I assume you are discussing wood floors. Sanding floors does take a layer of
flooring off. But, that is not necessarily bad sometimes it is absolutely
necessary. The reason for sanding needs to be investigated before sensible
advice can be offered. If the job is done professionally with good equipment
you will need to remove furniture from the room in which the work is being
done, but there is absolutely no need to remove everything from the house.
Floors can be done a room at a time.

Buffing and waxing cannot smooth and even a floor (the usual reasons for
sanding) nor will it remove inappropriate finishes  (a rarer, but possibly
more serious problem). Sounds to me that you are overreacting without really
going into the reasons why this is being considered. You may be right, but I
know few maintenance folks who would sand a floor on a whim-too much work.
Just be sure that all items are removed from the room under consideration
and that there are good dust barriers to other rooms. After the floor is
finished make sure that all walls and ceilings are thoroughly vacuumed and
physically dusted before returning the collection items. Good luck.
PeaceNick

P.S. If you have a gift shop collect the resulting dust, put it in vials,
and sell it to folks who want an "authentic bit of the site."

-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf
Of ccarr
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2004 12:54 PM
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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