Can you refinish plank sub-flooring....and live on it?
We (finally) got the keys to our first home today and the first thing we did was rip out all of the old carpet to see what was underneath.
The good: original red oak hardwood in hallway and one bedroom:
The bad: wood plank sub-flooring in living, dining rooms and the other two bedrooms:
Here's my question: Can we stain and refinish this plank wood like it was hardwood and use it as our floor? We can't afford to buy and install new hardwood right now and DO NOT want carpet, at least in our living and dining rooms.
I've been looking all over the internet and haven't seen much about refinishing plank sub floors. I did, however, determine that this wood is probably Fir.
We move in two weeks and would like to get the floor situation figured out before we have to bring in furniture... what would you do? Try to refinish plank? Maybe paint it? Help!
Oh, and the house is a 3 bed, 1 bath ranch style built in 1946 and located in Long Beach, California.
Comments (33)
apple_pie_order
7 years agoRelated Discussions
OLLD and Laura
Comments (5)So to start at the beginning - hustlep2........how is it that the wood grain can still be seen through paint? I have the same lovely honey coloured cabinets and I need to refinish as opposed to replace. They are solid oak and in beautiful shape, but need to be brought into this decade. The counter top was updated about 2 years ago and I can work with it, deciding what and how to refinish the cupboards is not so easy. My husband is horrified at the thought of painting wood.....I know, it's old school thought I suppose, but I can appreciate his feeling too. I'm leaning to a two-tone design, maybe paint and stain.....not sure. We just bought the house 4 months ago (was built in 89) and have replaced all carpetting with solid provincial coloured oak flooring (not dark, not light....the colour is in between both) and porcelain tiles that look like slabs of marble with burned orange, deep browns, cream and grays running through it on a rich beige background. I am using colours and materials that lend a tuscan flavour.......tuscan sun on the walls in the living room with an accent wall in peacock feather, furniture is cappacino coloured. Very warm and inviting. There's just the crown molding left to do and that'll be in white as is the all the trim in the room. I want the kitchen and dining rooms to be bright, but still nod to the tuscan flavour in the rest of the house. The kitchen opens to a sun room overlooking a pool, deck and the river in our back yard (facing south / east). On the other side of the kitchen (L shaped with the kitchen in the inside corner of the L) is the dining room with huge windows overlooking the back as well. There is lots of natural light. I LOVE the tuscan sun colour (kind of a deep clay pot colour really), it's so warm and inviting. Any thoughts or words of advice to offer for the kitchen? 2 days ago · Like olldroo If you want a Tuscan look, then do not paint your cupboards. Fads come and fads go but if you look back over the years you will see timber is timeless, it is always around. Timber can always be polished or oiled to rejuvenate it but paint needs regular maintenance. 44 hours ago · 1 lauramaepatrie Olidroo, thank you for your comment. I agree with you completely about the paint or not to paint thing. I'm just cringing at the amount of work it is going to take to bring back a number of the cupboard doors. The cupboards as I said are in beautiful shape.....nothing is broken, no doors or drawer fronts are broken, cracked or chipped or even hanging askew, HOWEVER a few chosen door fronts (the ones in key places that are used 1,000 X a day as opposed to maybe 1 X per week like the others) have worn finishes. The wear is so bad on some that the finish is long gone and some of the surface wood grain has darkened. I have 26 door fronts (2 of which are very large pantry doors) and 7 drawer fronts in total, so I am really trying to figure out what we can do WITHOUT having to completely sand the old finish on all of these cupboard fronts. I should add that we are beyond middle aged (unless we are going to live to a VERY old age lol) and he have remodeled and redecorated many houses over the years usually just getting them completely finished in order to sell them. We have done well, but this is a much more up scale type of home than what we are used to working on so it's more of a challenge to make sure we are going to appeal to that range of buyer looking for a home in this price range. This house has 4,000 s.f. of living space and, as mentioned, in water-front, dbl car att'd garage, central air, etc. etc. Our investment dollars are limited, but that is something we ARE accustomed to in the sense of using imagination, elbow grease, our own work and a reasonable amount of talent to make the best of a home rather than just dishing out $$$ to someone else to do so. I am taking your comment to heart and even before reading it this morning, I woke up with an idea that I have been discussing with my husband even more positively since reading your comment. See, there's another link in all this......I mentioned oak hardwood and porcelain floors. We have done those in the rest of the house (hardwood in the living room and reading area off of the living room, down the hall to, and in, the 3 good-sized bedrooms and, of course, in their closets. The master has an extra wide "hall" that passes in front of an 8.5' X 8' walk in closet to the master bath. That whole section was done in cork flooring and will be the only flooring that won't be ceramic / porcelain or hardwood on this level. Now, back to the new twist for the kitchen. The original flooring in the kitchen and the back hall / entrance is ceramic and is rather neutral in tones, but our original plan was to use the new, gorgeous porcelain tiles we put in at the front entrance (and inlaid in the form of a large diamond in the hallway hardwood between the front entrance of the house and dining room) so that everything flowed throughout the house, it was either all the same hardwood or all the same porcelain. My husband is now flinching at the thought of removing the ceramics in the kitchen, back entrance. I understand as it is properly laid and will undoubtedly be a huge amount of work to remove. I'm just really unsatisfied with the thought of not having ALL the flooring flow. Do you happen to know if there is a way to remove the ceramics without damaging the prepped floor underneath? It's a type of plastic "bubble" looking stuff that you adhere to the sub-floor with a cement type mix. You then adhere your ceramic or porcelain tiles to it once it has dried. We used it under the porcelain we installed here and we can see that it was used under the ceramics in the kitchen. If there is a way of salvaging that when