[MassHistPres] Stiletto Heel marks on historic wood floor

[Tucker, Jonathan]

Sometimes selective steaming can "undent" wooden surfaces, but truly old
white pine or fir floor boards are always going to be vulnerable to
impact/pressure damage.

For the future, you might consider using a much harder (and thicker)
floor finish, adding floor coverings, and/or being prepared to deny
access to people wearing damaging footwear and following through on all
of the steps that accompany such a prohibition:

1) Placing announcement of the prohibition in every ad for upcoming
events,
2) Installing signs prominently declaring the prohibition and its
enforcement policy at all entrances, and
3) Posting employees/volunteers at all entrances during all events to
identify and offer anybody wearing sufficiently narrow, stiletto-like
heels or shoes/boots with metal (cleats, plates, etc.) on their soles
the option of: a) removing their footwear and instead donning the cheap,
embarrassing slippers or clogs you have provided as a non-damaging
alternative, or b) being denied entry.

Sure sounds like a whole lot of fun to me.

Good luck,

Jonathan Tucker
Planning Director
Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave.
Amherst, MA  01002
(413) 259-3040
(413) 259-2410 [fax]
tuckerj at amherstma.gov   
 

-----Original Message-----
From: masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu
[mailto:masshistpres-bounces at cs.umb.edu] On Behalf Of Matt Ottinger
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:48 AM
To: masshistpres at cs.umb.edu
Subject: [MassHistPres] Stiletto Heel marks on historic wood floor

Hello everyone,

I work at a historic building and we, like so many other places, rent
our space for events (weddings, receptions, lectures, etc.). After an
event last weekend we found the historic wood floor
covered in marks from stiletto heels. The divots range from minor to
fairly deep in the wood. An suggestions as to what we can/should do?


Matthew Ottinger
Facilities Manager
The Bostonian Society
Old State House Museum
206 Washington Street
Boston, MA 02109
Phone: 617.720.1713 x19
Email: matt at bostonhistory.org


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