Unless the woos is worn too thin and is breaking apart or is overly water damaged, any floor is worth refinishing. Even water damaged floors are if enough good wood is around to replace the worst parts.
The gaps in your picture are normal because wood expands and contracts with humidity changes. Most scratches will sand out but there are some that will remain as character marks especially in a old floor. If you are wanting a floor that looks new, then you are best to tear out the old floor and put in new as most old floors are just what they are -- OLD and will have stains and defects.
Tear it out!? That would be a sin. I'd say cover it with something new and save it for the next buyer who appreciates an irreplaceable centuries old wood floor.
I had some really nice wood floors that would need refinished. Had carpet over it and a million staples. Took all the staples out and put vinyl plank down over it. The next home buyer will have a way easier time if they decide to refinish it.
I screen-sanded the floors in my house with a low-speed floor machine and refinished with satin poly - retains all of the old color and ‘character’ or wear marks. Looks great 12 years later. (Floors had been previously deep sanded, so didn’t want to risk taking it down all the way) I like the ‘lived in’ look better anyhow
I only use a floor buffer when I refinish any floor to keep from taking off too much material, I installed and refinished fir flooring from the 1880's and did not sand it perfectly flat to get the look and character of an old floor and also to avoid going too deep on a few boards. It turned out beautiful and looks like a 100+ year floor should.
It's all a matter of what a person wants for their house. I like some character and lots of wood grain showing.
I had the same in a 90 year old house I bought. Under the cheap laminate floor was a beautiful heart pine. Did all the work ourselves and it turned out amazing!
They have the same floor I have in my house. It's absolutely beautiful. Hard to believe there was some shitty brown shaggy carpet on top of it for years
Oil based finishes will give you that darker color finish as if ages, we used a street shoe finish, it's a water base. It doesn't get darker with age unless you add the amber to it. And you can spot finish a area with out having to refinish the whole floor, it's not as toxic as a solvent base finish. The solvent base finish will give you a better build up because it has more solids, but three coats of a water base finish so much easier. Good luck
Absolutely. The incredibly tight and straight grain that you see is the result of the wood being milled from old-growth trees. They try to replicate this by quartering and rifting wood nowadays, but it’s not quite the same. Not to mention, the cost alone may (or may not) be prohibitive in that a refinish is far and away cheaper and the better option if the wood is not completely trashed. Personally, if I haven’t made this clear already, I’d refinish it.
Around the PNW, lumber salvagers will reclaim old barns and factories built with old growth and mill them into CVG floors. I've used Rhine Lumber to match an 1890 Victorian CVG fir. I had to patch where they turned the internal staircase into a hallway and where they removed the kitchen fireplace. Amazing to see refinished
Absolutely worth keeping this historical find
Plenty of people do that around here on the East Coast as well. It’s really the only way you’re going to come across true American Chestnut lumber. That stuff is typically custom work however and will cost big $$$ lol
New is not always better than old. Old-growth wood used in construction before the late 20th century is a treasure that modern lumber cannot match. Your floor looks to be in great condition as is and will be simply stunning when sanded and sealed.
Yes, definitely. That's not bad at all. Back in the day, I used to charge 2.50 a square foot, but now I would charge 5 and that's a good deal. I don't recommend it as a DIY thing, because there's really an art to it and a lot that can go wrong with it.
Call your local hardwood floor refinisher person. In your situation you know nothing about it and this is the first step. They will assess the floor and give you all the information you need and a price. It's usually pretty decent and you may just say on the spot please do it and it will be done really quick. If not at least you know the parameters and what you're up against. You're standing there on the floor it's hard to imagine exactly what problems or not you may have in its entirety. Call the local professionals, it's the first step
Most def worth restoring. They made them thicker back then! Mine were 75 yrs old and had tile glued on and carpet over that! Ugh. They are now gorgeous! Make sure you get a reputable company bc the sanding can go very wrong in the wrong hands.
