Hardwood floors last for quite awhile, but nothing lasts forever. Once your floor starts to show its age, you need to decide what to do with it. There are a couple of options-- most hardwood floors can be refinished, you could cover it with carpet or linoleum, or you can replace it. Depending on your needs, one of these options will generally be the clear front runner.
Repair
The most common choice is going to be repairing the damaged floor. While it is a big job, it is the least expensive choice you have, and it's probably one of the main reasons you bought it in the first place.
- The first step is replacing any damaged boards. Just cut them down the middle to give yourself space to pull them out and insert their replacements.
- Unless you happen to have an electrical sander laying around, you should probably rent or borrow one. They aren't something you will use often, but you won't want to strip your floor without one.
- Finally, refinish the floor. Take your time and use as many coats as needed to ensure you won't have to go through this process again anytime soon.
If this isn't sufficient for your situation, don't despair-- you still might be able to save the floor. Unlike laminate or carpeting, you can actually pull up an entire hardwood floor, address any underlying issues, and then reinstall it.
Replace
If you just aren't a fan of wood floors, or the floor is badly damaged, then replacement might be your only choice. You might want to talk to a materials recycler before you start pulling up the floor. If there is enough left to salvage, they will likely be interested in the materials. Depending on the size of the floor, they may be willing to pay you a bit for the materials (just don't expect it to pay for the new floor).
At the very least, you can likely convince them to do the work of removing the old floor. Their experienced workers can remove the old boards with a minimum of damage-- maximizing the amount of usable material they can salvage. If you feel up to the negotiation, and you have a good amount of wood to offer, you can try to get them to install the new floor as well. However, in most cases, you will probably have to do the installation work yourself or hire a professional to lay the new wood or carpet.
Cover
If you are truly on a tight budget, regardless of whether it is time or money you are short on, covering the old wood floor as is might be the route you end up going. While a full replacement is preferable, covering an old wood floor will give you a livable surface, or get your house ready for sale in a hurry. Putting one wood floor on another won't end well, but you can lay carpet, along with a pad, over an old wood floor, and it will hold up for quite awhile. While it will last longer if you sink carpet staples into the floor to tack down the carpet, this will make it more difficult to refinish the floor if you or the new owners try to salvage it later. Of course, if you just prefer carpet, then you won't be worried about whether or not the wood survives.
One of the advantages of wood floors is that you can refinish them if they start looking scuffed. However, this might not be the case in your situation, or you might just be looking for something different. Regardless, knowing which of these situations you are in will ensure that you don't make any costly mistakes.
For more information on your flooring options, you can check out this post, or others like it.
