comeback FLOORS

Floors hand-cut or milled from old-growth woods can withstand decades of abuse. Over the arc of time, however, settling and subsidence, careless repairs, and damage from water or pets create challenges for even these hardy survivors.

- Alex & Wendy Santantonio

Water probably causes the most damage, especially in kitchens and bathrooms. Overflowing taps, unseen leaks, spills, and persistent dripping slowly ruin wood, turning it soft and spongy..

Houses also settle, allowing floorboards to rub against one another or supporting members to create annoying squeaks. Then there's actual material damage from burns, pet urine, poorly conceived alterations, and more. It goes almost without saying that a problem floor usually comes with multiple issues.

In the case of Wendy and Alex Santantonio's bathroom in their American Foursquare house, water leaks had severely damaged about a third of an antique heart-pine floor. The damage was concealed under layers of shoddy materials that had to be stripped away before the floor could be assessed and repaired. 

In Gina Bellous' Queen Anne, vertical-grain, tongue-and-groove floors upstairs had been coated in layers of glue, burlap, and paint before more recent desecration by feral cats. Boards were missing altogether or replaced with plywood.

In both cases, the owner approached repairs by thinking through problems as they presented themselves. Thanks to persistence and ingenuity, their floors came through beautifully.

THE PRO TIP

Whether you are scraping, sanding, or chipping away at old flooring layers, be sure to wear a suitable mask that protects against particulates and chemicals. Unknown irritants and toxins may lurk in adhesives, felt, cement, and in flooring materials themselves. If you suspect a layer contains asbestos, test first.

EXCAVATING for GOLD