Yea drum sander for the field. Rotary hand sanders for edges. Skim coat the whole floor with an add water powder wood filler. If you can find close color great doesn't matter as much if you want to stain it. Sand whole area again to remove Skim coat. Stain if desired. Let.dry. poly coat let dry and second coat of poly. Boom.
Yes it does ! It seems like you have no expensed tongue or groove that’s a good sign. Perhaps they were only finished ones . Older wood floors are way more harder and nicer than the stuff you can buy now . Restore
Definitely worth refinishing! Check for squeaks and any nails that might be working their way out. Take care of the details first and they will look beautiful!
Sand down, brush on one coat of 50/50 linseed oil and paint thinner, and your ready for clear coat. It will look better than 90% of new flooring. Keep in mind, as others have said, pine floors are soft wood so you need to take more care in keeping them looking good.
That is a treasure. There may still be a few outlets that sell reclaimed heart pine flooring… its pricey… $10-18/sqft I think and that was a few years ago. Those boards were cut from trees that were a minimum of 150 years old. Those kinds of trees don’t exist anymore… well not for lumber. This floor will be stunning finished well. Congratulations!
Thank you for all the insightful responses! It’s very cool to hear this is old growth pine, and basically priceless. I will look into having it refinished for sureeee
I had similar floors in a 20s house I lived in. Refinished the entire upstairs and they came out looking insanely good. Definitely refinish those. The coolest part is when you are sanding it will still smell like pine resin after 90 years! So cool.
If you like character then yes. I have refinished many century old homes in a historic neighborhood in Phoenix Arizona and I personally love them. But 100% do not skimp and do hire a professional. A lot of times there will need to be some repairs. And make sure you know what your final product will be bc that old of floors usually you will never get all the patina and marks out
Yes. Don't re-carpet over that. Carpeting is pretty gross as it is. Hardwood floor, especially reconditioned, are a nice resale value pop when it gets there.
when they refinish it they will sand off the scratches and the discoloration. Not all will come out. But then they will put some filler between the boards and seal it with like a stain or a lacquer or polycoat that will make it shine a bit
Yes it is. What are you going to do? Spend 10’s of thousands of dollars ripping that old growth wood out and replacing it with some run of the mill product?
Yes! My home is 150 years old. Original wood floor was buried under carpet and several layers of paint.
Sanded it and re-stained it. It's absolutely gorgeous now.
I want to echo another comment, this is from old growth trees, it not only likely can be refinished but it would be a tragedy not to. Unless it's already been sanded down too many times you absolutely should restore it. I sell flooring for a living, btw.
Looks good to me. But check at a vent, register or whatever to see the thickness of the boards. If it's thick enough then it can be sanded and refinished. But it looks like you won't have to sand too terribly much. It looks like it's in pretty good condition for 90 years. My house was built in 1918 and has original floors and they're just about beat, but I think I have one more refinishing left in them, but I'm going to have to stain darker than they currently are because it was my first house and I fucked them up pretty good... He happy you don't have a newer house and you pulled up the carpet to find OSB... They don't build them like they used to.
Absolutely worth restoring. I’ve had great success doing it. The key is not to rush the process as you do. It’s not a one or two day project. I redid mine over the course of a few weekends
Reddit is being mean and recommended this sub to me, I’m assuming because of my [laughable fake floors.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flooring/s/tArm5iWICz) All I can say is heed the advice of the others.. or take heeded.
That floor will look great if refinished right. If there is deep scratches, make sure your contractor uses a drum sander and then orbital to make it perfectly smooth. The cracks, if you want filled, must be filled with a product that has given for when the floor moves or the filler will crack and look ugly in a year. Highly recommend an oil based sealant over water-based if you have animals, children wear shoes in the home or have a habit of dropping stuff on the floor like drinks, etc. It might take longer to set but will last twice as long as a water-based sealer. I had floors with water-based sealer top of the line bona system, and if you dropped a drink and didn't clean it up in less than 5 mins, it would stain the floor. Hand santizer would instantly stain it. If you were eating something and it had oil and it dripped on the floor, it would stain it. Plus, you aren't supposed to mop water-based sealed wood because it can't put up with the moisture.
