Recycled baltic pine floor boards

I have just had a floor done with recycled baltic pine boards. The floor polisher has done the job over the weekend while I was away, on my first inspection there are some boards that look as if they are new, or if not new, considerably younger than the rest. The old ones have come up a lovely golden colour, while some others are pale, almost white.

I can only assume where I got the boards from mixed up the lots without much care as to the different ages of the boards. As well it appears as if the guy who did the polishing has sanded them so much that they may as well be new boards throughout, such is the finish.

I'm a bit p*ssed off as I spent the extra money on recycled and now have a floor that for all purposes may well be a new floor.

How can I rectify the lighter coloured boards - any suggestions?

We had 100 year old Baltic in our last place. They had to sand them a lot to get them flat and smooth because they are very soft. The floor looked that flat afterwards it almost looked like lino!

Baltic is really soft so it doesn't take long for them to start getting roughed up and look a little more authentic ... they also seem to change colour overtime, so you may find that once the light has been on them a while they even out a little?

I also forund that after that sand they had taken them almost down to the tongues too, which wasn't the case with the harder boards in my current house.

I think you would be taking a fair risk to try and rectify it now. you would have to sand the coating off the newer boards and maybe stain them? But I think it would be fairly hard to intergrate and the coating would be uneven etc.

Sorry ... hope someone else has a better idea.

Is it feasible in any shape or form, that some of the boards were better protected by their finish - eg paint, and once that came off, the boards look newer than the others that didn't have much finish left?:confused:


cheers
Wendy

There are a couple of ways to fix it up. Although, without the aid of some pictures it's difficult to determin just what to do.

So, I'll assume it's simply just a few boards in the batch that were a lighter shade than the rest.

Do this, tape up around the offending boards, then lightly sand them till the finish turns opaque, now mix up a small brew of whatever type of polyurethane the sander used adding a few measures of Wattyl Craftsman Stain (in the red can) until your happy with the colour mix. (You may need to mix two colours together like Walnut and Pacific Maple)

Apply this mixture with a brush or stain pad and then promptly remove the tape.

The following day the entire floor will need cutting back, with extra, extra care on the freshly stained bits. Then apply a new top coat.

This new top finishing coat is vital to ensure that the stained areas have some sort of a decent life expectancy.

Good luck with it all.

Wait 6 months before you do anything as the boards will mellow in colour as the newly exposed wood oxidises and ages.

You should have told the sander not to take too much care - he'd have thanked you for saving him some time and effort! ;o)