DIYbanter - View Single Post - Cleaning Sheetrock Dust from Hardwood Floors

Robert Allison

wrote:

I've read a few different things about cleaning up sheetrock dust, but
most posts were for tile floor or plywood subflooring.

I re-sheetrock'd a room with hardwood floros, much of the dust cleaned
up nice with a broom and dust pan, but the areas of the hardwood
floors that saw traffic, the dust seems to be embedded into the floor.
Mopping did very little, it almost looks like paint spills all over
the place.

Before I go crazy is there a good product or technique I can use to
clean hardwood floors of caked-in sheetrock dust? I'm sure a stiff
brush would clean it out, but hands and knees scrubbing is my last
resot.

Thanks,
Justin

You have just discovered why you should cover hardwood (or any
finished floor) with protection before working with sheetrock.

Your problems solution depends upon a number of factors. What
kind of flooring is it? What kind of finish does it have?

If it is a solid hardwood floor with a polyeurathane finish,
then you may have to screen and refinish the floor. This can
be accomplished by hand, but it is best left to pros if you
are not sure of what you are doing.

If it is a wax finish, then using a wax stripper to remove the
contaminated wax and rewaxing may repair it.

If it is a prefinished floor, then a scrub brush and a shop
vac with a mild detergent may get it up. If this is the
method that you use, do NOT try to wipe up the wet floors.
Apply your water and cleaning solution to the floor. Scrub
with the brush, then vacuum up the liquid. Rinse with clean
water and vacuum again. Work small areas at a time. Don't
try to soak the entire floor at once. You may remove some of
the "shine" this way, but it should clean up most of the
drywall dust.

I am not even considering it to be a laminate floor, because
even with all of laminates faults, it does clean up easily in
this type of situation.

--
Robert Allison
Rimshot, Inc.
Georgetown, TX