Hardwood Floors

[Boomer]

Thanks a bunch Don

 

[Jiddy]

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14697

 

[dnjan]

Let me exxpand on that The floor is from 1948 and since 1960 has had full carpet over it. Salt water has spilled and many gallons of it. And the tanks where there for 30 years

Just plan on stripping and bleaching the entire floor. It you just try to bleach the "black", you will also take away some of the tan/light brown patina that has developed over the years.

Bleaching is much easier for reclained wood, as DonW describes. For in-place wood it is a bit trickier.

 

[Boomer]

Well, I have bleached lots of in-place wood and it takes the color out. My house is Cedar sided. And Oxalic is not bleach but a low pH acid, like diluted HCl. Bleach is rather high in pH, like kalk. So, I'm thinking, a low pH solution is better like Oxalic Acid and will do less damage to color, yet removing the black. I can ask Marc, he does this for a living, stripping and reconditioning wood floors.

 

[quibrzif]

A bunch of towels (before putting hands into the tank!) and removing all spills quickly.
Tried transparent plastic floor protector under 20g tank, but it is impossible to dry floor under it, close to a stand, in case of leak or accidental spill.

 

[limitdown]

What I did on my stand was caulk all the way around the bottom of the stand, so no water can go under it, then used moldings to cover that. Caulk is easily removed If you ever need to, water under a stand isn't & will ruin the finish. Inside the sump & caulked the sump to the floor of the stand to prevent water from ever going under it, again a life saver.

P.S.
I always keep about 4 or 5 old towels around the tank just to soak up spills fast.

Scooter,
What did you use for caulking? clear/white silicone?
Thanks