Anyone refinished 1930/1940s fir floors successfully?

Submitted by joseph on Sun, 04/02/2024 - 4:45pm

I'm wondering if anyone has successfully refinished their fir floors found in some of the houses in rossland built in the 30s and 40s. If you are willing to share your experience shoot me an email or text to 25O 36B 72B3

thanks

Town: Rossland, BC
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Submitted by HopingForRain on Mon, 05/02/2024 - 9:07am.

Hi Joseph,

I had the floors in my 1947 house successfully refinished in 2010 and they still look great fourteen years later. Three rooms are maple and one is fir. 

Tom Premier did them for me while he was getting his custom cabinetry business established. He did an excellent job fixing a hole in the floor that someone had covered in plywood - now, you can't even figure out where it was. He sanded the floors with a commercial sander (it takes a steady, experienced hand not to wreck the floors with the sander) and used Varathane Nano Defence Premium Clear Floor Finish. Three coats with sanding in between each coat, and two coats more, five coats final. The Varathane has a five-year scratch-proof guarantee with easy water cleanup.

However, you do have to take care of wood floors. Dog claws wear them out faster, as does walking on them in shoes or boots. Furniture feet should have protective pads on them. Liquids are the enemy of wood floors - clean up drops and spills immediately. There is a limited number of times you can refinish your floors, so preventing damage is better than trying to fix it.

Tom is in high demand now for his custom cabinetry and millwork so I doubt he does this kind of work any more. But he might be able to recommend someone who does. Here's his website: https://www.tpmillwork.com/

Note: refinishing the floor stopped the squeaks for a while, but it is an old house and unlike modern wood floor installation, the original craftsmen were not worried about noisy flooring. So the squeaks will come back.

Good luck!

Submitted by DorothyWD on Tue, 06/02/2024 - 9:19am.

Ditto above comments about the need to care for them afterwards.  Years ago I had my fir floors redone.  The home was built in1936, the floors were getting rough and starting to splinter.  (Not sure if he still does floors, but Josh Swain did them).  They turned out absolutely beautifully, no staining, just clear coated and came out a natural golden caramel colour.  10 years later they still looked great other than a few dumb scratches I put in them. Have since sold the home.  IMO one of the best investments you can make.  The home appraiser was very impressed and said it is rare to find a home now with good condition original fir floors.  And definitely a greener option.

Submitted by wired_lizard on Fri, 16/02/2024 - 8:54am.

Hey Joseph, 

I redid mine BUT it has some red paint that a few contractors said they would not be able to get out to have an even floor colour. I decided to go with cottage shabby white floors and it sanded it down and then white washed with porch and outdoor floor paint. It looks amazing. Happy to shoot a pick if you send me an email.