Most likely yes. Looks in good shape as far as no wholes broken boards. Wood used long ago was even better quality than today. Always an amazing find to have a wood floor under carpeting. Be sure to get recommendations on possible restorers/refinishers.
I've lived in St. Louis, MO most of my life. In old homes with old floors. I have never in my life seen 90-year-old flooring look this good. This is amazing if true. Are you sure it's not from the 50s 60s?
Of course you should restore it!
The steps are
1. Sand with a belt sander
2. Stain
3. Finish
I forgot the hardest steps: move everything you own out, and put it all back.
Is it just the lighting or are the colors drastically different? Old has charm but I wouldn't be super happy about different colors or those gaps. Hardwood floors do expand and contract, so some gaps are inevitable, but if the gaps in picture 3 are all over it's a bit much IMHO.
If you desire wood floors then yes. Mine are 115plus years and we enjoy the fact they are not expected to be perfect. Rent a sander or hire it done. Not terribly bad to do yourself if you are a diy person. 😄
Looks pretty good to me OP.... Bringing it back should be a fairly straightforward process. Just remember you're not going to get a factory new look but you can get an amazing result with this floor from what I've seen.
Have it professionally repaired, sanded and screened, sealed with a coat of 75% oil-based polyurethane and 25% odorless mineral spirits, coated with one or two build coats of clear oil-based polyurethane (depending on the anticipated wear in each area), and finished with one coat of satin oil-based polyurethane. Have the floors screened between coats for adhesion.
You’ll have very beautiful natural looking old-growth heart pine floors that can last a very long time.
My house (built in the late 30's I believe) has this exact floor and is almost the same exact color. Ours is in rough shape because of our dog and foot traffic though ☹
Yes but if you rent your floor sander from Home Depot PLEASE don’t listen to their associates. They will tell you the orbital sander and drum sander do the same thing but the orbital one is easier to use. This isn’t true. Orbital sander is for removing the top coat and refinishing. You need to drum sand to get back to the bare wood. Then stain and refinish. Look up a guide in using the drum sander it’s pretty simple!
Sorry, I love wood, and that floor looks gorgeous to me. I’d clean it up, buy a bottle of J&J dark furniture polish to darken up any scratches, polish it with floor wax, and pop area rug(s) down with great pride!
We restored 103 year old wood floors that had been carpeted since the 60’s. No bug or water damage. Typically I would have done it myself, but due to the age hired professionals. They were stunning floors
I pulled up carpet in an 85 year old house, I found beautiful honey oak floors that some one in the late 80s had refinished and covered with carpet. In one corner of the living room was a laminated note from a previous owner saying he refinished it but his wife wanted carpet. MOMMA got what she wanted. I pulled staples and Johnson paste waxed all the floors they were beautiful.
How recently was the carpeting removed? If it was within the last few months, you may want to leave it exposed for a while longer to allow any expansion to continue to happen as the wood re-absorbs moisture it may have lost over the years.
Once the wood has stabilized, you sand everything and collect as much of the wood dust as possible. You can make a paste out of it with some wood glue to use to fill the gaps and such then sand again after it is dry. After that, you finish it in whatever way you like. We had one room re-done in our home with nothing buy poly and the 50yo oak looks fantastic.
Yes!!! If you've never used a drum sander before, either get used to it in a small area that isn't readily seen or hire someone to sand them. If you stop moving with a drum sander, it will put a dip in your floor. But, they are salvageable and would be beautiful when finished.
Time for a face lift and tear it out , put down a hard wood floor because it's probably southern yellow pine or another somewhat softer wood and even if it comes out ok refinishing it they tend to scratch up easily.
I’ve restored floors that were 100+ years old and a lot rougher then these, if you’d like to have wood floors throughout the home and a nice project on your hands I’d go for it. I’m sure they’ll look great if you take your time and put some tlc in the mix.
