Reclaimed Hardwood Floor (laminate, refinish, color, installing)

[OROSO]

I spent this spring break installing reclaimed hardwood floor in my house. The project started out last month in my tool shed. I needed to redo the floor out there, and it happened that the elementary school down the street was tearing out and giving away the maple gym floor. After getting it all home and measuring it, I found I had about 1000 sq/ft, which was easily enough to do the shed and our living/dining room.



Considering that our carpet was getting worn out, I decided to spend the next month pulling apart the strips, removing the nails, squaring the ends, and stacking them inside to acclimate to our house.

Meanwhile, I started pulling up the carpet. It has always been lumpy, and I quickly realized why: half the subfloor was cheap laminate and the other half was OSB. I tore up the laminate and replaced it with OSB to even out the subfloor. I know it's not the ideal substraight for hardwood floor but we could not afford to redo everything with plywood.







With the subfloor and wood strips prepped, I rented a flooring hammer and got started on the installation. The first few rows were slow, the majority went fast and the last rows were infuriating. I have never installed flooring, much less hardwood, so driving nails in such a confined space was a new and challenging experience!







Although it's clearly not professional, I'm mostly pleased with the results, considering I only spent a couple hundred dollars. I had intended to rent a sander to strip and refinish the floor but ran out of time, so that will have to wait until this summer. I also plan to finish the trim with some quarter round. In the meantime, we'll enjoy our unique, reclaimed hardwood floor!

[accufitgolf]

Quite original and great work, but I must be candid and ask if you were not penny wise and dollar foolish? Meaning you did the hard part, the labor. Would it have been that much more expensive to buy close out hardwood and use that versus the intertesting but funky color pattern?

That pattern in maybe a play room, basement, etc. but sorry, not in a house.

Now if it can be refinished and the colors will be removed then a different story.

[ShaneSA]

It's a beautiful floor, except for the funky color spots. Can that be sanded off? I would get rid of the color. If it's painted on it should come off with a light sanding. The floor would be spectacular with the color spots off.

[OROSO]

Absolutely, the floor can and will be sanded. I test sanded a few strips before installation and the paint came off quite easily, I simply ran out of time to sand and refinish the floor right now. Thanks for the feedback!

[Coldjensens]

Try just screening it rather than sanding. That way you do not remove the patina. If the paint is on top of the finish, it will come off with screening.