Floor refinishing
Related Discussions
Vinyl plank flooring vs pergo (laminate)
I currently have stinky dirty carpeting in my living room and I want to replace it with a durable flooring that can stand up to dogs and kids.
How to remove popcorn ceiling that has been painted?
Does having a paint over a popcorn ceiling change how I'd remove the popcorn ceiling?
How to apply peel and stick wallpaper?
I want to spruce up my walls with peel-and-stick wallpaper. Has anyone used this before and can advise me as to how to apply it properly?
How to stain wood floor?
I've heard staining is a good technique for updating floors. So how do I stain my wood floor?
How can I update an ugly kitchen tile floor?
My new house has ugly mauve kitchen tile. Too expensive to rip out. What can I do to update it?
The installer is correct. To a certain point. Here is the million dollar question, will a slight variance in color really matter? Think about it. Once you put down a few pretty rugs, move all your furniture back in, add lighting and decorate, will it be noticeable? I have done this and out of all the people that came through our house at the time, only one person noticed. We even sold it that way - no big deal. It just depends on how "perfect" you want things to be. If you want perfect, rip up the old stuff and install new. Does that help any?
Hogwash on what that installer said. This floor looks like standard Bruce oak flooring. After the carpet is removed, underlayment can be laid until the new floor is the same height as the existing. Take a measurement of one "plank" and take to a flooring store. Also take these pictures. They will be able to match the flooring and probably install, strip and re-stain.
PULLING UP THE CARPET AND REFINISHING IS THE CHEAPEST METHOD. IF IT IS A LARGE ROOM, CONSIDER HIRING A PROFESSIONAL.
You Will need patience but yes it definitely can be done. Take your pictures to a local stain store and they can match it.
If you can't match the wood, an alternative would be to tile where the carpet was. Or you can play on the existing color by getting a close match and using that as an interior border (maybe about a foot in) in the new much different color wood.
1. Or edge and add the new floor as an inlay.
2. There are stains available now that give a more opaque finish. That will give excellent results on creating the same finish throughout.
Your flooring now appears differently colored, depending on sunlight, furniture shadows, etc. and wood grain texture. I would go for it. A good refinisher that know what they are doing should be able to get it very close. Just require a final say-so agreement on a color finish. A professional will be able to submit colors/finishes that they have mixed for you to choose from.
Would you be able to install flooring (a floating floor) over the existing areas, thus getting the continuity you want. Many floor boards these days are manufactured in a tongue and groove style, and they just click into each other. So easy. But you have to make sure that the extra height with the overlaid floor doesn't interfere with any doors or equipment - eg if you are also doing the kitchen floor, make sure that eg the dishwasher can be pulled out easily if it needs attention. Usually there is an inch or so above the dish. washer, with the bench tops going over the top.
Talk to a couple of other installers. I had a problem with bad stains we found on our hardwood when we ripped up the old carpet to expose the original flooring in our postwar house. I talked to two different guys who said the old-growth oak couldn't be saved and we'd have to replace it ... and pay a lot of money to do so.
So I asked my stepson, an electrician, if he knew any good flooring guys from any of the houses he'd worked on. He did, and his guy quoted us 1/2 of the first quote and 1/3 of the second.
We gave them a shot, and they did a great job. I could still see where the worst stain had been, but I had to really look. No one else ever spotted it even if I challenged them to find it.
Anyway, the point is that different tradesmen have different skill levels. Talk to some more pros for their recommendations. You may find someone who can minimize the slight difference in color to the point that it's negligible.
I agree to keep the floor and restrain. I did that in my last house and the realtor said oh you installed new floor. If you go to a paint store with a close up of the floor they should be able to get you the right stain.
Hardwood floors are hard do what makes you happy.