Help me pick out new hardwood floors

[Anonymous]

We have a basic honey oak floor right now that are original to the house (1960's) and for many reasons are getting ripped out and replaced. We renovated the house DIY when we bought it 6 years ago and the floors remain the biggest single thing that I regret not doing.

What I want is something like an unstained hickory or a gunstock oak. I grew up in the south in an old house and we had heart of pine floors, and I love that look, with the knots and grain. Obviously you can't get heart of pine floors anymore, but I can't really figure out what is kind of close to that.

I like the first two hickory links, but not the third: (sorry, I can't remember how to link images!)

https://images.app.goo.gl/BZ972sCHqbuWBEZ89
https://images.app.goo.gl/Pkqe9D63ErRKFNWA6

https://images.app.goo.gl/qPxYKrCQ5UGNtpWz7 (too splotchy)

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

Okay, seeing no responses, let me try to post the images. Are these too taste-specific? Too barn-like? Or would they work in a 60's house in the DC suburbs?

[Anonymous]

Classic gray is the best and it's not to gray on oak

[Anonymous]

You could get reclaimed pine. But if it's a 1960's house, you could probably still find red or white oak - you could zip it up and do a herringbone pattern. What you are picking seems against the integrity of your house. I would try and get some reclaimed oak floors - which will give you a slightly more rustic take - but still go with the character of your place.

[Anonymous]

1) It is still possible to get heart pine. Just look around on sites that sell unfinished wood. (e.g. https://www.stonewoodproducts.com/product/heart-pine-flooring-plank/)
2) Are your floors damaged or why are you opposed to trying to refinish them? The original will always look best. (take it from someone who ripped out original floors and came to regret it)
3) What you posted is in fact quite taste specific and it could be a resale issue.
4) unstained hickory and gunstock oak have a completely different look. If you like both, oak is unlikely to be a turnoff for future buyers. It is standard and easy to refinish if they buyers do not fancy the color you picked. Other woods could be trickier.

[Anonymous]

I would try to get reclaimed wood, but I need 2500 ft2. If this was an old house, I wouldn’t rip the floors out, but there is nothing historic about this one. We’re replacing the floors because they were not installed correctly, and move when you walk on them, especially on the stairs. They also squeak horridly 9 months of the year (less so in the summer), and I can hear my cat walking through the house in the winter. Two rooms upstairs are damaged from a roof leak before we bought it. They had carpets on them for 50+ years before we bought the house, and I was so thrilled to find wood floors, but now I just hate them. I just want to start over. I’ve talked to flooring guys and contractors, and they all say that our neighborhood is renowned for its crappy floor installations, and no amount of refinishing can fix the noises and movement.

I love the hickory floors, but I’m not a risk taker when it comes to permanent fixtures in the house. And I feel like those are a risk, unfortunately.

[Anonymous]

You offered three examples. Off the top of my head, the first is okay, and the next two are ugly.

[Anonymous]

I think the first two are too taste specific (and look cheap even if they aren’t) The gray (3rd) is ok but going out of style. Gray floors are not classic they are trendy.
Probably dark oak is best : kind of grayish brown.

[Anonymous]

Like the 4th pic on the link. That orange pine color definitely out of style now.

[Anonymous]

I hate the tonal variation in the hickory.

[Anonymous]

The first one is the only one that is my taste

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would try to get reclaimed wood, but I need 2500 ft2. If this was an old house, I wouldn’t rip the floors out, but there is nothing historic about this one. We’re replacing the floors because they were not installed correctly, and move when you walk on them, especially on the stairs. They also squeak horridly 9 months of the year (less so in the summer), and I can hear my cat walking through the house in the winter. Two rooms upstairs are damaged from a roof leak before we bought it. They had carpets on them for 50+ years before we bought the house, and I was so thrilled to find wood floors, but now I just hate them. I just want to start over. I’ve talked to flooring guys and contractors, and they all say that our neighborhood is renowned for its crappy floor installations, and no amount of refinishing can fix the noises and movement.

I love the hickory floors, but I’m not a risk taker when it comes to permanent fixtures in the house. And I feel like those are a risk, unfortunately.

Right, because they want to sell you new floors, I am surprised they are not pushing EVP. on you. A house built in 1960 is an old house. Get salvaged wood and feather in upstairs. Pull up boards on the ground floor and reinstall. It takes them longer than demoing, but it's cheaper. Then, you can stain and refinish them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We have a basic honey oak floor right now that are original to the house (1960's) and for many reasons are getting ripped out and replaced. We renovated the house DIY when we bought it 6 years ago and the floors remain the biggest single thing that I regret not doing.

What I want is something like an unstained hickory or a gunstock oak. I grew up in the south in an old house and we had heart of pine floors, and I love that look, with the knots and grain. Obviously you can't get heart of pine floors anymore, but I can't really figure out what is kind of close to that.

I like the first two hickory links, but not the third: (sorry, I can't remember how to link images!)

https://images.app.goo.gl/BZ972sCHqbuWBEZ89
https://images.app.goo.gl/Pkqe9D63ErRKFNWA6

https://images.app.goo.gl/qPxYKrCQ5UGNtpWz7 (too splotchy)

Thoughts?

There is no such thing as boney oak. It is either red oak or white oak. Honey is the stain.

I'd say go with oak again, a combo of red and white oak for variation, those old homes had really old oak which was so beautiful with a ton of variation. Everything these days is young and so monotone.

Personally I'd salvage what I have and feather some new in. Crazy talk to some a superior product for an inferior one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We have a basic honey oak floor right now that are original to the house (1960's) and for many reasons are getting ripped out and replaced. We renovated the house DIY when we bought it 6 years ago and the floors remain the biggest single thing that I regret not doing.

What I want is something like an unstained hickory or a gunstock oak. I grew up in the south in an old house and we had heart of pine floors, and I love that look, with the knots and grain. Obviously you can't get heart of pine floors anymore, but I can't really figure out what is kind of close to that.

I like the first two hickory links, but not the third: (sorry, I can't remember how to link images!)

https://images.app.goo.gl/BZ972sCHqbuWBEZ89
https://images.app.goo.gl/Pkqe9D63ErRKFNWA6

https://images.app.goo.gl/qPxYKrCQ5UGNtpWz7 (too splotchy)

Thoughts?

There is no such thing as boney oak. It is either red oak or white oak. Honey is the stain.

I'd say go with oak again, a combo of red and white oak for variation, those old homes had really old oak which was so beautiful with a ton of variation. Everything these days is young and so monotone.

Personally I'd salvage what I have and feather some new in. Crazy talk to some a superior product for an inferior one.

I have hickory floors....in my cabin in the Blue Ridge. Not in my suburban home. You can get the look you are going for with your existing floors, pulled up and reinstalled properly with some new feathered in.

The hickory, at least to me, is not a good look in a 1960s suburban home. They do look great with my exposed posts and beam 22ft ceilings with ml189 degree mountain views.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I guess it's a no on the hickory! Thanks everyone.