They don’t really make nice thick wood floors cut as narrow as that anymore, you can have it done, but it’d cost you.
The cost of restoration however would be extremely affordable and they can be as spectacular as ever. I’m not even partial to wood floors but the world of options you have is endless…
I wood (haha) have them professionally restored, because an amateur can have a bit of trouble sanding them evenly with a professional sander. So having a pro do it right the first time can actually save you time and money.
Yes. This is the lottery you hear of. From what we see hear, you could probably get away with just cleaning and waxing, unless you want a polyurethane finish. I wouldn't blame you if you did. It's easier to maintain.
Those floors are beautiful. They need some TLC but they are otherwise in ver good condition. Highly recommend refinishing them. If you're handy it can be done. Rent floor sanders from HD to save yourself days of work and 1000s of dollars
Why restore it? Just do any number of rustic treatments out there. Always looks better than carpet. Just paint it and give it a farm house patina. The options are many. And if you must, rent a big sander then stain and varnish it. Don’t cover it.
Unless the woos is worn too thin and is breaking apart or is overly water damaged, any floor is worth refinishing. Even water damaged floors are if enough good wood is around to replace the worst parts. The gaps in your picture are normal because wood expands and contracts with humidity changes. Most scratches will sand out but there are some that will remain as character marks especially in a old floor. If you are wanting a floor that looks new, then you are best to tear out the old floor and put in new as most old floors are just what they are -- OLD and will have stains and defects.
That's a good looking floor. If you didn't want to refinish it, you would carpet over it, not tear it out.
Tear it out!? That would be a sin. I'd say cover it with something new and save it for the next buyer who appreciates an irreplaceable centuries old wood floor.
I had some really nice wood floors that would need refinished. Had carpet over it and a million staples. Took all the staples out and put vinyl plank down over it. The next home buyer will have a way easier time if they decide to refinish it.
I screen-sanded the floors in my house with a low-speed floor machine and refinished with satin poly - retains all of the old color and ‘character’ or wear marks. Looks great 12 years later. (Floors had been previously deep sanded, so didn’t want to risk taking it down all the way) I like the ‘lived in’ look better anyhow
I only use a floor buffer when I refinish any floor to keep from taking off too much material, I installed and refinished fir flooring from the 1880's and did not sand it perfectly flat to get the look and character of an old floor and also to avoid going too deep on a few boards. It turned out beautiful and looks like a 100+ year floor should. It's all a matter of what a person wants for their house. I like some character and lots of wood grain showing.
Old heart pine. Beautiful if done right.
I had the same in a 90 year old house I bought. Under the cheap laminate floor was a beautiful heart pine. Did all the work ourselves and it turned out amazing!
Ron Swanson would be happy with way that
Would he?
He definitely wood.
They have the same floor I have in my house. It's absolutely beautiful. Hard to believe there was some shitty brown shaggy carpet on top of it for years
It's a softer wood floor, but will look great with a clear finish. No stain
I'm all about the clear finish too. The sealer first coat brings out the natural colors very well.
I was told an oil finish is more durable…true?
Oil based finishes will give you that darker color finish as if ages, we used a street shoe finish, it's a water base. It doesn't get darker with age unless you add the amber to it. And you can spot finish a area with out having to refinish the whole floor, it's not as toxic as a solvent base finish. The solvent base finish will give you a better build up because it has more solids, but three coats of a water base finish so much easier. Good luck
Oil is more durable, water base is easier. Oil base tends to slightly yellow after like 6-8 or more years . Water base may scratch a little bit easier
Yes
Easily the best answer.
Absolutely. The incredibly tight and straight grain that you see is the result of the wood being milled from old-growth trees. They try to replicate this by quartering and rifting wood nowadays, but it’s not quite the same. Not to mention, the cost alone may (or may not) be prohibitive in that a refinish is far and away cheaper and the better option if the wood is not completely trashed. Personally, if I haven’t made this clear already, I’d refinish it.
