Wooden flooring..replace or repair?
Discussion
When we moved into this house it had a thick green carepet in the dining room, which contractors removed and replaced with another thick green carpet. I wasn't here at the time and didn't see the floor underneath. The room now needs replastering to deal with the damp and during some recent work on the radiator I had to lift the carpet in one area, to see a lovely wooden floor underneath. It looks like 1 inch thick 4 or 5 inch boards with a drak brown stair varish. As the carpet is now being replaced I thought this was a great time to rid ourselves of the carpet, expose the floorboards, sand and revarnish/oil them etc.
However, on moving a bookcase and lifting the carpet on the damp gable end the floor isn't in very good condition at that end: one area of new boards (probably the old cellar entrance covered in the 1980's), the floor is covered in plaster from the last time the gable end was damproofed and has an area where it looks like previous damp has eaten the boards around the edge of the fireplace and someone has repaired it with plywood.
So, my questions, knowing I need to sort the damp problem and repair any damge it has done first ;
Will I ever get a decent finish in that area of plaster/ply and new boards or is it easier to replace that area with reclaimed timer and sand/restain the lot??
If the tatty plaster covered boards extend across the room, will that sand off?
If the boards are beyond help and we have to replace them to get a good finish, will the boards need to come up or could we put a floating floor on the top?
I notice that some of the dealers are selling larch flooring at a reasonmable price at the moment. Is that a decent option?
Editted to add. Just puilled up the carpets fully. OMG! A patchwork of boards including the old cellar entrance cover which isn't connected to the joists (resting on bricks with slates). I think I may have to start from scratch?
However, on moving a bookcase and lifting the carpet on the damp gable end the floor isn't in very good condition at that end: one area of new boards (probably the old cellar entrance covered in the 1980's), the floor is covered in plaster from the last time the gable end was damproofed and has an area where it looks like previous damp has eaten the boards around the edge of the fireplace and someone has repaired it with plywood.
So, my questions, knowing I need to sort the damp problem and repair any damge it has done first ;
Will I ever get a decent finish in that area of plaster/ply and new boards or is it easier to replace that area with reclaimed timer and sand/restain the lot??
If the tatty plaster covered boards extend across the room, will that sand off?
If the boards are beyond help and we have to replace them to get a good finish, will the boards need to come up or could we put a floating floor on the top?
I notice that some of the dealers are selling larch flooring at a reasonmable price at the moment. Is that a decent option?
Editted to add. Just puilled up the carpets fully. OMG! A patchwork of boards including the old cellar entrance cover which isn't connected to the joists (resting on bricks with slates). I think I may have to start from scratch?
Edited by Brown and Boris on Tuesday 21st April 08:49
Edited by Brown and Boris on Tuesday 21st April 12:58
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