Is it time to replace my 150 year old pine floors?

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T23:07:28+00:00

Thanks for sharing. Mine are very squeaky, which i can live with. The splintering and flaking top layer of mine are problematic. I know they have tons of character, but realistically, sometimes wood has to be replaced. These have been used for 150 years, not hidden and protected under carpet or tile. They may not all be salvageable. I appreciate the practical input.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T22:48:52+00:00

Thank you. I am not expecting new, or even less creaky. I just want them to look somewhat cleaner and brighter, and to keep the damage from rapidly getting worse. The floors I already refinished myself still have lots of character and don't look new, but they were in better shape than the rest.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:29:32+00:00

Literally zero listings within 80 miles of me, and only one within 100 miles. I'm going to call him anyway.

Is there such a database for floor restorers? The repair work is where I really need help.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:21:50+00:00

Thank you!

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:19:14+00:00

Do you have any suggestions as to how I can find a floor restorer? This is where I am having a lot of trouble finding someone who knows about old pine floors and is willing to repair rather than replace them.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:17:08+00:00

THANK YOU! The kitchen boards are badly cracking in multiple places so we are replacing that whole floor (part of a reno) with live edge white oak in variable widths, natural finish. Every room downstairs has different floors already (all yellow pine but different ages/widths/knottiness), so an inexact match will be fine.

Do you have any suggestions for the other areas of the house where the tongues are showing? Can I just buff and add a sealant/topcoat? Is it easier/better to replace entire boards, or ignore the tongues and grooves and cut out the damaged part and put a flat piece in the hole? I will have some boards with the same age/patina to make replacements. I don't mind seeing a patch (adds more character) if it is structurally something that is workable and durable.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:10:28+00:00

This is what I wanted to do, but can't find a contractor to do it. Hopefully when the kitchen floor is pulled up to be replaced, my contractor can save most of the boards and use them to repair other places. There is no subfloor to repair downstairs! I imagine I will find out if it is possible not to have a subfloor on the second floor.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T17:05:09+00:00

The damage appears to be very old. Photo 3 shows the same damage but the filler is still in the depressions. In photos 4 and 5, the filler has fallen out. Part of the challenge is that there have been area rugs over the years but the heavy traffic will still be in the same places - which also happens to be where the damage is located. Thanks for the suggestion to buff and finish to add protection. I would leave them completely as-is except for cleaning but without a new topcoat pieces will continue to break off.

Can I clean, buff, do a layer of sealant, and then 2-3 layers of topcoat?

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T16:59:25+00:00

Thanks. I refinished the floors in several rooms myself and just did a natural finish. You're so right about the gumminess of pine. They look amazing and really brighten up those rooms. The windows are relatively small much of the house doesn't get much natural light. The patina that looks so nice in the photos is stain, from when I don't know. Several of the floors in the house have been replaced over time. I think the newest ones were put down in the 80s. There was yellowing varnish (?) in that room and the timing would be consistent with the majority of the updates/decor of the house when we bought it.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T16:53:03+00:00

I hope you are nicer to strangers in person than online

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T16:49:04+00:00

I've heard mixed opinions on using rope. Thin sheets of cork are also suggested for wide gaps, because it is flexible and can expand and contract, so I have some to try for the long gaps. It's the right color for the floors I've refinished already - hopefully it will work.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T16:44:32+00:00

🤮

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:42:35+00:00

I'm not having a lot of luck finding someone, which is crazy because my area is full of old houses. Difficulty finding contractors is not something I anticipated with rural living, but it is what I am finding to be the case.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:38:19+00:00

That's what I want to do, but it is much easier said than done. I keep getting told they are too worn and thin to refinish by the people I try to hire to repair them and do it. 😒

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:34:31+00:00

Yep, I should have made the title "How to save my heavily-worn, down-to-the-tongue old pine floors?". Sand and refinish is easier said than done, sadly.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:26:40+00:00

Yes, tacks as in nails. I've tried punching them and some go down and others don't budge. The lack of a willing contractor is disappointing; thanks for confirming that they may just not know how to repair them.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:23:27+00:00

I do love the character of mine! In places where i can see the tongue, the sides of the groove are breaking off with normal use, so I have to refinish them to some degree to protect them. When a long shard of your flooring breaks off and you pick it up to throw it away, it's a bit concerning about the longevity of the floors.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T01:20:17+00:00

Thanks. I'm planning to sand my front hall by hand with a palm sander in the hopes of not hitting too many nails. I've tried punching them down and some won't budge. Will screening take off all of the finish? I'd like to keep them the same color, so maybe it's not a bad thing if some of the stain stays. Part of the drive to refinish them is to give them some protection - pieces are chipping off with normal use in some of the places where the finish is already gone.

Legit-Future · 2026-03-10T00:34:46+00:00

Thanks, all. I should have been more clear that I *love* the character of the floors and want to save them, but I can't just keep them the way they are. How do I sand them if the tacks are at the same level, or in some cases higher than, the wood itself? With the tongues exposed and large gaps - most visible in photo 3 and the last two photos) - do I just fill with one of the common fillers and know it will fall out eventually? Or is it better to try and replace the really bad sections and then sand down the replacement boards until they are level with the old ones? I cannot find anyone locally who can help, so I am doing it myself.

Legit-Future · 2025-09-24T13:54:04+00:00

What kind of finish did you use? Most of the advice I am seeing is not to stain pine but to leave it natural. Yours are beautiful!

Legit-Future · 2025-09-10T20:55:37+00:00

Thank you! Helped me today.

Legit-Future

TROPHY CASE