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Our house is 56 years old and has hardwood floors. Before we had central heat and air installed there was two floor furnaces in the house. We covered the holes with plywood and covered that with carpet. Now I would like to take up the carpet and have the wood floors. What ideas do you all have to fix the holes that would look good. I know that I can have someone come in and do it for us but I need to do it the cheap way--us doing it. Thought about maybe a ceramic mosaic or a design made with some obviously different woods. I need some suggestions--thanks in advance. SheVerne
Any chance there's a closet with the same flooring, that you could remove and use to patch the holes and blend it in?
If not, you might try some lumber yards (equip yourself with a piece of the flooring to show them what you're trying to match. They may be able to supply you with some strips of approximately the same width and depth, which could be stained to match. (Buy an extra strip or two to test various stains (you might have to custom-mix to get the color, stain time, etc. to get the right color.)
Terry, that's a great idea about the closet--had not thought of that. But first I will check with the flooring stores and maybe match what I have. I'm kinda scared to take the carpet up--don't know what it looks like under there. It'll be an adventure. We have some smart folks that read DG and I knew that I would get some good ideas from you all. I'm open for some really creative ideas, too. Even bordering on unusual. SheVerne
Be courageous - rip up a corner and see what's hiding under there! I've done it and even with less-than-perfect floors, I still loved the look and feel of the hardwood more than the carpet that was covering them up.
If the floors need refinishing, you can do it yourself if you're handy enough to handle a sander (do some reading first, and get some tips from the tool rental people on how to use it properly). There is the matter of the dust, though - and that can be a problem if you're living in the house while you're re-doing the floors.) There are several water-based polyurethanes on the market that provide a good finish without taking weeks to dry - but do pay attention to the drying time and let them dry thoroughly to properly harden.
If the floor is in okay shape except for some "blemishes" (water stains, etc.), sanding and then staining with two or more colors, in some type of pattern (checkerboard, or lay out a "border" to mimic a rug) can mask the bad spots but let the wood grain shine through - and guests will either think you're some kind of Martha Stewart, or you paid a fortune for the look ;o)
Floors in really bad shape can be painted or stained with an opaque stain. You'll still have the warmth and texture of wood, but the bad spots will be sealed and covered up.
But keep in mind, part of an older home's charm is the fact it isn't brand-spankin' new. Patina comes with age and use, and some worn spots and a few stains can lend character so don't be afraid of letting them show. (I've seen new homes where floors and cabinets are intentionally distressed to lend the appearance of age and use.)
I live in a house built in 1896. In the kitchen, once we removed the subfloor, then I used my heat gun to remove the sheet vinyl put down, I found a "hole" where a vent had come up. Mine was easy to fix though, I was having new cabinets put in also, so some of the flooring where the cabinets would go was removed and put in, covering the hole. It wasn't done perfectly, but nobody comments on it. If they do, I'll just tell them :) We didn't do them, I had to gut the kitchen, so my carpenter did it for me. I watched him and it seemed a little tricky. The tongue and groove part? He used a circular saw to cut thru it. We (husband, my sister and I) refinished most of the floors in this old house. I wasn't concerned about perfect, like Terry above, the stains and different spots left by the pad staples, add a nice character. And again, Terry's suggestion of going to a lumber yard is great. Downstairs, is all maple. I just left it natural. Upstairs is wide plank pine and that I did stain. We rented a sander from Ace. This sander is like a huge palm sander, not a drum sander. It's very easy for the homeowner to do. They sell all the poly's and the applicators needed. Once you do it, you won't believe how scared you were! Update us on what you do!
We heat our home using a woodburning stove in the basement. it is not directly connected to the duct work. so cozy in thew basement, chilly upstairs. we are considering putting in an old fashioned floor register in the floor upstairs/ceiling downstairs to improve the air circulation. has anyone done this before and if so, did it improve the heating upstairs? Where is a good place to purchase a large (2x3 approx) floor register? The downfall, besides a hole in the floor/ceiling, is the increased noise volume between the floors. Any others? We need to make a decision quickly as we are having hard wood floors installed in the area that would have the floor register.
Hi Adamsfarm, welcome to DG. If you start a new thread, you will probably get more comments. A lot of people might never see this at the bottom of this thread. Laverne