we remove the tiles, it would save a lot of $$$ and of course work in the end. 38 hours ago · Like olldroo lauramaepatrie - not always easy to visualise things but if your doors are solid timber then there should be ways of fixing them - or worst case scenario replacing just the damaged ones. I'm thinking if you sand the damaged ones back you should be able to remove the darker markings too. The surface wood markings is probably just basically ground in dirt. The other way I often have success is to use steel wool to scour the dirt and finish by rubbing Scandinavian Teak Oil into the timber also using steel wool. This oil seems to work well on most timbers but you can get other colours in oil if one might match your timber better. Can't help you with your tiles sorry, they do sound a big job. Perhaps you could talk to some local tilers and see what is involved. It sounds to me like the plastic would lift easier to remove the tiles rather than try to remove the tiles from the plastic. It all depends on how solid an adhesive it is. It all depends on patterns in the tiles, but if your entrance tiles are patterned and the kitchen fairly plain, then I think leaving things as they are would be fine - a stand alone entrance feature looks fine, in fact yours sounds very dramatic. Another alternative, if you did take up the kitchen tiles would be to replace them with the cork. I love cork for kitchens, it does take a bit of care, but it is so much softer underfoot and kinder to feet and joints (especially older ones). PS I'm on the wrong side of middle aged too so I completely understand things from the $$$ aspect. 30 hours ago · 1 lauramaepatrie olldroo, thank you once again for your input. You sound as though you know a good deal about wood for sure. Are / were you a cabinet m aker or carpenter of some kind? I'd like to hear more about these oils with colour in them.......the idea I woke up with this morning is exactly what you've suggested. Sand down the real rough ones, then using a stain / varnish or gel stain or whatever seems to work best to try to match the finish as best we can to make the cupboards work without anything jumping out at you (like the worn cupboard fronts do). I think changing up the hardware to something more modern (thinking brushed nickel, sleek door handles and drawer pulls, both the same) and some really sharp tiling for a back splash to draw the attention and add a wow factor. I thank you for your input and I'll wait to see if you can provide me with more info on this oil stuff. Is it hard to work with? What is the advantage as opposed to just stain and then varnish.......? 25 hours ago · Like olldroo lauramaepatrie - I'm just a senior with lots of experience, especially in the trial and error DIY department. I have picked up a bit about wood more from the Tasmanian Oak panelling, skirtings and architraves I have in my home. Can't help you much with oil brands because ours would be different to yours (I'm an Aussie), but I'm sure the guys at Home Depot or someplace similar would be able to guide you. I love hardware stores, I leave hubby at home and do what I call my "dumb broad act". I just ask every conceivable question, play the helpless little woman, even con free samples, until I get all the information I need. Works every time (don't tell anyone). I learned the trick about using the steel wool when we first put the Tassie Oak in, even though it is a very hard timber the steel wool still rubs it up enough for the oil to get in and it leaves a lovely patina on the timber. We used white shellac on it to bring the colour of the timber up and then oiled to preserve and maintain it, but I have also used oil on timber with other stains also with success. I have even put it over surfaces I'm sure are varnished and it still works. I re-oil it every 4 or 5 years and it still looks great after 35 years. It is very quick and easy to do, a little messy, but I would much rather oil 10 walls than paint 1. Put it this way, if your doors have had it anyway, you can't make them much worse, so you really have nothing to l...See MoreHelp with flooring actually a few other issues as well kind people
Comments (10)Dear Sophia, I have read your post very carefully and become interested to advise you about flooring. I am a professional flooring consultant. I recommend you the following options : 1. Waterproof Laminate for whole house as you mentioned you want same flooring in Laundry area too. There are few waterproof laminate in the market and I am happy to help you with that if you need me to do that. 2. Carpet (Solution Dyed Nylon or Triexta) for living, dining, study and bedrooms and Vinyl planks or waterproof laminate for Kitchen and Laundry areas. If you need any further please do not hesitate to contact us via http://www.carpetshoponline.com.au/online-enquiry/...See MoreFlooring for New Build
Comments (7)We have a forbo vinyl in the kitchen which I love. It is in the pattern of flagstones and looks quite realistic, but is so much more forgiving on the feet. I can use my steam mop to clean it, and it is too easy. Any damage can be fixed by (a professional) cutting out and replacing the damaged square. There are floating spotted gum floorboards in the living room. Using the steam mop tends to cup the timber, so it's old fashioned grunt mopping for that area, although it looks fantastic, it does show high hear marks. We have direct stick bamboo floor in a bedroom to replace carpet. The diamond finish still scratches regardless or what salespeople say. Maybe we're just hard on floors? If I was building, I would install something easy to clean and low maintenance, that doesn't show the dog hairs. I saw an ad for a mob called sexy floors that is an epoxy finish. Probably not that environmentally friendly, so I would go with a polished concrete....See MoreContrasting flooring
Comments (5)Hi Toddy The Blackbutt itself (assuming you pick the same plank size) will still be the same.... What will be different is that over time the UV light changes the polish colour of your existing floor to a darker shade, particularly if you used an oil based polyurethane. With the oil based it tends to turn yellow after about 12 months depending on the amount of sun. The simple answer is to factor in the cost of having the original floor completely re-sanded (ie remove the polish) so you have a green (raw) timber to match the new. I think you will find that this will be worth the extra cost as it then becomes a completely brand new floor that matches and will look as if it was always done that way. Alternatively, you can have the existing floor buffed back slightly and then re-coated as part of the whole floor install. You can then wait 12 months and the colour will start to align. Cheers...See More
PROBeverlyFLADeziner
7 years ago
acm
7 years ago
PROCancork Floor Inc.
