How to feather in these floors

11 years ago

X-post in flooring....

Here is our LR/DR floor, with the plywood pieces that we need to figure out how to fix.

Original thought was to feather in new hardwood, harvested from elsewhere. I've got a decent pile of it, taken from tearing out the bathroom and hall.

Here's the quandry. As I research how feathering is typically done, you pull out the boards to the last joint and put new wood in to replace the removed board. But these boards are all r-e-a-l-l-y long, i.e., pretty close to joint-less. So I'd need to make random cuts, basically creating joints that aren't there. Is this the way I should do it?

My other thought is to just make a straight-line strip of wood from wall to wall, a la transition strip. I could then either just feather in the part where the square piece extends wider than the "bookcase" strips, or else do another kind of pattern in that area.

Thought? Other options?

Featured Answer

dirt_cred

11 years ago

On an episode of rehab addict, she was able to find cabinets that fit over spots like the side ones. She went to an antique store (not a super duper one, more of a junque store) and there they were. It's the kind of thing you see at a salvage store. Restoring that division between the two room was an improvement. Then do an inlay in the big center square. The pictured inlays are great.

Neither the DIY or HGTV websites have much useful content but if you're interested it's Episode DRHA-204H, Living Room Overhaul. Not sure which season. 2 maybe?

Here is a link that might be useful: Rehab Addict link

Comments (10)

sombreuil_mongrel
11 years ago
You could take up the whole floor and re-lay it. It is possible with minor damage, and since you have a supply of matching material you can make up what is ruined.
Take up in the opposite order of application, find which way all the tongues are pointing, and start from that wall (or corner in your case).
Once sanded and finished, it will look better than anything you can do repair-wise.
Casey
weedyacres
Original Author
11 years ago
Yikes! No way, not taking up the whole floor. This is a $60,000 house when fixed up. It doesn't have to look perfect. Just not too cobbled together.
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columbusguy1
11 years ago
Your idea of cutting joints into the very long wood strips is good, just don't make them line up--keep the cuts off-set by at least two-three feet.

The idea of running a cross-strip or two from side to side as a 'divider' is good, but as I look at the side strips, they seem too narrow for bookcases--perhaps they were just walls? You could do a half-wall with a column at the edges of the opening?
sombreuil_mongrel
11 years ago
You can very easily work in repairs in strip oak flooring where the individual boards are from 9" to 24" long, because the floor is rife with butt joints. With room length flooring (truly a luxury material nowadays) it is nearly impossible not to have the "weavings" stick out like a sore thumb.
I'm tempted to recommend saving your energies for other battles and putting some nice rugs over the eyesores.
Casey
weedyacres
Original Author
11 years ago
Here's an interesting option for an inlay in the bookcase/collonade area:
weedyacres
Original Author
11 years ago
And another for the square and/or the hall:
lazy_gardens
11 years ago
I vote for the decorative inlays!
geokid
11 years ago
Yes, I vote for the inlays too. It would make for a nice visual transition between the two rooms.
zagut
11 years ago
A transion strip wouldn't look right here.

You could try the inlay thing but I don't see any pattern that would work.

IMHO the best thing you should do is tooth the floor in with the wood you harvested eleswere.

Just don't make your joints too close together and once you've refinished the whole floor it should blend in just fine.