Nashville might be in a bit of a situation when it comes to housing, what with all of the new people moving in daily, but there are a lot of homes – many of them just need to be completely renovated before they are technically liveable. For us at Ozburn-Hessey, one of the best things about the renovation process is the way contractors often reuse old pieces, either in their original forms or in new and exciting ways. The most well-known example of this is the way flooring, which, thanks to the durability of certain types of wood, can be reused. Of course, you don’t need to be a fancy contractor with a TV show to get down to business – all you need is the right knowledge and some elbow grease.
How now
If you want to use reclaimed wood for your floor, the first thing you will need to know is if the wood is reusable.There’s no point in going through all the trouble of gently pulling up the pieces only to find they’re rotten or otherwise unuseable. Fortunately, this can be decided upon with a simple eye test, and if there is damage to a small amount of individual pieces, the rest can be saved for future projects. Of course, pieces that have clearly gone through a couple of sanding sessions are not going to work, as are ones that have a lot of movement. When it comes time to actually remove the wood, figure out which direction the tongue-and-groove is facing, and then slowly work backwards. Use a pry bar to slowly work the pieces up, trying to limit the amount of damage. It’s slow work, but definitely something that will look very nice when it is finished.
Finishing the project
Once you’ve gotten the wood up, the next issue is refinishing the boards. They’ll need to be sanded smooth, and surfaced with a wood stain or finisher to make everything look nice and even. It is important to remember that this won’t return the wood to its original state when it comes to visuals. But, really, that’s one of the joys of owning a floor that has been reclaimed. You get to see the scratches and nicks and dents from its history, each with its own story to tell, creating an anthology of sorts on your floor. After the floorboards have been finished, it is time to reinstall the pieces again. This can be tricky, especially when it’s old boards you are using, so it is recommended you bring in a professional, like the ones working here at Ozburn-Hessey, where we do this sort of thing on a regular basis.
It can be a little time consuming, although it has the possibility of being a somewhat cheaper than installing new flooring. Reclaiming old wood floorboards is also good for the environment and adds a touch of history to any room, taking it from something old and soulless to something that’s been around. We here at Ozburn-Hessey are happy to help with all of your flooring needs, so if you have old flooring you think you might want to reuse in the future, give us a call today and we can offer you guidance and advice.
