Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 15, 1999 07:54am | #1

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   Keep it. Look at Bruce Johnson's book "The Wood Finisher" for some floor restoration techniques less brutal than grinding off a layer along with the patina.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 15, 1999 08:27am | #2

   *In the area I work in people pay good money to put in softwood flooring for the older,authentic look. I have these types of floors refinished all the time and never have a problem. Keep the floor, but get a more compatible floor man. Bill Swales

2. 
   Mad_Dog | Dec 15, 1999 08:42am | #3

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   I would keep the floor and consider getting rid of the floor
   guy. An old pine floor is a thing of beauty. I have an
   1880's farmhouse with the same type of thing. After
   refinishing, it is spectacular.

   It is very common for the combination of hardwood
   downstairs/pine upstairs in floors, trim, doors, especially
   in farmhouses of that era. I consider it fortunate.

   I used a gymfloor finish and we have two large dogs putting
   it to the test every day. No regrets.

   MD

   xxxxxxxxx

1. 
   Mad_Dog | Dec 15, 1999 09:19am | #4

   *I would keep the floor and consider getting rid of the floor guy. An old pine floor is a thing of beauty. I have an 1880's farmhouse with the same type of thing. After refinishing, it is spectacular.It is very common for the combination of hardwood downstairs/pine upstairs in floors, trim, doors, especially in farmhouses of that era. I consider it fortunate.I used a gymfloor finish and we have two large dogs putting it to the test every day. No regrets.MDxxxxxxxxx

3. 
   Guest_ | Dec 15, 1999 10:37am | #5

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   Mad Dog, I could'nt agree with you more..Fire the guy and go with another who understands what a floor should be made of,(lemee guess, he would put Pergo or something in?)Mad Dog is right on the money again when he speaks of finishes, a softwood floor is only as durable as the finish applied. Floor finishes are made with a certain amount of plastics and or acrylics with other things such as colors parafins(waxes) etc. The higher amount of acrylic and or plastic(such as in gym floor finish), the higher the resistance to damage. Also I've found the thinner the mix when rolling and or spraying(especially the first few coats)the deeper the finish will soak and the harder the finish will be, in turn hardening the wood.I've got almost 1000 feet of soft flooring with Rotwielers running on it daily and no dents from the wifes stilleto (sp?) heels.
   Find a new floor guy before he measures for Pergo!

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 15, 1999 11:30am | #6

   *Unanimous! Probably old growth White Pine in that location at that time. Almost unavailable today I would guess. Had a similar floor in Michigan back in the day.joe

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 16, 1999 03:35am | #7

   *You have a floor that has been in place for over a hundred years. This says that it is durable, functional, and won't cost you anything to leave in place. It will, however, probably need refinishing. Sounds like yoor floor man is either a complete idiot, or he wants to sell a new floor installation or two. If he doesn't know much about pine (or any other softwood) flooring, then he isn't in line with his craft.I would get rid of the floor man, and keep the floor. The info on finishes has already been covered, so I'll skip that part.Just a thought...James Duhamel

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 16, 1999 04:13am | #8

   *Do you hear the floor shaking and the computer making strange noises? A unanimous opinion on Breaktime, must be the millenium!:)For what its' worth keep the floor, it will continue to get scarred and marred. But that adds the character you bought the house for in the first place. Even new homes have softwood flooring in certain instances.

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 16, 1999 05:52am | #9

   *Just did a new custom home with t&g pine in several rooms(subbed it out to the experts).Looks great and the clients love it.Found out one thing though ......it's only 'softwood 'until it's properly finished .In my case stain and 5 coats of tung oil.You can tap dance on it...hard as oak (almost).Get refrences before you let ANYBODY touch that floor.Refinishing is pretty much a 'one shot' deal.Leave it up to qualified people. GOOD LUCK!

2. 
   Guest_ | Dec 17, 1999 01:31am | #10

   *This past summer I had the opportunity to take a tour of a plantation home while on vacation. The downstairs had hardwood floors, but the upstairs had softwood (SYP) floors. The curators of the house said that they did softwoods upstairs because it was cheaper and most visitors wouldn't be allowed upstairs anyway. So, no one would ever know that pine was upstairs, while oak was down. I would imagine that this was probably a common practice, and maybe even why your home is that way. Keep the floor!Matt

3. 
   Guest_ | Dec 17, 1999 02:22am | #11

   *Sounds like the floor guy wasn't interested from word one and the job may not have been up his alley as well. I know that stuff is soft but there are floors twice that age all across the northeast US and are still very functionble. Good to see ya James:)

4. 
   zindmc | Jan 05, 2000 05:34am | #12

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   My husband and I have gutted and are now renovating a three storey
   Victorian house. The ground floor has hard wood flooring (great!) However the second and third floors have a one inch thick, tongue and groove softwood. The gentleman that does my hardwood floor refinishing has (without seeing it, mind you) cautioned me that it is probably spruce and if refinished, will cause problems, slivering etc. I hope there is some Great Guru of wood out there that can tell me their opinion, of what wood type it is? The house was built in approximately 1880 in Ottawa, South-eastern Ontario, Canada. Besides, if this floor was good enough for the Victorians why would it be a problem now?

   Any advice would be appreciated.

   Marilyn