My husband and I just purchased a home that was completely wall to
wall carpeted. When we removed the old carpet we found lovely oak
floors which we intend to sand and refinish. My problem is with the
oak stairs. The previous owner covered them with linoleum tile stuck
down with black mastic. Both the stairs and the risers were heavily
scored. I have managed to get the tiles and the mastic off ("Foam Off"
worked great) but the gouges from scoring are not sanding out. The
stair feels smooth to the touch but I am left with these black lines
all over the stairs. I have used 50 grit sandpaper and as much muscle
as I can muster and can't seem to sand out these lines. I have used
both a palm sander and have tried hand sanding. Can anyone offer some
advice on what I can try next? I am almost at the point of resigning
myself to having to paint them but it would break my heart to cover the
oak.