Wooden Floor - Name that wood

[jonwestuk]

Hi All,

I want to renovate my 1968 wooden floor as there are some gaps that need filling and it is slightly bowed. I have had a couple of specialist floor restorers in and I am getting conflicting advice as to what the wood is. Below are some photos any thoughts on what it is would be of great value to me. Suggestions so far are:
1 - Teak - but one specialist noted it was too light (as in weight)
2 - Iroko - but the differences in colour made this specialist query his own suggestion.

I am also getting conflicting advice on restoring it. 1 person said that they would fix the holes, put some screws and caps in to the bowed locations and sand it. The other said it needed lifting and relaying. The joists are reasonably chunky for the screws, but if the wood is bowed then I am not convinced that a screw will do anything but secure it from bouncing. Any ideas on that?

Images

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• jonwestuk
• 3 Dec 2014
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• jonwestuk
• 3 Dec 2014
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• jonwestuk
• 3 Dec 2014
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• jonwestuk
• 3 Dec 2014
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• jonwestuk
• 3 Dec 2014
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[AronSearle]

Teak and Iroko can look similar in colour, and both can have a varied colour range.

I would say it looks more like Iroko though.

 

[jonwestuk]

I had a new suggestion today - Walnut, but very faded owing to the south facing windows and large amount of light in the room.

The person in question was primarily looking at the grain of the wood and he felt that neither teak nor Iroko have the same grain. I will post a photo when I can.

 

[ree]

Can you crawl below the floor and examine it from below?

Screwing risks hitting cables or pipes.

Why has it buckled? Is there any floor bounce or joist sway?

We usually lift water swollen wood floors back to the nearest edge, relay, then sand and finish the whole floor.

 

[jonwestuk]

Can you crawl below the floor and examine it from below?

Screwing risks hitting cables or pipes.

Why has it buckled? Is there any floor bounce or joist sway?

We usually lift water swollen wood floors back to the nearest edge, relay, then sand and finish the whole floor.

I have rewired the house so there are no electrical points there. In addition I am 99% sure there are no pipes in the way as the radiator piping does not follow these positions and the kitchen and bathrooms are all fed from a riser in a different location. The floor is on the 1st floor so it has probably swollen owing to us living next to the river and it being moist in this area. All of the houses in my street have the same floor and the same issue. From the looks of it not enough room was left to the walls to allow for some slight expansion etc.

The joists all seem perfectly fine. There is a bounce in the high parts of the floor - but it is very very slight, probably as it is under pressure.

I am considering lifting the floor, but am getting conflicting opinions on it. Some are saying that as long as I do not mind it being perfectly flat (which I don't) then adding some expansion gaps a the edge, fixing the holes and sanding the worst of the bumps should be fine. Other are saying that we should lift the floor.

I am guessing that the difference is purely a matter of what sort of finish I want. If I want a perfect, like new floor, lift, relay sand. If not sand it and make some room for any further expansion.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[AronSearle]

I had a new suggestion today - Walnut, but very faded owing to the south facing windows and large amount of light in the room.

Could be, could be one of 20 commercial hardwoods, and there is african, american and european walnut.

I'd agree the colour is light for Iroko, but the grain is right for it.

 

[ree]

Essentially, you cannot sand and finish unless the floor is lifted, and expansion gaps are cut in the nearest wall abutment - along the whole of that wall including any thresholds.

If you dont do the above, and merely sand and finish, the finish will quickly break up.

FWIW: i doubt that its Teak - far too expensive, or Iroko - dont think it was being widely used for flooring in 1968. The wood type is irrelevant, the finish or a stain will blend everything.

 

[Nicksun]

Looks a lot like Sapele. I've got it in my lounge. Used extensively from 50's through to the 60's.
hth.
Nick.