installed viking prefinished birch,mallet marks will not wipe off. I tried everything,I think its a problem with the finish. Been doing hardwood for 12 years never seen,or heard of this.Somebody please help.

Edited by Administration:

Rob:

Welcome to the board. However, we do not permit phone numbers. Thanks!

Just curious Rob, what kind of mallet are we talking about here. The Powernail one with black rubber on one side and the sledge like hammer on the other side OR a Lixie with the changeable caps? Seems to me if it is just rubber marks, lighter fluid, goof off, or something like that should work. Acetone? Man, hope you're not looking at having to sand those floors!

In many of the manufacturers of prefinished state, DO NOT USE A MALLET ON THE FACE!


It will actually smudge and scratch the finish on some prefinished wood.

Make a tapping block from a 2 x 4

Make a 30º or 45º angle cut about an inch or 2 in from the side, but not all the way through the board. The rip the board on its side, just up enough so it will sit on top of the flooring and the sharp point on the º cut, rides just above the tongue. Do one end of the board, too.

Your making a bigger tapping block like you see with laminate installs.

COOL TIP!

those black mallet caps are for unfinished floors, the white ones are softer so they leave less marks and are less likely to chip off the edge of prefinished floors. If the flooring has to be beat excessivly to go together then something else is going on, it should just slide together with only minimal persuasion.(i know in real life that's not how it all is) anyway I would be checking the mill of the boards as well.

thanks everyone for the reply the mallet is a power nail mallet. I tried aceton, and spirits, and everthing elese. I realize its a good idea to use a white tip, but I have done plenty of prefinish with a black tip and never had a problem.It just wipes off. The distributer thinks its a finish problem.thanks again for the help I think this is a great site. I did learn today that Mr. Clean magic Eraser takes off mallet marks on a painted wall like nothingelese I have ever seen. Tell ya what me and this dam mallet have had a hell of a week. Thanks again