odd floorboards, can we restore? Help, advice, information, answers and tips on all types of flooring from laminate and carpet to timber and vinyl

[alibmac]

We would like to sand and varnish the floor boards in the bedroom of our victorian teniment flat. After taking up the carpet we have discovered that some of the floorboards have been replaced in a very uneven patchwork type fashion. If we sand them down as they are will it look odd? If so is there an inexpensive way to replace them?

[thedoctor]

See our project on replacing a timber floor. There are no tricks or cheap shortcuts here I'm afraid. If you want to get an even finish on the floor that looks the same over the whole area then the whole area needs to be the same construction. Different timbers soak up stains and varnishes differently so if a floor starts patchy is a sure bet it will finish patchy.