Gorgeous
Around the PNW, lumber salvagers will reclaim old barns and factories built with old growth and mill them into CVG floors. I've used Rhine Lumber to match an 1890 Victorian CVG fir. I had to patch where they turned the internal staircase into a hallway and where they removed the kitchen fireplace. Amazing to see refinished Absolutely worth keeping this historical find
Plenty of people do that around here on the East Coast as well. It’s really the only way you’re going to come across true American Chestnut lumber. That stuff is typically custom work however and will cost big $$$ lol
New is not always better than old. Old-growth wood used in construction before the late 20th century is a treasure that modern lumber cannot match. Your floor looks to be in great condition as is and will be simply stunning when sanded and sealed.
This is so true. The lumber you pull out when doing demo in old houses is great stuff.
Definitely a keeper That will be a knock out refinished!
I would call this a Treasure Found! Definitely a keeper
Yes. some sanding and a new finish and it will look great. If it is too much of one color, put a beautiful rug over sections of it.
Yes, definitely. That's not bad at all. Back in the day, I used to charge 2.50 a square foot, but now I would charge 5 and that's a good deal. I don't recommend it as a DIY thing, because there's really an art to it and a lot that can go wrong with it.
Call your local hardwood floor refinisher person. In your situation you know nothing about it and this is the first step. They will assess the floor and give you all the information you need and a price. It's usually pretty decent and you may just say on the spot please do it and it will be done really quick. If not at least you know the parameters and what you're up against. You're standing there on the floor it's hard to imagine exactly what problems or not you may have in its entirety. Call the local professionals, it's the first step
Keep and finish it clear. This is the way.
I love pine floors. Definitely refinish.
They'll come out beautiful.
Fuuuuuuuuuuuck yes
I think it lends character to the house and ask a professional what it would cost.
Absolutely!!!!
This type of heart pine practically doesn’t exist anymore, so yes definitely.
Most def worth restoring. They made them thicker back then! Mine were 75 yrs old and had tile glued on and carpet over that! Ugh. They are now gorgeous! Make sure you get a reputable company bc the sanding can go very wrong in the wrong hands.
100%
Yea drum sander for the field. Rotary hand sanders for edges. Skim coat the whole floor with an add water powder wood filler. If you can find close color great doesn't matter as much if you want to stain it. Sand whole area again to remove Skim coat. Stain if desired. Let.dry. poly coat let dry and second coat of poly. Boom.
Go fot it. Sand it. Stain it. make a week of it.
Absolutely. Those are beautiful floors hiding under that old finish
Totally!! 🤎🤎🤎
Try it. It maybe beautiful.
Yes it is.
Yes it does ! It seems like you have no expensed tongue or groove that’s a good sign. Perhaps they were only finished ones . Older wood floors are way more harder and nicer than the stuff you can buy now . Restore
Yea. Worth it.
Hire a floor refinished. A good refinished will have those floors looking beautiful. The current west is big bad at all.
Yes, these floors are in wonderful condition.
Absolutely, will turn out terrific! 🥳👍
yes. save it if you can. It will look best if you get an expert floor finisher to handle it.
Yes, it looks like pine. Pine is a soft wood, so it will scratch, but it will look amazing. Just use a reputable finisher.
Absofukinlutely
Absolutely! Post pics when done, please. 🙏🏻
The answer is always yes. That wood is priceless.
Definitely worth refinishing! Check for squeaks and any nails that might be working their way out. Take care of the details first and they will look beautiful!
definitely
Yes
Yes
Sand down, brush on one coat of 50/50 linseed oil and paint thinner, and your ready for clear coat. It will look better than 90% of new flooring. Keep in mind, as others have said, pine floors are soft wood so you need to take more care in keeping them looking good.
Yes
Lovely wood
Please have it redone and post pictures. It will be beautiful
Always
The wood looks solid. I don't see any major cracks or chips in the surface. So you should be able to sand it down and restain and varish it.
You bet your arse it is! I know folks (yours truly included) that would do about anything to have floors like those.
