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Thread: Cupped pumpkin pine floors

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Griswold Connecticut
    Posts
    6,926
    Melanie

    Old houses have "charm", but that charm can sometimes cause problems. My house was built in 1919, with a dry stone piled basement. not anywhere near as old as yours, but even it has it quirks.

    I agree with the others, that before you do anything, get your humidity under control and see what you have when that is done. Put some inexpensive throw rugs and runners over the damaged areas.

    If the floors are original, you have moved away from a traditional flooring business. You're looking for "that guy/gal", and they do exist, that isn't as interested in getting your floors flat as quickly as possible, but rather working with what they have to preserve the historical charm. It may take a couple of seasons to "tighten it back up", but if you're patient, it will be worth it.

    If you're willing to do the work yourself, start with a random orbital sander and work the most damaged ares first. Use a higher grit, say 120 and above, and just go slow. To abrasive a grit, will remove material too fast for your experience level. Avoid the siren song of the hand held belt sander. If you're not really experienced with one, you can really muck up the floors worse than what you already have to deal with.
    Make sure you have the sander hooked up to a vacuum,( There are many systems available) and wear a dust mask. The finish by itself, and years of grime, dirt, animal dander, bacterias, and who knows what else that will come up, are much, much, worse than just wood dust. Protect your lungs.
    ,
    Contact a professional finisher to reapply the floor finish when you're done. Start small and teach yourself as you go and you'd be amazed at what you can accomplish. Just go slow!

    BTW
    If you were to ever choose to replace that floor, you have no idea how much money those boards are worth. Cupped, damaged, and all.
    Last edited by Mike Cutler; 09-23-2017 at 10:38 AM.
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    TX / LA border.. Toledo Bend
    Posts
    746
    These are my thoughts, factually based but still subjective..best way I can explain it.

    To save the most floor wood, and best end result refinish, it will take about 1 year..as follows......


    Pick about 5 - 10 representative spots on the floor where the cupping is severe.

    Mark them semi permanently so that foot traffic will not obliterate your locations, then lay straightedge across the board at the mark.

    ACCURATELY measure cup depth, and document.

    Do this in about 5 - 10 places.


    Now redo the concrete, w at least 6 mil poly under.


    After placement, let the concrete "flash off" (my choice of words) for about 18 hours, THEN --- Gently FORCE VENT for 20 - 30 days so the moisture leaving the fresh concrete does not hang around in your basement.

    Now, some may say that for quality of hydration of the new concrete, the venting I suggest may possibly be deleterious.

    That is true, and I'm not a concrete curing expert,but I don't know how else to keep the floor above from gaining moisture from the concrete.

    My venting may prevent the concrete from reaching total max strength, but for a basement floor, not a rocket launch pad, I think totally fine.

    I would do as I'm saying and feel comfortable.


    An even better option, would be to like staple a 4 mil poly barrier under floor temporarily, and WAIT to vent for about 1 week, thereby giving concrete more time to hydrate.

    Pull down the poly after maybe 2 weeks of venting.


    Once a month after concrete is done, re measure those 5 - 10 cups, and document to see if you are returning toward "flat"

    After a few months, I would expect to see progress, albeit very slow... Accurate measuring is mandatory to avoid "doubts" of what is happening or not.

    May take (SWAG) up to like 9 + months to return to YOUR ambient equilibrium IE maximum flatness in your installation and specific situation.


    You are probably in the US NE ? Heating the basement within reason the warmer the more accelerated your anti cupping progress.

    Once you have a FEW months w NO change of cup depth, THEN, NOT before, refinish your floor.

    So, it will be a solid year + till you can redo the floor.

    You can only somewhat accelerate the process w the air venting, then the heat, but it will still take time.


    Anyone w improvements to my post please feel free to add / correct it. Marc
    Last edited by Marc Jeske; 09-23-2017 at 3:11 PM.

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Jul 2017
    Location
    TX / LA border.. Toledo Bend
    Posts
    746
    I want to add .. It would be best if you refinished during the time of year in YOUR area.. that the house interior has been at lowest seasonal RH for a few months.

    Refinish after that season.

    My brain and typing finger are too tired now, but that's the general idea.. someone may elaborate more on that. Marc

  4. #19
    Honestly. This is a very common issue w these floors, don't overthink this. You can restore these floors. If you really wanna be creative. Watch some videos on hand scraping floors. Your floors would be an awesome candidate for that.

  5. #20
    Thank you so much everyone for the thoughtful replies.

    We do have a proper 6ml barrier going under the slab and I'll be sure to vent the basement when it is poured.

    I will certainly wait now for the slab to be poured and the repointing of the basement to be done before I think about touching the floors.

    So glad I came here. I was pretty sure what the floor guy was saying was not right. It makes me sick to think I might have destroyed these 200 year old floors with a hasty decision.

    Thanks again!!!

  6. #21
    a beautiful 1780 house
    is going to have some cups in it
    after you place the concrete slab get dehumidifiers running
    it should go down
    and then restore the floor

    Maybe you can patch the worn areas with orange shelac


    The Eastern white pine is often referred to as pumpkin pine because warm amber patina it has developed over time. Lower grades of plank flooring were commonly used on floors for flooring of the second floor of the home and in rooms of less importance. These bare wide planks were generally maintained by washing them with water and homemade lye. Over the life of these floors they may have been painted, finished with linseed oil, waxed, shellacked or varnished
    Last edited by phil harold; 09-29-2017 at 12:52 PM.
    Carpe Lignum

  7. #22
    Thread necromancer here


    So we got the slab down and the floors are darn near flat now, I'm so thankful for the wonderful advice here.

    The colonial home owners site I am a part of has suggested a deep clean of the floors and them using several coats of tung oil instead of a full on refinish. Obviously if I try this route I will start in a closet or somewhere else inconspicuous and do a bit of testing before I go hole hog.

    Was wondering what all of you guys think about this method, or have any alternate suggestions?


    Also, is there somewhere I can send a scraping to have what is actually on the floors analyzed to see what they used and match That? Is that even a "thing"? So many questions!

    Thank you so much!!


    And sorry - I tried to update the title to "no longer cupped" And also update the OP but I guess it's so old it won't let me.
    Last edited by Melanie Rys; 12-12-2017 at 12:15 PM.

  8. #23
    You could have it analyzed with IR spectroscopy and should be able to tell what the organic molecule is, as long as it's in the library of the instrument, but I don't know of a way to tell what brand of finish is on the floor.

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