Engineered wood flooring help needed

Britannia12345

When we moved into our home just over a year ago we had beautiful engineered wood flooring which had a shiny coating on it which was worn slightly in high traffic areas. I've followed all the instructions I could find online on how to care for it - sweeping daily, using a swiffer type mop a couple of times a week with either a weak vinegar solution or wooden floor cleaner in it, but recently we've been having building works going on and there's been a ton of dirt being trod through the house and the floors have had to be mopped a lot more often (not to mention the mess from the dog with all the constant rain we've had) and now the high traffic areas look like this.

What can I use on them to restore them? I tried wooden floor polish but it only lasted a day or so before they looked like this again 😓

grumpy_codger

Well, it was much easier to protect it in high-traffic areas and especially during building works than to restore it now.

I think the only way is to sand it and then either treat it with some oil (e.g. Osmo) or cover with some hard-wearing floor vanish, possibly two-part one. It will look nicer if you fill the big gaps before covering.

And if it's vanished or oiled you don't need any vinegar or floor cleaner. If it's exposed bare wood it will get dark inevitably whatever you do.

Emmia

I'm surprised your builders didn't put protective floor covering over the floor before beginning work - We've had this both times when we've had work done.

Your choices now are gently sanding and re-varnishing or oiling, or replacement.

WIAWSNB

Hi B.

Like others, I'm surprised the floor wasn't protected from this rough traffic, but it does now look as tho' the top protective coating, whatever it was, has worn away in places.

That means that the top protective coating needs to be reapplied. First issue - what was that coating? An oil? A varnish? Oil-based? Water? 2-part Resin?

The timber looks like mahogany, tho' with a nice variation in wood tone. Is there any possibility at all that you can find out the actual make and style of this floor? Was it mentioned in the sales partics? Did the vendor call it a name? The EA? Any spare planks or offcuts in the loft or garage?!

What area of flooring are we talking about? And, are you DIYish at all?

To sort this properly will need for these pale patches to be sanded back to clean bare timber, not as dramatic as it may sound. It has to be bone dry, but then a sanding block and 120/180 grit paper used in the direction of the planks, and going right over the surrounding still-coated planks too so it's all blended and 'feathered' in, should find it ready for a recoat.

The Q then is, what to apply...

I think, since the whole floor seen in the pics now look a bit dull and worn, the best solution would be to sand it all, but that's your call to make. If you DIY it, you'd buy say an orbital sander with vacuum extraction, and gently go over it all. Finish off by hand in the grain direction if needed, but I suspect it won't be.

Then - and I've seen the results recently on a refurbished beech floor, but I'm sure it'll be as effective on any hardwood - the floor can be given a couple of coats of Junkers primer. This will bring out the grain awesomely, and you finish with the best lacquer you can find, which is probably Bona.

Should be as good as new, and very well protected.

Or, much easier, call in at least two flooring guys to quote - listen carefully to what he one says and recommends.

Emmia

A quick Google indicates that there are many companies who do refinishing of engineered wood floors. So faced with a floor as pictured, and a desire to get it back to where it was before the damage, I'd be doing what @WIAWSNB suggests and get a couple round for advice and a quote - you might need to get all the floor sanded and refinished to get an even colour everywhere.

Loanranger21

Forgive my ignorance but is an engineered wood floor just a veneer applied as a topping, thin ply, so any rough traffic which may scour the veneer will be permanent?

Emmia

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885496#Comment_81885496

Refinishing depends on the thickness of the wood topping - hopefully the OP has an offcut or specs which will provide this information.

Britannia12345

I don't have any offcuts. 😥

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81885496#Comment_81885496

Although the veneer is thin, it should be possible to sand/refinish it. Although if it is a cheaper one with a very thin veneer, this might be a problem.

stuart45

A light sand should be OK. I'd probably go over the whole floor. Most of it probably just needs a key for the new varnish. I've done floors by hand and they've come up well.

Britannia12345

The only thing left in the garage relating to wood is a couple of can od danish oil - would they have used this on the floor do you think?