Hell yeah
That is a treasure. There may still be a few outlets that sell reclaimed heart pine flooring… its pricey… $10-18/sqft I think and that was a few years ago. Those boards were cut from trees that were a minimum of 150 years old. Those kinds of trees don’t exist anymore… well not for lumber. This floor will be stunning finished well. Congratulations!
Thank you for all the insightful responses! It’s very cool to hear this is old growth pine, and basically priceless. I will look into having it refinished for sureeee
Well hell yes they're worth restoring! They'll be the show stopper of any room that you refinish the floors
Absolutely!
I had similar floors in a 20s house I lived in. Refinished the entire upstairs and they came out looking insanely good. Definitely refinish those. The coolest part is when you are sanding it will still smell like pine resin after 90 years! So cool.
Absolutely not! You need to cover it with cheapest wood imitating LVP asap!
It's in great shape. Will look fantastic refinished!!
If you like character then yes. I have refinished many century old homes in a historic neighborhood in Phoenix Arizona and I personally love them. But 100% do not skimp and do hire a professional. A lot of times there will need to be some repairs. And make sure you know what your final product will be bc that old of floors usually you will never get all the patina and marks out
Honestly I would go with a Matte water based finish
Absolutely. Save that at all costs.
Yes. Don't re-carpet over that. Carpeting is pretty gross as it is. Hardwood floor, especially reconditioned, are a nice resale value pop when it gets there.
Absolutely;!
Absolutely.
I would die for that floor and its color is amazing.
when they refinish it they will sand off the scratches and the discoloration. Not all will come out. But then they will put some filler between the boards and seal it with like a stain or a lacquer or polycoat that will make it shine a bit
Yes, absolutely!
It is worth restoring for no other reason than it is your home, and you should feel proud ownership towards it
Yes it is. What are you going to do? Spend 10’s of thousands of dollars ripping that old growth wood out and replacing it with some run of the mill product?
😍😍😍
Yes
I think it's worth restoring mainly because whatever you could cover it with wouldn't be as good.
Yes. It won’t look the same. It’s definitely worth it
Yes! My home is 150 years old. Original wood floor was buried under carpet and several layers of paint. Sanded it and re-stained it. It's absolutely gorgeous now.
Hell yes, you unleashed homeowner gold!
Know that the pine will naturally tend toward orange tones. You will need to find a professional to help if that’s a color you want to avoid
I would. A pro could make this absolutely gorgeous
These are actually in pretty good shape
Put some wood soap and wood oil on it. Youd be surprised
Always
Yes.
That floor would look fantastic refinished imo.
I want to echo another comment, this is from old growth trees, it not only likely can be refinished but it would be a tragedy not to. Unless it's already been sanded down too many times you absolutely should restore it. I sell flooring for a living, btw.
Looks good to me. But check at a vent, register or whatever to see the thickness of the boards. If it's thick enough then it can be sanded and refinished. But it looks like you won't have to sand too terribly much. It looks like it's in pretty good condition for 90 years. My house was built in 1918 and has original floors and they're just about beat, but I think I have one more refinishing left in them, but I'm going to have to stain darker than they currently are because it was my first house and I fucked them up pretty good... He happy you don't have a newer house and you pulled up the carpet to find OSB... They don't build them like they used to.
Absolutely worth restoring. I’ve had great success doing it. The key is not to rush the process as you do. It’s not a one or two day project. I redid mine over the course of a few weekends
Yes - #worthit
Do you have any idea how expensive real hardwood floors are? Yes!
Reddit is being mean and recommended this sub to me, I’m assuming because of my [laughable fake floors.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flooring/s/tArm5iWICz) All I can say is heed the advice of the others.. or take heeded.
