Sometimes when other contractors see total floor replacement as the only option for repair, there can be minimalistic solutions that save the original floor.  A flood caused the grooves of floorboards to split throughout a kitchen area of a mid 19th century pine floor.  Recycled weatherboarding from the house was used match the original wood and create dutch-man repairs.   

 This type of dutch-man repair is tedious to execute but can blend well with the original fabric.  Here the repair is begins in the center of the photo and continues up.  This is the same floor as the previous image finished with varnish.

Carpet was removed to uncover a painted pine floor.  Drywall mud had been used fill holes and level out any unevenness.

Salvaged heartwood pine was woven in to replace bug eaten and damaged boards.

Recycled boards were color matched to the old patina.  The old dark finish and drywall mud was stripped off.  Finished with a tung oil based varnish.

Some log buildings have floor systems that are independent of wall construction.  These log floor joists had survived well over 100 years buried in the dirt, but without band boards to tie them together, freeze/thaw cycles had twisted  and heaved the floor to the point that doors did not operate. 

What was left of the original floor was removed and re-milled.  Log joists were dug out and leveled on independent pier systems.  Floorboards from four other salvaged buildings were milled to match the original pine floor to complete the square footage.

Shellac is an historically appropriate finish that has been used to protect wood for thousands of years.  It is a natural product made from resin produced by lac bugs and mixed to varying degrees with alcohol. Due to its organic nature, the color can range from light amber to dark garnet.  It was one of the most common wood finishes in the nineteenth century.  Because it is less durable than modern plastic based products, we top coated this floor with an expendable but renewable coat of wax.  

Varnish is a natural product that  has been used for centuries to protect wood and accentuate the inherent beauty and story in the grain.  Its durability is comparable to modern finishes and is easier to maintain and renew.  The Tung oil based varnish we used here has been manufactured in the original formula for over 100 years.      

Before the mid-nineteenth century, most floors were either left natural or painted.  Often rugs and carpets were used to protect them and prevent drafts.  This bedroom floor was scrubbed extensively and waxed -  no sanding, staining, or varnishing.

Several coats of pure tung oil was used to bring this 200 year old rustic floor  back to life.  The building is a dependency of the eighteenth century Grandstaff House in Edinburg and was used as a law office during the War of 1812.  Oil is less durable than other finishes but is easily renewable.   

Since this yellow pine floor was installed over 210 years ago this parlor floor had undergone many incarnations.  After removing 5 layers of linoleum and 2 layers of plywood we found over 20 holes that plumbers had cut for kitchens and bathrooms.   

Several damaged floorboards had to be replaced and hundreds of shims were installed underneath to help alleviate squeaks and extreme unevenness.  

"Dutchman" repairs  were chosen for the plumbing holes where possible.  Half-lap joints, glue, and matching wood make this an elegant and visually interesting solution - maintaining as much of the original floor as possible.

Metal patches are an authentic and simple solution for damaged floors when economy is prefered. 

A twentieth century oak floor was removed to uncover the original pine at the Skillman Farm in Fulks Run, Va.  The rear section was completely missing and matching salvaged boards were patched into a new framework.  Once refinished, the patch is seamless and only distinguishable with careful investigation.  Remnants of old paint were left along the edges for the historical record. 

In the rear ell of this farmhouse the original floor had been removed.  Here we used newly re-milled pine boards salvaged locally from beams and timbers to match the rest of the house.  Re-milled wood is easier to work with than old floorboards and is a good alternative when an entire floor needs to be installed.