuccessful a possible outcome is a brand new floor. Then the unpleasant business of 'who pays?'
