Showerthought: The old courthouse in Springfield has original maple floors that are still perfect after 80 years

I was there for a permit thing last week and got talking to the caretaker. He said they only use a specific neutral pH cleaner and buff them by hand with a lamb's wool pad twice a year. No machines, no harsh chemicals. Makes you wonder if we overcomplicate maintenance sometimes. What's the oldest floor you guys have seen still in good shape?

3 comments

3 Comments

jesse_allen11d agoTop Commenter

Guess we've been outsmarted by a guy with a lamb and some soap. Modern floor care seems like a racket when the answer is just doing less stuff to it. My apartment's vinyl floor is already peeling and I follow all the fancy instructions.

owens.cameron13d ago

Ever see a floor that's been walked on for over a century? My buddy's grandma had this pine floor in her farmhouse kitchen, original from like 1910. It was full of dents and scrapes from a hundred years of kids and work boots, but the wood itself was solid and had this deep, warm shine. They never used anything fancy on it, just a bit of soap and water and the occasional mop with linseed oil. It kind of proves the point that simple care often works best.

henderson.vera13d ago

That bit about linseed oil being mopped on is a little off. You never mop with straight linseed oil, it's way too thick and would leave a sticky mess. What they probably used was an old soap made with linseed oil, or they mixed a tiny bit of boiled linseed oil into water for a final rinse. Pure linseed oil needs to be rubbed in thin and left to dry for days. It's a great treatment, but the method matters or you'll ruin the floor.