Tell your facilities guy to cancel the sanding.  Sanding usually removes
a substantial amount of the historic fabric of the floors, the very
thing that needs to be protected.  Waxing is an appropriate and
reversible treatment.  You may wish to carefully review the potential
impact of power buffing on the floors.

The Technical Preservation Service at the National Park Service may be a
helpful resource in addressing this and other issues that may apply to
your property.  They have a number of technical leaflets related to
preservation issues (they're online), and their staff is available for
consultation.  The contact information is available on their web site.


Good luck! 
        

   

Marshall Duell
Curator, Old Courthouse Museum
211 W. Santa Ana Blvd.
Santa Ana, CA  92701
(714) 973-6607
(714) 973-6605
(714) 834-2280 fax
www.ocparks.com/oldcourthouse
 

-----Original Message-----
From: ccarr [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 9:54 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Sanding floors of a National Register property?

Hello all--I have just been informed by the head of our facilities
department that he is soliciting bids to sand the floor of our National
Register president's house.  The house dates from 1790 with additions
from 1850, and "sanding" sent up a red flag for me.  It sounds as if he
wants to strip--not buff--the floors.

My questions are as follows:  I understand that listing on the National
Register does not come with mandatory guidelines that must be followed
as to the maintenance of the structure, but it does make it incumbent
upon the stewards to act in an appropriate and responsible manner when
considering options for work on the house.  Am I correct in thinking
that sanding the floors is not the best way to go?  Should I recommend
simply a good buffing and waxing?

No provisions have been made for the museum-quality antiques that
furnish the house while this work is being done.  If the floors are
sanded, then I can only assume there will be dust everywhere and
everything will have to be removed from the house in order to protect it
from dust accumulation and also to clear the floors for the project.  If
we simply wax the floors, on the other hand, perhaps the furniture could
be shifted as needed.  If this is the course we should follow, then are
there specific methods of waxing or types of waxes I should recommend?

Thanks for pooling your collective wisdom on this one!  As acting
director of the museum, I have responsibility for the collections in the
house, but the house itself is a gray area and I am eager to make sure
we make the right decisions regarding its care and maintenance.

All best,
Christian Carr

--
Christian Carr
Acting Director
Sweet Briar Museum
Assistant Professor
Department of Arts Management
Sweet Briar College
434.381.6246 (phone)
434.381.6132 (fax)

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