How do you know if a hardwood floor is completely shot?
Answers:
You can refinish them...I did at my house. You gotta rent an area sander (or disk sander) and then a small area hand sander. Go to local rental place.
Our floors had all kinds of water damage from a dog peeing on carpets. We decided to remove the carpet and refinish the hardwood floors...they look great now.
I strongly suggest refinishing them...once it is complete you'll sit back in your chair and just admire them for a few days.
We used the stain that closely matched our doors and trim. Then we applied two coats of polyueathne...Careful doing that not to get small bubbles...we had to go back with fine sandpaper to take out some of the bubbles that formed.
So i recomend not using a paint roller to do the poly application...use brushes. It may take a bit longer but you woun't get those small bubbles. We didn't have many areas like that just a few but was still a pain to go back and do that again...
Oh yeah...make sure you get some plastic and tape up around doorways that you don't want to get dust into. You will need to clean the area free from all dust (and there is a good amount of dust) once done with the sanding.
Other answers:
if u can salvage only 1/3 of it i would suggest removing all of it. then u can fixx the sub floor if needed. remember to install 15 lbs felt paper under the new hardwood flooring. do not lap the tar paper, it will cause a 3/16" hump that ur feet will feel.
Take the 1/3 salvaged wood and see if u can sell it to a wood salvage company and install new oak flooring!
lic. gen. contractor
if u can salvage only 1/3 of it i would suggest removing all of it. then u can fixx the sub floor if needed. remember to install 15 lbs felt paper under the new hardwood flooring. do not lap the tar paper, it will cause a 3/16" hump that ur feet will feel.
Take the 1/3 salvaged wood and see if u can sell it to a wood salvage company and install new oak flooring!
lic. gen. contractor
You probably have Oak Hardwood Floors. Oak will turn grey with age, wear and moisture. the nice thing about real hard wood, is that it can be refinished. Most damage, unless there is warping, can be cleaned up
Hard wood can be sanded and refinished in place. A ballpark figure for having the floors redone would be under $1k. Call a floor finisher and ask. The new flooring that is on the market today really is cheap looking and cheap lasting.so saving 1/3 won't do you much good as the color, thickness and aging will never be matched.