Restoring old carpet covered floors

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Q: My husband and I would like to remove the carpet in our living room and dinning room. When I had it professionally cleaned they said the carpet was about 50 years old. When we lifted a corner up there is a mesh over red clay like stuff.

Where the clay was lose there are beautiful wood floors. We would like to remove the carpet without having to sand and refinish. Is there any thing we could use that won’t damage the floors?

A: I have no idea what the current finish is on your floors nor what the impact of carpet cleaning chemicals might have had. If it is a wax finish, then Dura Seal has a good product called Renovator. If it is a polyurethane finish, then a good cleaner such as Bona Kemi Pacific floor cleaner might help. If not, have a professional refinish the floors.

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