Question: Recently we moved to a home with parquet floors. Any information on maintaining and cleaning these floors would be appreciated. - W.E., Nashville.
Answer: There are two types of finish generally found on parquet flooring: waxed and polyurethane. It is also possible the builder used an unfinished parquet flooring that was stained and treated on the job site.
I talked with Jack Atchley at the National Wood Flooring Institute about care and maintenance of parquet flooring. He recommended vacuuming the floor often and using a dry mop to dust. Spills should be cleaned with a damp cloth, and the area dried immediately with a cloth. The wood should not be saturated or left damp.
For scratches, you can purchase from most flooring dealers a touch-up pen that matches the color of the flooring.
To brighten a floor finished with polyurethane, simply buff it. For a waxed floor, use a paste floor wax to bring back the shine. Be careful to avoid a heavy wax build-up. Stripping the wax from parquet flooring is not recommended.
Question: Having removed our paneling, we are left with oil lines from the adhesive. We tried a few solutions to wash it down, even sodium phosphate. We painted the walls, and it came through the paint. I hope you have a solution for this - short of plastering the walls. - F.G., Chicago
Answer: Klean-Strip Remover Adhesive is an all purpose adhesive remover. Simply brush the gel on the strips and allow a few minutes for the chemicals to work. Using a stiff putty knife, scrape the oily strips off the wall. Work with care so that you don't gouge the wall covering.
Wash the wall with a solution of one part trisodium phosphate, one part laundry detergent and four parts warm water. Rinse and let dry before painting. If the adhesive had an oil base that has penetrated the drywall or plaster, you may have to prime the wall with Kilz before painting. Contact Klean-Strip Remover Adhesive Remover of Memphis, Tenn. (800) 238-2672), for a dealer near you. For information about Kilz, contact the Zin-zeer Corp., 39 Belmont Drive, Somerset, N.J. 08873; (201) 469-4539.
Question: I would like to know how to get two layers of self-stick tile up from a concrete floor. The tiles are chipping, bulging and mildewing. The house was built in 1953. I don't think the tiles are asbestos. I would like to know how concrete should be prepoured for installation of ceramic tile. This is in a Florida room on a concrete slab. - D.L., Largo, Fla.
Answer: Floor tiles dating to 1953 more than likely contain asbestos. The adhesive for the tiles also may contain asbestos. Asbestos is a known health risk when inhaled. The small fibers become lodged in the lungs and can lead to cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.
Stripping and disposing of the tiles should be left to a professional familiar with the dangers of exposure. Also, it may be illegal in your area to simply place the tiles in the garbage. You might also consider leaving the tiles in place and adding a thin layer of lightweight cement on top. The new layer would also be a base for the new floor. What you have to consider is how thick the layer would have to be and if this would impair door openings or floors.
Contact a floor-covering dealer for more information on self-leveling cements. If the dealer is concerned with the bonding of the new cement to the old floor, suggest they core drill the old floor for bonding points.