That is similar to what my floor looked like. I had a couple of floor refinishers tell me "don't bother", a few more would do it but wanted to charge an arm and a leg for it; I finally found 2 that assured me that it could be done in budget and would be fine --- and it is beautiful.

Looking forward to seeing yours!

Mine also looked similar. They were sanded and Waterloxed and they are gorgeous!

You are going to be so happy with the finished results. Good job for keeping the original floors.

How about taking a good closeup of that floor and framing it as abstract art? Nice reminder for you, and you can have fun telling people what it "means." :)

Good luck! We just had ours refinished this week. We had a layer of tile and remnants of 2 different vinyls underneath that. It turned out great except one water stain right at the entrance from the dining room to the kitchen. I guess water got under the original linoleum there years ago. It's "character". :) Anyway it is still a gazillion times better. I think my favorite part is there is no more threshold or difference in height when you step into the kitchen!

Thank you all for the replies! i love the idea as abstract art!

Sanding is almost finished in the kitchen and dining room!

The kitchen after sanding

Bungalow house- did you post pictures of your floors???

They look great! We just had our whole first floor done a bit over a month ago. Our living room and dining room had original oak and we put reclaimed maple in the remodeled kitchen and hall. We had everything sanded and refinished together. Ours were never covered with anything, but they were so worn, there was no finish left in most posts. I just have some crappy pictures online right now. Good luck with your refinishing.

Before:

Kitchen during install of reclaimed floor:



After of oak:



More close up of oak if you don't mind the distracting baby. LOL

This post was edited by Nicole6 on Wed, Nov 13, 13 at 11:25

Wow! The baby is adorable! Your floors look awesome! Oak has such beautiful character and coloration. My daughter in Boston has floors like yours!

Mine will be lighter...maple...but pretty too!

Your floors are beautiful. I can't wait to see them finished. I'm getting ready to pull up who knows what in my kitchen! I pulled up a little bit of a corner & it looks like there had been some tar or something to lay the vinyl down. I had 4 guys tell me to start from scratch. I live in a house built in the 40's w/ all of my other floors a nice white oak. But, of course, they need to be redone. So, I'm moving everything out of my house so all of my floors can be redone at once. Is this the norm when redoing all floors? I wish there was an easier way! Anyway, one guy said he could probably pull up the vinyl & refinish the kitchen floor. I hope mine come out looking as good a your did w/ just the sanding!

Show after pictures please!

Thanks!

Your wood looks so pretty as is, Kruegesm. I don't suppose you're into sand-sweeping Scandinavian style, though. Maple has actually always been a favorite of mine. It was very popular in modern homes of the 60s and 70s, and every decorating magazine had me sighing over them (as opposed to my green broadloom and linoleum).

That little monkey promises a proper challenge to your tough floors, Nicole. Bet he loves scampering around them.

It looks so good kruegesm. It should look wonderful after they are done.

Thank you all. Today is the sealer and hopefully first coat of finish.

Rosie, what is sand sweeping? Sounds interesting.

kruegesm, can't wait to see the finished floor. I'll bet you're excited. Nicole, you must be so happy with yours! I'm still in the dreaming stage.

I'm so happy you stuck with your gumption to work with them! Wood floors are just like an art frame, imho, adding another layer of beauty to one's space.

I must admit, neither of my refinishers took as much pride in their work as one should hope. Maybe third times the charm for us. Lot's more to re-coat, using Bona WF products.

Two coats of sealer are on...Bona Amber

Tomorrow 2 coats of Bona Mega polyurethane...

There is a water spot in an area near the sink but I cannot go in the room and get a picture of it...but the floor in the kitchen was put in , in the late 1800's or very early 1900's and the dining room in the 1920's--living room then too but I cannot do all the floors---at one time---have to save more money! LOL

Kitchen

Dining room picture did not turn out too well---2 coats sealer so far

Looks good in person!

The floors are beautiful! I am so glad they turned out so well for you!

We did a kitchen remodel in 2000, gee, where does the time go....anyways, ran into the problem with old linoleum and a black tarlike substance on the wood, the fellow doing our remodel sanded and could not get it off, he then took the floor up board by board and turned it over and refinished the other side. It is a fir floor, house was built 1915 to 1920. He had to buy a small amount of fir to replace some boards that were too damaged, you can see the difference in the old wood and the new by the width of the grain in the boards, however not noticeable to anyone, only us as we know where it is. He was an amazing person for the remodel.

kruegesm - The floors look fantastic and brand new! How very satisfying to have reclaimed the original floors. Good for you!!

nicole6 - your before pictures look pretty good, your after pictures look great but that cute little son takes the prize! That brings back memories - I used to plop the kids in the laundry basket and then whirl the basket around, from side to side, (think of a figure 8 on its side). (I can still see their happy faces, hands tightly gripping the sides!)

I cannot believe how beautiful they came out looking like they did after pulling everything up. I am so hoping mine turn out this great. I'm happy for you to have such pretty floors!

Does anyone know what "sand sweeping" is that Rosie mentioned? Sounds interesting.

Congrats kruegesm!

That came out beautiful! Congrats! It must have been a relief.
I am hoping to save our oak floor under the tile but the contractors I talked too are not so sure. Will see.

Vinudev_liny and bicyclegirl, if the floor refinisher you've talked to is discouraging the attempt, keep looking. I had several tell me the floor wasn't worth it, or not doable, or too much work; but I found someone who took one look and said, sure, we can do that --- and at the lowest price, too -- it turned out very well.

Here is the kitchen...2 coats sealer and 2 coats finish
Thank you all ---for all your kind words. I will post a few more pictures- kitchen still needs baseboards...

Look for someone who has done old, old floors! Only water stains tend not to sand out according to the person we used and I will show you one later that will be covered by a rug at least partially. But in a floor from the late 1800's- kitchen--I do not need perfection! LOL

This post was edited by kruegesm on Sun, Nov 17, 13 at 10:10

dining room

This post was edited by kruegesm on Sun, Nov 17, 13 at 10:19

dining room

Here is one last closeup of the kitchen floor before...this redone looks perfect!

old floor

Kitchen before any remodeling

before-