How to restore my parquet timber floor?

Question

My wife accidentally used baking soda to remove the black stains (it could be oil, but not sure) on our parquet flooring, now seemed like the outer coat were stripped off. These flooring were from the 1990s. Any quick fix to polish it to restore back to its neighbor floor colour to make it unnoticed? If nothing was done, any damaging impact on other parts?

MitchellMc · Answer

Hi @gavin16

Unfortunately, it would be quite difficult to achieve an unnoticeable patch repair in this situation. It appears that this area is not only discoloured but that the protective coating has also been worn away or stripped back.

If the original black staining has penetrated into the timber itself, the only reliable way to remove it is to sand the surface and physically remove the affected timber fibres. Simply applying a polish or recoating the area is unlikely to eliminate the stain.

Even if the timber wasn't stained and the issue was only a worn coating, spot repairs on older parquet floors can still be quite noticeable due to differences in sheen, colour ageing and wear patterns between the repaired section and the surrounding floor.

For the best overall result, it would be worth considering a full floor restoration involving sanding and recoating the entire surface. While it is a larger undertaking, it provides a consistent finish across the floor and gives you the best chance of removing any staining and restoring the parquet to a uniform appearance.

If left untreated, the affected area is unlikely to damage the surrounding floor, but with the coating compromised, it will be more susceptible to future staining, moisture ingress and wear.

We hire floor sanders and I recommend you consider a product like Cabot's CFP for coating. Here's a helpful guide: How to seal timber floors.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell