are "antique" wood floors really that prized?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just moved into our c. 1900 townhouse in dc. We love the house, but we don't know what to think about the floors. The agent told us that we shouldn't dream of replacing them because they are very valued on the market, but to us they just look old and worn, with gaps and patches here and there. Overall I guess they are in decent shape, but they are undeniably old. We don't have the money now, but a few years down the line would like replace them - but we won't do it if they are truly a prized feature of older homes.

You may not be the old house type. A lot of people think they are but when it comes down to it, they'd be better off and happier in a Ryan Home in Springfield. Your question leads me to believe that you are probably one of these people and don't really appreciate the history, charm or character of a fine old home and may have bought the place because it was the cool thing to do. Sell it to someone who truly loves old homes and embrace your repressed love of all things Franconia.

Thanks for your helpful response, bee-yotch.

She may be a bee-yotch, but what she says is true. DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Well, the thing is that people in old houses don't "really" leave the period fixtures as is. They get replaced with things that look kind of sort of the old thing, but aren't really. I mean, you don't *really* leave the Victorian bathroom as it was a hundred years ago, right? You probably wouldn't put a, I don't know, minimalist-looking vessel sink into that space, but if you say you leave the old fixtures and plumbing as is, I would have to not believe you. I doubt a Victorian-age kitchen in a Victorian house would add much value to it.

Okay - you got me on the bathroom. Of course I'd want to put central air and replace the plumbing (as needed) in an old house. I disagree on the fixtures. Some glass globes and light fixtures are gorgeous and irreplaceable. But to replace wood floors? Nope. Anyway, OP has gotten good advice as to how to sand down, or get someone in who does this for a living.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just moved into our c. 1900 townhouse in dc. We love the house, but we don't know what to think about the floors. The agent told us that we shouldn't dream of replacing them because they are very valued on the market, but to us they just look old and worn, with gaps and patches here and there. Overall I guess they are in decent shape, but they are undeniably old. We don't have the money now, but a few years down the line would like replace them - but we won't do it if they are truly a prized feature of older homes.

You may not be the old house type. A lot of people think they are but when it comes down to it, they'd be better off and happier in a Ryan Home in Springfield. Your question leads me to believe that you are probably one of these people and don't really appreciate the history, charm or character of a fine old home and may have bought the place because it was the cool thing to do. Sell it to someone who truly loves old homes and embrace your repressed love of all things Franconia.

Thanks for your helpful response, bee-yotch.

She may be a bee-yotch, but what she says is true. DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Well, the thing is that people in old houses don't "really" leave the period fixtures as is. They get replaced with things that look kind of sort of the old thing, but aren't really. I mean, you don't *really* leave the Victorian bathroom as it was a hundred years ago, right? You probably wouldn't put a, I don't know, minimalist-looking vessel sink into that space, but if you say you leave the old fixtures and plumbing as is, I would have to not believe you. I doubt a Victorian-age kitchen in a Victorian house would add much value to it.

Thank you! And I'm sure people also enjoy modern air conditioning and cookong gas, instead of sweltering and using dirty coal.

I have also read that older pine floors were actually intended to be subfloors, with carpeting over them, by the original builders. So it's not necessarily true that they are an authentic feature of the home's aesthetics.

I love my new house & feel lucky to live in such a well preserved historic urban neighborhood. But I don't feel obgligated to turn my life into that 1800s House reality show ....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I have also read that older pine floors were actually intended to be subfloors, with carpeting over them, by the original builders. So it's not necessarily true that they are an authentic feature of the home's aesthetics.

This is true. We're just about to go through the process of replacing the floors in our 1890s DC rowhouse. Virtually all the houses in the neighborhood have had all original walls and fixtures removed as well as the floors replaced. It doesn't seem to impact sales at all.

I would love to be able to just refinish them but they are over 100 years old and in poor shape. There is significant termite damage that would necessitate pulling out most of the boards in one room and others are missing sections.

I grew up in Europe in a home that was 300 plus years old -- I appreciate older homes (though in my view my house is not historic). Most homes in Europe evolve over the years. The fashion with hardwood floors is recent -- the floors in most DC homes were designed as sub floors (in ours they definitely were) just as most molding was designed to be painted not to be stripped and stained. I would never rip out my fire places, or 8 foot tall pocket doors but the floors really aren't worth saving and dont' add anything historic to the home in the condition they are in. I anticipate that new floors will add to the value of our home.

OP if your floors are really in bad shape, I see no reason why you shouldn't replace them. We are using handscraped pre finished wood which is beautiful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Nonsense. Many older houses have crummy wood flooring that adds nothing to their appeal, and even with floors that were originally in good shape, there is a limit to the number of times you can refinish them. You can use beautiful reclaimed wood to replace your floors. Replacement doesn't need to mean shiny, plastic-looking blond wood.

[Anonymous]

OP if your floors are really in bad shape, I see no reason why you shouldn't replace them. We are using handscraped pre finished wood which is beautiful.

Any product/vendor recs? New PP that might go this route.

[Anonymous]

We just got ours from BuildDirect.com -- they'll send samples by FedEx for free. Go with .75 inch hardwood rather than anything thinner (which is cheaper) and not engineered which really doesn't look as good, in my view.

Lumber Liquidators had some nice options too and you can check them out in their showroom. If the finish is warranteed for 25 years or longer it seemed to me that the quality was good.

[Anonymous]

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

I am the OP. This thread has made me realize that our house doesn't really have any preserved "period" features, other than the facade and the floor, and maybe some older windows. Everything else has been renovated over the years. But thanks to all the posters who responded that they value the floors -- we'll definitely be keeping them for now, but will probably redo the kitchen in a few years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Nonsense. Many older houses have crummy wood flooring that adds nothing to their appeal, and even with floors that were originally in good shape, there is a limit to the number of times you can refinish them. You can use beautiful reclaimed wood to replace your floors. Replacement doesn't need to mean shiny, plastic-looking blond wood.

I believe in keeping features original to the house when possible, but this is a good point.

Reclaimed wood is expensive, but can be lovely. You can also make new wood selections to blend as well as possible. Think long boards and non-knotty cuts/ species/ lots to mimic the stock that would have been much more available 100+ years ago. And yeah, no shiny, short-boarded blond finishes.

On the one hand, we do need to keep central city housing stock improved and relevant. On the other, it's sometimes a shame when the people who have the right to make these decisions don't choose sympathetically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Nonsense. Many older houses have crummy wood flooring that adds nothing to their appeal, and even with floors that were originally in good shape, there is a limit to the number of times you can refinish them. You can use beautiful reclaimed wood to replace your floors. Replacement doesn't need to mean shiny, plastic-looking blond wood.

I believe in keeping features original to the house when possible, but this is a good point.

Reclaimed wood is expensive, but can be lovely. You can also make new wood selections to blend as well as possible. Think long boards and non-knotty cuts/ species/ lots to mimic the stock that would have been much more available 100+ years ago. And yeah, no shiny, short-boarded blond finishes.

On the one hand, we do need to keep central city housing stock improved and relevant. On the other, it's sometimes a shame when the people who have the right to make these decisions don't choose sympathetically.[/quote

Most of the original heart pine floors in DC row houses from the 1890s and later includes knots and also, when refinished and not stained has a fairly light if not "blond" look to it. Though I completely take the point abotut the shiny boards which look plastic and out of place ot me.

[Anonymous]

"Most of the original heart pine floors in DC row houses from the 1890s and later includes knots and also, when refinished and not stained has a fairly light if not "blond" look to it."

Actually, I don't think this is true at all. There are fewer knots than can be found in most commonly available varieties today, and the acid built up over time gives it a reddish color.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Most of the original heart pine floors in DC row houses from the 1890s and later includes knots and also, when refinished and not stained has a fairly light if not "blond" look to it."

Actually, I don't think this is true at all. There are fewer knots than can be found in most commonly available varieties today, and the acid built up over time gives it a reddish color.

Okay, well my heart pine floors, when refinished are light colored and have knots in them. Same with all the other refinished original floors I've seen in my neighborhood. There is a slightly reddish tone, but it's much lighter than most people stain them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is very important. You can have them sanded down and refinished but don't remove them. I love old houses and would never buy one that did not have the original wood floors.

What about just doing the kitchen floors? Would that make a huge difference to you?

The kitchen floors would not make a huge a difference but I would prefer original floors. If they were done in good taste it would be fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DON"T buy a house if you don't like the 'period' look such as floors, bathrooms, etc. New floors in an old house would kill it.

Nonsense. Many older houses have crummy wood flooring that adds nothing to their appeal, and even with floors that were originally in good shape, there is a limit to the number of times you can refinish them. You can use beautiful reclaimed wood to replace your floors. Replacement doesn't need to mean shiny, plastic-looking blond wood.

I checked out the hand carved wood flooring options that the PP posted and that's not quite what I am looking for (boards are too short? Carvings don't look natural? Something?). Anyway, any leads on finding reclaimed wood floor sources? I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Have them refinished. They will look a lot better.