How to remove stain on floorboards?

[HollyF]

Hi!

We recently bought a villa. There is a dark stain on the floorboards in the living room. We do not know the type of floorboards, or what caused the stain. We are hoping to lessen the appearance of the stain without needing to replace any boards. Would any floorboard cleaning products or acids work? Are the risks to these products causing more obvious damage? '

Would sanding and revarnishing help? And if so, can anyone advise from this photo what type of varnish seems to have been used?

(In this image, the boards are a little wet because we tried scrubbing with bleach and a toothbrush as a first step, which did not make any difference.)

Thanks for your help!

Holly

[EricL]

Hello @HollyF 

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us. and thanks for sharing your question about your floorboards.

It looks like the floorboard seal has worn away and it was left unprotected causing the timber surface to dry up and turn dark. But before we move forward, can you please confirm that you have an actual timber surface and not a laminate flooring with a worn-down surface. It's also possible that you have a laminate flooring with faux timber lining on the surface.

Once you've identified the type of flooring that you have, we'll be able to give you more recommendations on what you can do to repair the damage.    

If you have any other questions we can help with, please let us know.

Eric

[MitchellMc]

Hi @HollyF,

To determine what type of flooring you have, a good method is to check any exposed ends of the timber, especially in places like inside wardrobes or transitions between rooms. If you see that the board has an MDF base with a thin veneer of timber on top, it's likely a laminate flooring. On the other hand, if the boards are solid timber throughout their thickness, then you're dealing with real hardwood.

If it's solid timber, then sanding and revarnishing could help restore the floor. However, if it's laminate, the stain might be more difficult to treat without causing further damage to the surface.

For the best results, especially if you want to achieve a high-quality finish, I'd recommend reaching out to a flooring specialist to help with the repair.

Regarding the varnish, it could be a water-based polyurethane coating similar to Cabot's CFP.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[HollyF]

Thank you @MitchellMc and @EricL. My father-in-law is pretty handy and experienced in renovations and is helping us out. He is confident that it is timber, not laminate. Does that mean that sanding is likely a better option than trying an oxalic cleaner? My father-in-law will be the one attempting the restoration. We will swing by a timber shop to ask their opinion too, but we are grateful for your opinions also. Thanks!

[EricL]

Hello @HollyF 

An oxalic cleaner is a fantastic chemical that revives and restores, but it also sometimes produces a bleached finish on the timber surface. The last thing you want to happen is to have a section of your floor brighter than the other parts. Sanding however, gives you control over how much is removed and what area needs to be cleaned. I propose sanding the surface rather than using a chemical cleaner that might harm the floor finish further. 

Please note that matching the old finish of the floor will not be possible as it has faded due to it being exposed to the sun. You can try to get close to the finish, but the newly painted section will be noticeable. The only way to get a totally uniform finish is to sand all the flooring and applying a new sealer.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric