Running reclaimed floorboards - where to cut/join

[DaveG]

I started a (another) concurrent project because despite setting firm rules to start only one job at a time I can’t help myself.
I’ve uncovered some nice floorboards in one of our bedrooms/office and have decided to hire a floor sander, stain and varnish them. (First pic)

Looking to get her money’s worth, Mrs Dave has decided to now pull up all the landing carpet too. Problem is the floor there isn’t in the condition the bedroom is with various poor cuts for utilities to be routed over the years.
I’m all for sourcing reclaimed and getting on with repairs here but because this place was previously 2 houses, pic 2 shows an ugly board running across where the wall between the two properties were. So the boards run as 1 single piece from my office room to this half way mark. Same on the other side running in to the far bedroom.
Trouble is it doesn’t look great as a landing having this interrupted join.

Should I just accept this and add some sort of better looking join or should I cut the boards at the bedroom doorways to allow a full flow along the landing?
My thinking was cutting at doorways allows for a door threshold to cover the join but it means cutting boards differently to how they were originally laid. What do people think?

 

[DaveG]

Clearer picture from the office hopefully:

 

[a twig]

I would leave it as is - it reflects the history of the house and will look a lot less unsightly once all sanded and tidied

 

[a twig]

There are numerous threads in here about filling gaps between floorboards etc in period appropriate and effective ways if that bothers you

 

[DaveG]

Yes definitely my longer term plan. Some of the boards I’ll be looking to replace due to the very bad cuts in them but around the corner to the left where I’m assuming was originally the opening for the other property’s staircase it goes to modern chipboard floor boards so as it’s narrows in that space with a 2nd staircase going up to the attic I’m hoping I can run cut down original/reclaimed boards here too to get everything a little more seamless but probably a longer term project once I know any new configuration of utilities that may need to run under them

 

[mardinor]

‘Period character’
You might even stretch to ‘charm’

 

[Kearn]

General rule of thumb - don’t lift boards if not entirely essential for other reasons. There will always be some degree of damage to the boards, and they rarely go back down as tight as they were. Fixing is a bit of a pig, won’t look great and will likely squeak.

The boards are as they should be, ignoring the ones that have already been hacked about! Don’t go adding to that though…. Long boards are a lovely rare thing.

Sanding is also a bit of a nuclear option, you’ll lose so much character and possibly open up historic work holes etc.

Start with a Bahco scraper 625 or 655, that will get the paint/varnish off. Then a good scrub with wire wool and some sparing soapy water. Ensuring to dry down.

 

[lizziecupcakes]

Personally, your floors look gorgeous to me!

 

[Lacan07]

I started a (another) concurrent project because despite setting firm rules to start only one job at a time I can’t help myself.
I’ve uncovered some nice floorboards in one of our bedrooms/office and have decided to hire a floor sander, stain and varnish them. (First pic)

Looking to get her money’s worth, Mrs Dave has decided to now pull up all the landing carpet too. Problem is the floor there isn’t in the condition the bedroom is with various poor cuts for utilities to be routed over the years.
I’m all for sourcing reclaimed and getting on with repairs here but because this place was previously 2 houses, pic 2 shows an ugly board running across where the wall between the two properties were. So the boards run as 1 single piece from my office room to this half way mark. Same on the other side running in to the far bedroom.
Trouble is it doesn’t look great as a landing having this interrupted join.

Should I just accept this and add some sort of better looking join or should I cut the boards at the bedroom doorways to allow a full flow along the landing?
My thinking was cutting at doorways allows for a door threshold to cover the join but it means cutting boards differently to how they were originally laid. What do people think?

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I think you're worrying too much. If you're planning on sanding, staining and varnishing it will look great as it is. Visually the stain will pull everything in as cohesive whole and unify the look. And remember if staining you'll be sanding right back to clean, original wood anyway. I actually like that separating board because its meant to be there, its not been cut for the purpose of utilities.

Any cross cuts are worth filling with Lecol as the boards won't expand in this direction and the filler will hold, but I would maintain the silhouette on the horizontal side as this looks best and due to expansion the filler will fall out pretty quickly anyway.

 

[DaveG]

Updated picture after 5 LONG days.
That bitumen was an absolute nightmare. It would ruin a sanding pad in a matter of seconds and for a while all
It seemed like I was doing was warming it and spreading it around.
I found a scraper tool worked best to remove the majority of it first before sanding but it was a painstaking process and I am now just a shell of my former self
Now these have come up light I’ve changed my mind on a walnut finish. Have ordered a couple samples from littlefairs called “stripped pine” to see if I can get a more rustic look.
Also returning the vanish as I’m now in love with the softer finish of a floor wax

 

[Lacan07]

Updated picture after 5 LONG days.
That bitumen was an absolute nightmare. It would ruin a sanding pad in a matter of seconds and for a while all
It seemed like I was doing was warming it and spreading it around.
I found a scraper tool worked best to remove the majority of it first before sanding but it was a painstaking process and I am now just a shell of my former self
Now these have come up light I’ve changed my mind on a walnut finish. Have ordered a couple samples from littlefairs called “stripped pine” to see if I can get a more rustic look.
Also returning the vanish as I’m now in love with the softer finish of a floor wax

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View attachment 16387

nice, keep us posted on the results of the finish!

Floor wax is indeed more practical as you can spot repair.

 

[lizziecupcakes]

looks amazing. I decided against staining my floors too, I like the fresh sanded lighter colour that comes through. Looking forward to your updates