Tongue& groove subfloor – okay to sand ?
LisaMcCarney
| Posted in General Discussion on
I just read in the recent Fine Homebuilder’s that a couple refinished their tongue & groove subfloor in their kitchen. My house was built in 1930, and has oak flooring through out – and in the kitchen, under the linoleum is a tongue and groove wood floor. My question is how do you know if the wood is okay to sand and save? It doesn’t appear to be the same as the oak flooring in the rest of the house, it is slightly wider. I know that the linoleum tile that is above it is from the kitchen redo from the 1950’s. Another (possibly moronic question) is, how can you tell what type of wood it is?
If it is okay to sand – what is the best polyurethane to use in a high traffic kitchen.
Thank you so much.
Lisa
Replies
You may want to be careful with how you rehab that.
I've always been warned that 50's era and earlier linoleum tiles and flooring may contain asbestos. Likewise, I've heard that asbestos was comonly used as a binder in the adhesives used to secure those types of flooring.
It may pay to get it professionally tested before you begin ripping it up and potentially put those dangerous fibers into the air.
Maybe others on the forum will have some more insight on this topic.
Good luck.
Lisa
It doesn't appear to be the same because its not. Your looking at the subfloor. Probably pine/fir/???, but doubtful that its a hard wood.
It was never meant to be seen.
I'd have to wonder how good it would look all sanded up and varnished. I'd guess that the joints are not all that tight.
Just what kind of a look are you going for? This wood will probably have quite a few knots.
Doug
The sub-floor is usually the layer directly on top of the floor joists.I've lived in some older houses that had linoleum (real linoleum) over flooring. I guess you might call it sub-flooring, because it was under the top layer.Last house I lived in like that had strip oak tongue and groove over 5/4 x 4 tongue and groove heart pine over 1X6 non t&g pine sub-floor. In the kitchen, the linoleum ran right over the oak.As others have said, I would have asbestos concerns first, and then, if it was actually flooring, go for it. I've seen some very pretty ones reclaimed.If you get a chance, post some pics, and good luck. "what's in a name?" d'oh!
Mr. Snort
The sub-floor is usually the layer directly on top of the floor joists.
But isnt she saying thats what the t&g is?
I'm probably just assuming that because a lot of the old house around me that didnt have the oak in the kitchen had just the t&g, and usually real linoleum over it.
Doug
Hey Doug,eliphino<G>T&G subfloors are extremely rare around here, matter of of fact, I've never seen one.As I'm easily confused, just thought I'd throw out some options so I'd have a little company. LOLI need pictures!
"what's in a name?" d'oh!
Probably the best thing to do is search around in your area for a good floorman or carpenter,...someone whe really knows and works on older homes...and pay them for their time to assess what you can (should) do and cannot.
I would heed the advice here and have the linoleum tested. Asbestos is ok if it's sealed, contained and not moved around, but once you get those fibers airborne, that's when it's dark side is unleashed.
All good advise from the BT Crew. Ditto on the asbestos research.
The best suggestion I can make has been made....call a good flooring refinisher. He will be able to tell you wood type and fesibility in refinsihing.
If you are disappointed to find that it is pine....many real wood floors nowdays are pine, and cost can be higher if it is wide planks. Refinishing pine will produce a country look. People pay good money to install new or reclaimed pine flooring.
After you're sure there is no asbestos from the tile why not try an area yourself if you're handy and own or could borrow a belt sander. Start w/ a 36 grit paper then go up to a 60G then an 80G. Stain and put on a couple of coats of water based poly because that dries fastest and you can do 2-3 coats in one day.
It should cost you about ten-fifteen bucks and about an hour of your time to see "for yourselves"!
Do a small area. Maybe 9sq ft or so. Won't take you all that long and you'll see for yourselves if you like it.
Plenty of people have pine floors. Me included and I paid a fortune for it and spent many days installing and finishing it.
What you have probably isn't the same quality as mine but who knows.....
Hey, ya never know till you try.
Be brave
andy
The secret of Zen in two words is, "Not always so"!
When we meet, we say, Namaste'..it means..
Typically in kitchens and sometimes bathrooms from 1930 and earlier, there was diagonal ship-lap subfloor and pine flooring installed with the linoleum or linoleum tiles on top. The wood flooring was used to raise the linoleum to the same level as the remianing rooms....that's not a mistake, it's rustic
Thanks to all for your replies...I took a good look up at the floor from the basement and I was able to see that in some places the boards didn't even go the same direction, so that ended the possibility of sanding the floor.You guys are the best!Lisa