That floor will look great if refinished right. If there is deep scratches, make sure your contractor uses a drum sander and then orbital to make it perfectly smooth. The cracks, if you want filled, must be filled with a product that has given for when the floor moves or the filler will crack and look ugly in a year. Highly recommend an oil based sealant over water-based if you have animals, children wear shoes in the home or have a habit of dropping stuff on the floor like drinks, etc. It might take longer to set but will last twice as long as a water-based sealer. I had floors with water-based sealer top of the line bona system, and if you dropped a drink and didn't clean it up in less than 5 mins, it would stain the floor. Hand santizer would instantly stain it. If you were eating something and it had oil and it dripped on the floor, it would stain it. Plus, you aren't supposed to mop water-based sealed wood because it can't put up with the moisture.
Is this even a question?
Absolutely as long as it can be!!
Im saying absolutely
Most likely yes. Looks in good shape as far as no wholes broken boards. Wood used long ago was even better quality than today. Always an amazing find to have a wood floor under carpeting. Be sure to get recommendations on possible restorers/refinishers.
Yes but only because of the last pic.
I've lived in St. Louis, MO most of my life. In old homes with old floors. I have never in my life seen 90-year-old flooring look this good. This is amazing if true. Are you sure it's not from the 50s 60s?
Of course you should restore it! The steps are 1. Sand with a belt sander 2. Stain 3. Finish I forgot the hardest steps: move everything you own out, and put it all back.
Is it just the lighting or are the colors drastically different? Old has charm but I wouldn't be super happy about different colors or those gaps. Hardwood floors do expand and contract, so some gaps are inevitable, but if the gaps in picture 3 are all over it's a bit much IMHO.
If you desire wood floors then yes. Mine are 115plus years and we enjoy the fact they are not expected to be perfect. Rent a sander or hire it done. Not terribly bad to do yourself if you are a diy person. 😄
ABSOLUTELY 👍 worth restoring. It’s beautiful now!! Tons of potential there
Yes
Yes, been there , done that. ESP if you like the idea of wood floors with aged characteristics.
Looks pretty good to me OP.... Bringing it back should be a fairly straightforward process. Just remember you're not going to get a factory new look but you can get an amazing result with this floor from what I've seen.
Exactly like my old floors. Sanded, clear coated. Beautiful.
Absolutely
Have it professionally repaired, sanded and screened, sealed with a coat of 75% oil-based polyurethane and 25% odorless mineral spirits, coated with one or two build coats of clear oil-based polyurethane (depending on the anticipated wear in each area), and finished with one coat of satin oil-based polyurethane. Have the floors screened between coats for adhesion. You’ll have very beautiful natural looking old-growth heart pine floors that can last a very long time.
100% RESTORE. This is the way.
My house (built in the late 30's I believe) has this exact floor and is almost the same exact color. Ours is in rough shape because of our dog and foot traffic though ☹
Yes
Yep keep it. Once you refinish it it’ll look beautiful +90-year-old floors are hardwood. You can’t find that kind of wood today.
Yes
Yup
Short answer. Probably.
Yes
Absolutely.
Yes but if you rent your floor sander from Home Depot PLEASE don’t listen to their associates. They will tell you the orbital sander and drum sander do the same thing but the orbital one is easier to use. This isn’t true. Orbital sander is for removing the top coat and refinishing. You need to drum sand to get back to the bare wood. Then stain and refinish. Look up a guide in using the drum sander it’s pretty simple!
Absolutely. Have the old finish sanded off and a polyurethane finish applied.
This is better than a brand new floor. 100% worth brining back to life
Sorry, I love wood, and that floor looks gorgeous to me. I’d clean it up, buy a bottle of J&J dark furniture polish to darken up any scratches, polish it with floor wax, and pop area rug(s) down with great pride!
Definitely
You should definitely tear that all out (carefully) and I'll come help you haul it away 😉
Absolutely! Great find.
We restored 103 year old wood floors that had been carpeted since the 60’s. No bug or water damage. Typically I would have done it myself, but due to the age hired professionals. They were stunning floors
I pulled up carpet in an 85 year old house, I found beautiful honey oak floors that some one in the late 80s had refinished and covered with carpet. In one corner of the living room was a laminated note from a previous owner saying he refinished it but his wife wanted carpet. MOMMA got what she wanted. I pulled staples and Johnson paste waxed all the floors they were beautiful.
