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I’ve been a frequent visitor to this site for quite some time. I mostly just lurk around, throw out the occasional comment, and just enjoy the banter, but I’ve finally come up with an odd enough question to throw into the mix. I’ve checked the home restoration sites and haven’t been able to find anything on the topic. Perhaps some of you with remodeling and restoration expertise might be able to offer some direction.
Over the past three or four years, we’ve been slowly restoring and remodeling a rather neglected 1908 bungalow out here in Portland. Last night in the (only) closet, we pulled up some sheet vinyl that had been stapled to the floor. Underneath we discovered what I presume is original linoleum with the most unusual and unique pattern I’ve ever seen. It seems to be in serviceable, albeit, rather dirty condition. It has a bit of paint splattered on it and needs a serious cleaning. We’d like to get it cleaned up and seal it to protect and preserve it since it’s so unusual. I’m considering very carefully removing the paint with a razor blade and then giving it a good scrubbing with a brush and warm soapy water, but we’re concerned that since it’s not exactly new, it may not react very well to anything other than the most gentle approach. Can anyone offer any advice on how to go about cleaning up and preserving this flooring without damaging it? Thanks for any suggestions you might offer.
BTW, re: the What’s in your Toolbelt thread: The TD from the theater isn’t completely out of his mind. I spent quite a number of years doing the same thing in Chicago and out on tour before finding my way out to the West Coast. I (still) have a theater toolbelt that was similarly kitted out (and weighed about the same I suspect, although I never actually weighed it). There’s absolutely nothing that annoys you quite as much as being forty feet above the stage out on a truss and discovering that you left something on the deck.
Mike
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I still remember going to the hardware store to buy a new Linoleum ((rug)) for my mom,
they came rolled up with kraft paper to keep them from sticking to themselves..
then we would roll it out in the kitchen right over the strip oak floor... they came in popular sizes like 8 ft. x 12 ft...
sometimes we would lay it right over the old one that the pattern had worn off..
that was in the fifties.. and i don't think it was any different than the one you are describing.. except MAYBE your's is older...
... i have no idea how to preserve them.. i think the pattern is put on with a roll printer, with a material similar to paint...
Mike
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If your floor is really linoleum, I believe that the floors were treated with wax and buffed out. The sheets are made from compressed linseed oils and rolled into material backing for strenth. I'd be careful on what you use as a cleaner, though. Good luck.
*Check "Comfortable, Durable, and Decorative: Linoleum's Rise and Fall from Grace", Pamela H. Simpson. APT Bulletin (Association for Preservation Technology) Vol. XXX, No. 2-3, pp. 17-24. Mt. Ida Press, Albany NY. [email protected]. The author is a professor of art history at Washington & Lee University, Lexington VA. Great linoleum bibliography.
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I've been a frequent visitor to this site for quite some time. I mostly just lurk around, throw out the occasional comment, and just enjoy the banter, but I've finally come up with an odd enough question to throw into the mix. I've checked the home restoration sites and haven't been able to find anything on the topic. Perhaps some of you with remodeling and restoration expertise might be able to offer some direction.
Over the past three or four years, we've been slowly restoring and remodeling a rather neglected 1908 bungalow out here in Portland. Last night in the (only) closet, we pulled up some sheet vinyl that had been stapled to the floor. Underneath we discovered what I presume is original linoleum with the most unusual and unique pattern I've ever seen. It seems to be in serviceable, albeit, rather dirty condition. It has a bit of paint splattered on it and needs a serious cleaning. We'd like to get it cleaned up and seal it to protect and preserve it since it's so unusual. I'm considering very carefully removing the paint with a razor blade and then giving it a good scrubbing with a brush and warm soapy water, but we're concerned that since it's not exactly new, it may not react very well to anything other than the most gentle approach. Can anyone offer any advice on how to go about cleaning up and preserving this flooring without damaging it? Thanks for any suggestions you might offer.
BTW, re: the What's in your Toolbelt thread: The TD from the theater isn't completely out of his mind. I spent quite a number of years doing the same thing in Chicago and out on tour before finding my way out to the West Coast. I (still) have a theater toolbelt that was similarly kitted out (and weighed about the same I suspect, although I never actually weighed it). There's absolutely nothing that annoys you quite as much as being forty feet above the stage out on a truss and discovering that you left something on the deck.
Mike
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Does anyone know if "Goof Off" will take paint off of linoleum without also disolving or softening the linoleum itself? Don't have a spare piece of linoleum to try it on...