7 years ago
gnumedia
6 years ago
PROJMKA | architects
6 years ago
ullila
5 years ago
Sherri Wine Owens
3 years agoSherri Wine Owens
3 years agoSherri Wine Owens
3 years ago- PRO
JMKA | architects
3 years ago Sherri Wine Owens
3 years agothis is a closer picture of the floor. it has hair ball stains. This is a closer look at the floor. The entry way is narrow and we don't use this room right now.
Sel Bee
2 years agoI know this is an old thread but for anyone else looking- I am in the process of refinishing some pine "subfloor" right now (and have done so in the past!) Last time I used a clear water-based polyeurethane in a satin finish and everyone who saw the floors loved them! They were gorgeous and natural
We sanded them and they were very light at first but darkened slightly over time which really brought out the grain!
Here is a photo of the floor! It was throughout the whole house
I know you aren't supposed to sand over the nails but...we did!! Right over them. This room has the most nails and "dings" and it still looked absolutely gorgeous!
In the process of doing the same thing right now in a different house!And I mean in the process! Sanding this very day.
This floor will be finished with a matte hardwax oil, which we haven't tried yet! Hopefully it turns out well :)
Auld haus Restoration
2 years agoSel Bee
2 years agoWe have finished ours with hardwax. We did the old oak strip flooring upstairs, sanded and hardwaxed. And then did the same to the pine downstairs, sanded and hardwaxed! Here are finished photos of both :) we did osmo polyx matte clear. It did darken the wood a tad, so if you're looking to maintain the natural wood colour I would try osmo polyx in raw, which is probably the route we will go in the future!
I think the raw only comes in satin from what I could find online, but as a hardwax I've read it doesn't get very shiny, even if you use a high gloss. It actually soaks into and penetrates the wood, unlike poly or other finishedls that sit on top of the floor. It feels and looks very different than poly and it took a few days to adjust to the look, which we now love!
The advice I can give is: sand sand sand and apply the hardwax oil extremely thin. After reading online, we actually wiped it as we went. Almost like a stain!
Auld haus Restoration
2 years agoHU-768178175
2 years ago
Matthew Antolick
2 years agoHello, HU-768178175, I’d love to hear how this turned out. We’re you able to successfully pull up the subfloor? I was thinking of doing the same thing in my home (built 1923). It has wide pine tongue+groove planks that have a ton of character.
RedRyder
2 years ago
Lola Adedeji
2 years agotenspeedt
last yearRalphy Watson
last year
Susan Sease
last yearThis may not be a popular option, but it was the best one for our 100 year old pine subfloors on our second floor. When we moved in to the house it had been empty for 5 years (long story), while the upstairs floors at first glance looked in pretty good shape we found a lot of damage and issues once we moved in. I struggled with how to best handle the floors, from refinishing, installing new flooring to painting them. At the end of the day painting them was the best option for us and I cannot be happier. I have only finished 1 of the 4 bedrooms so far as I am working room to room, so that is the photo I have attached below. Btw I have a ton of movement in 1 of the rooms flooring, which I will be nailing down prior to painting. The process I used was a light sand (orbital hand sander), clean, prime with Bin Zinsser, and 3 coats of Benjamin Moore floor & patio paint. I didn’t fill any cracks as I wanted to be able to see the individual planks. The floor is very easy to keep clean and adds so much brightness to the rooms. I know this option is not for everyone, but we have zero regrets about our choice to paint the floors.
Diana W
last year
Ellie Navarro
5 months agosoholmes
2 months agosoholmes
2 months agoWondering about solutions for loose boards and squeaks when finishing old plank subfloor. Any comments on the weight threshold of these floors?
mmc429
2 months ago
JMKA | architects