Are wood floor boards in my 1930's semi good flooring?

[compact]

Renovating my new 1930's semi.
Took off the carpet and the wood floor looks in pretty good condition.
So thinking of sanding, painting or varnish.

BUT

Not knowing much about wood, do you think this would be good quality, hard wearing, for the kitchen, diner, hallway?

Cheers

 

[Space cat]

It's been there for eighty years and it's still in good condition. That should tell you something about the quality. Since this is a 1930s house, I assume you have T&G boards. If this is the case then yes, you can sand and varnish it (I wouldn't use paint). A heavily used area will benefit from a light sanding down and extra varnish maybe once a year but maintenance is otherwise low.

But there are a few drawbacks to this kind of floor:

1) They're noisy.

2) On a ground floor without insulation, they're cold.

3) The cracks fill up with dirt - especially in a kitchen.

4) They're hard on knees - and elbows too.

On the other hand, they look good and if you get bored with one you can always put carpet on it.

 

[big-all]

would also like to add chipboard flooring =5 to 10 years before squeeks disintigration

throw a basin off water on a pine floor every month for 100 year no problem if properly fitted
do the same on chipboard floor and count the months till it fails

 

[compact]

Cheers for the replys.

My thoughts are
1) They're noisy.
Yep though may use rugs in certain areas.

2) On a ground floor without insulation, they're cold.
I'm going to insulate as lots of easy access underneath

3) The cracks fill up with dirt - especially in a kitchen.
I agree, though luckily the gaps are very small and I may even fill these

4) They're hard on knees - and elbows too.
Agree, though I was going to lay stone

"=5 to 10 years before squeeks disintigration"
Sorry didn't understand this? you mean lay chipboard over the wood?

My concern is are they hard wearing i.e. if high heals and the amount of traffic in the kitchen areas.

For finish I was thinking of sanding (as black), then sealing (somehow, clear varnish??) and painting a soft white for a light bright beach house type finish.[/u]

 

[Space cat]

The problem with the cracks is that they don't stay the same size. Real wood swells and shrinks with temperature and humidity changes so your cracks will keep reappearing. This could be a problem in areas like kitchens where spills and splashes are commonplace.

High heels will definitely make dents. We have parquet flooring in our kitchen. It's hardwood but it still has a fair collection of dents and scratches in it. Some people consider this to be part of the character of a solid wood floor.

I would avoid paint. It'll wear through quickly and, unlike varnish, the damage will be very visible. Also, once you've painted it you'll be stuck with it.

 

[compact]

Cheers Space Cat

It will be heels off at the door then

I'm going to aim for sanding and varnishing for a light colour and take it from there

 

[big-all]

just saying what you have is good floor boards do NOT be tempted to replace with chipboard

 

[koolmum]

Hi Compact,
I've just bought a 1930's semi and also want to do the same with my floorboard: sanding, filling the gap, varnishing... Consulted with friends and lots of different opinions. Some say it's not worth the effort, 1930 floor board is not good enough... Very confused now, so I'd be very grateful if you could tell me your experience with your floorboard. Many thanks.

Koolmum

 

[compact]

I've been so slow with the DIY I've not yet got round to doing the floors,
But from what I can see, where I sanded a small section, they look ok