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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?
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jesse_allen6mo ago
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.
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owens.cameron6mo 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.
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henderson.vera6mo 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.
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