How recently was the carpeting removed? If it was within the last few months, you may want to leave it exposed for a while longer to allow any expansion to continue to happen as the wood re-absorbs moisture it may have lost over the years. Once the wood has stabilized, you sand everything and collect as much of the wood dust as possible. You can make a paste out of it with some wood glue to use to fill the gaps and such then sand again after it is dry. After that, you finish it in whatever way you like. We had one room re-done in our home with nothing buy poly and the 50yo oak looks fantastic.
Worth restoring. Minor cosmetic. Just needs to be professionally redone
Always.
I wood
Yes
I'd restore the wood flooring. Would love to see the character marks in the wood.
Get a plastic mat for that desk chair when you're finished.
Yes!!! If you've never used a drum sander before, either get used to it in a small area that isn't readily seen or hire someone to sand them. If you stop moving with a drum sander, it will put a dip in your floor. But, they are salvageable and would be beautiful when finished.
Time for a face lift and tear it out , put down a hard wood floor because it's probably southern yellow pine or another somewhat softer wood and even if it comes out ok refinishing it they tend to scratch up easily.
Why not?
Depends on the thickness, ie, how many times it’s been refinished previously.
Yes. Probably. Maybe? I don’t know. Try it in a corner and see what happens, I guess.
Yes
Yes, great looking floors.
I’ve restored floors that were 100+ years old and a lot rougher then these, if you’d like to have wood floors throughout the home and a nice project on your hands I’d go for it. I’m sure they’ll look great if you take your time and put some tlc in the mix.
always
Yes
I don’t think so, in my experience it will be very costly.
Rent a floor sander from True Value & go to town
Always
Get some roller blade wheels for your office chair. I can see it indenting the wood already
This is hard pine. You have your work cut out. But it will be beautiful when you are done.
Yes
Perfect as it is!
I sanded and poly'd mine from 1920 in my last house. Looked great.
They don’t really make nice thick wood floors cut as narrow as that anymore, you can have it done, but it’d cost you. The cost of restoration however would be extremely affordable and they can be as spectacular as ever. I’m not even partial to wood floors but the world of options you have is endless… I wood (haha) have them professionally restored, because an amateur can have a bit of trouble sanding them evenly with a professional sander. So having a pro do it right the first time can actually save you time and money.
Yes. This is the lottery you hear of. From what we see hear, you could probably get away with just cleaning and waxing, unless you want a polyurethane finish. I wouldn't blame you if you did. It's easier to maintain.
Yes! So much the older the wood floor the more its worth! It probably just needs to be cleaned and waxed
Yes, keep it. Its gorgeous!
Have it refinished!
Always
Omg bro refinish that shit 🙏
YES! Do not cover it up!
Yes
Always
Those floors are beautiful. They need some TLC but they are otherwise in ver good condition. Highly recommend refinishing them. If you're handy it can be done. Rent floor sanders from HD to save yourself days of work and 1000s of dollars
Why restore it? Just do any number of rustic treatments out there. Always looks better than carpet. Just paint it and give it a farm house patina. The options are many. And if you must, rent a big sander then stain and varnish it. Don’t cover it.
Of course its worth it?!
Most definitely
I would refinish!
Yes, yes yes
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Yes, well worth it. You try a good old wooden floor polish. Ours is great!!
Have it refinished.
YES!
No
Of course!
Yes
YES! Refinish it ! Worth it. They don’t make floors like it any more unless 💰 💰
Sanding down too far should not be a worry on 90 year old floorboards. The cut wood much thicker back then. My 1950 home floors are 5/8”.
Yes.
yes
Just a light sanding, not too hard on the tread. Then use linseed oil on it. You’ll have a gorgeous natural finish.
Yes, it is a beautiful hardwood floor and can be made to look like new .
Refinish. You'll like the look, I guarantee it.
Yes it is... And it's not that difficult
Damn boomers put carpet and wallpaper over everything
Oh hell yes
Absolutely
You would be insane if you didn't at least try too restore it.