peg and groove hardwood floors

11 years ago

I have a 1931 home with a hardwood floor in the main living room that must be replaced due to fire. The original beautiful hardwood floor has slightly darker round pegs. I loved it.

Everyone says hardwood floor aren't done in this style any more. Indeed, I can't even find any similar pictures on the internet!

My first question is, if you had a beautiful old home that you were trying to restore, would you attempt to stick with the authenticity of the room and put in a new peg and groove hardwood floor, or abandon the pegs because because "no one does then now?"

My second question is, has anyone done these old-style peg and groove hardwood floors lately and, if so, do you have any tips for me?

Featured Answer

User

9 years ago

Hi, I think there's a mashup of terms here. Pegs historically were used to cover the heads of fasteners. Before that, a similar look was probably a result of using wood dowels to fasten pieces of wood together. Groove is usually a term used in conjunction with tongue, as in tongue and groove.

Pre-bored flooring isn't as prevalent as it once was but unbored flooring can be purchased and installed. After an acclimation period, one makes templates to mark the boards, usually at the ends. After marking, you use an appropriate bit to bore for the peg. If you're screwing the floor down, you drill for screws, install the screws, insert the pegs in the bored holes and sand and finish the floor as usual. It's generally less expensive to buy pegs rather than making them with a plug cutter and a drill press.

One can have wood with plugs that do not cover a fastener so they are strictly cosmetic. They can be used on engineered flooring or solid flooring. Pegs can be in the same wood or a complementary wood. Pegs can be end grain or flat grain.

Any full service wood floor company should be able to do a pegged floor.

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Comments (18)

gregmills_gw
11 years ago
Have you called any professionals? My company does them even its not advertised. Ask around
zagyzebra
Original Author
11 years ago
Greg Mills: I'm in L.A. By any chance is your company?
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bellsmom
11 years ago
In our kitchen remodel a year ago we installed red oak floors pegged with walnut to match existing floors in a family room and breakfast room. A quality local craftsman had no problem laying the oak strips, drilling for the pegs and hammering in the pegs. They match the old floor perfectly.

This photo, taken for a different post, shows both new and old floors, roughly changing from new nearest the camera to old flooring under the dog.

This shows the adjacent family room, nearest camera, with old floors. Old floors continue into the kitchen to about the center of the table, where the new flooring begins.

We cannot tell the difference between new and old. I think most floor guys could do this if they are used to laying unfinished hardwood.
gregmills_gw
11 years ago
Sorry my company is based out of Minnesota.
blueyoung
11 years ago
Bellsmom, beautiful floors!! love the stain! can you tell me what stain you used or maybe you just used clear coat on your oak? look great! do they tend to turn yellow over time?
bellsmom
11 years ago
There is NO stain. These are red oak floors with a natural finish. The ones in the nearby family room were refinished 20 years ago. No stain. They look exactly the same as the ones in the adjacent kitchen that were installed and/or refinished last year, again with no stain. No color change at all over 20 years.

The top photo (with the dog) is pretty close to the actual color. There is a definite warm tinge to the wood. I would say it is a little warmer/redder in real life than in the photos.
zagyzebra
Original Author
9 years ago
Bellsmom, would you mind posting the pix of your peg and groove hardwood floors again? I just went back to this post that I made a year and a half ago, and for some reason your pix are showing up as a box with a question mark. I'd love to see them again, as I'm finally at the floor installation point of my restoration.
User
9 years ago
They show up in my browser.
tfri
9 years ago
zagyzebra, did you ever find someone to do your peg and groove floors? I have a 1950's ranch that has original oak floors everywhere except the living room/entryway which has been refinished in a peg and groove style. I now want to rip up the carpet in some areas of my house and match the peg and groove style. Like you, I can't seem to find a lot of info. about peg and groove flooring and the few companies that I found don't come to my area. I'm in Northridge.
gregmills_gw
9 years ago
exactly what jfcwood said.
Fernando Araujo
9 years ago
tfri are you located in northridge ca?

i am a wood floor installer and we do peg and groove we are located in canoga park

we are licensed and insured
lesliecatterall
8 years ago
If anyone is still looking for a flooring company to work with their peg and groove floors in the Los Angeles area, I'd really recommend calling Finest Flooring Inc. in Tarzana. Not too many people work with peg and grooves so it's awesome to find someone who does. Here is a link in case anyone needs it. Finest Flooring Inc. - Owner - Mark Riboh
tfri
8 years ago
Fernando Araujo, what is the name of the company that you work for and contact info?
Fernando Araujo
8 years ago
tfri

the name of my company is Modern Flooring

modernflooring1928@yahoo.com
jjmaxwell18
4 years ago
bellesmom, thanks for posting. we have the same floors w pegs. need to refinish and thought we were going to have to take out but looking at how well yours look may just refinish these and add too.... big thanks
jjmaxwell18
4 years ago
anyone know anyone in nashville that could do?
Heather Aston
2 years ago
Bellsmom, did you put any kind of sealer on and if so, what kind? I love your floors and will definitely be keeping them in my mind when we get to that point of the house project. They don't have that yellow or orange look that a lot of natural floors look like but I've recently learned that the sealer can actually change the color of the floor. Thx for your help!!