Original Oak Floor Restoration in Ballard, Seattle

This Ballard home still had its original oak strip flooring, but years of wear had taken the finish down to bare wood in the busiest areas, and some boards were damaged beyond what sanding could fix. Rather than tearing it all out, the homeowners wanted to keep the character of the original floor. Here is how we brought it back.

The challenge

The old finish had ambered and worn unevenly, and several sections had damaged boards. Replacing the entire floor would have meant losing the original wood. The goal was to repair only what needed it and make the new and old boards read as one floor.

What we did

1. Assessed the floor. We checked which boards could be saved and which needed to come out.
2. Wove in new boards. Damaged boards were cut out and replaced with new oak, staggering the joints so the repair follows the original layout instead of looking like a patch.
3. Sanded to bare wood. The whole floor was sanded to remove the old finish and level the new boards with the original ones.
4. Finished in a natural tone. A clear finish keeps the oak’s own color and grain, so the repaired areas blend in.

The result

The original floor is back, with the repairs blending into the rest of the room. The natural finish brings out the grain of the oak and keeps the floor looking true to the age of the home.