Hardwood floors were the norm in most homes before WWII. The design of the home didn't matter—Victorian, Colonial, Cape Cod, Tudor, Craftsman, and even early Ranches—they all featured wood floors throughout. Then starting in the 1950s, homeowners started to favor wall-to-wall carpet instead.
Little wonder then why the phrase “hardwood floors” is such a magnet in the real estate market, especially given that the generation of wall-to-wall carpet houses from the 1960s and '70s were built without any finished flooring at all.
In the last Out of the Woodwork, I talked about the 60's and 70's—an era that saw carpeting and vinyl become popular, while many people considered hardwood floors to be out-of-style. In the 80's and 90's, hardwood floors became trendy again.
In the 20's up through the late 1950's, the type of wood installed in a home aligned with the income level, those who could afford White Oak would put it in their homes, others would select Red Oak, or some mix in between. Today, the pricing for these two woods are very close and Oak is plentiful in the United States.
Sturdy Wood Floors
In addition to linoleum, wood floors were also incredibly popular in the 1950s. And, if you're currently renovating a 1950s home, you'll also know (thanks to lots of blood, sweat, and tears) that they were likely also covered up with carpet or other flooring materials in the intervening years.
Most commonly the floors were wood in the living room, hallway, and probably the bedrooms. Linoleum or tiles in the bathroom and kitchen. If you have floor vents you can remove them to see a profile of the different layers. Wide planks were typically used as the subfloor.
The 1950s and 60s bring change.
Builders began laying down plywood over floor joists, which gave offices and homeowners a structural subfloor. Now consumers could add carpet, tile, or linoleum—with carpet the head and shoulders' choice above the rest.
Good choices are linoleum, ceramic tile–both very common–and wood. Linoleum is inexpensive and provides an easy-to-clean surface and comes in countless designs. Ceramic tiles are even better. Also easy to maintain and available in a huge range, they offer superior durability, resisting most dents, dings and scratches.
Visually inspect the flooring.
Does it look synthetic or natural? Hardwood floors will usually have raised graining and indented knots that can help you determine. However, high-quality vinyl floors may have these too.
If they're in good condition, hardwood floors are, without a doubt, one of the most desirable features in a home. They're easy to clean, durable, and never go out of style. They can also increase the value of your home by 2.5%.
Classic medium-toned browns such as cherrywood, mahogany, oak, maple, walnut, birch wood, and hickory are all timeless colors that never go out of style.
What Causes Sagging Floors in Older Homes. Typically, floors settle near the center of the house because the perimeter walls are constructed over a sound, deep foundation and settle very little. Major support beams within this perimeter, though, are often supported by makeshift posts.
Genuine, authentic, beautiful Bruce hardwood floors are proudly made in the USA with over 130 years of expertise. The rich, authentic character of genuine American hardwood is captured in each unique plank, providing timeless style and charm for years to come.
While there are many factors that influence a home's value, hardwood flooring can certainly increase its worth. Not only does it add a warm and inviting aesthetic to any living space, but it also makes a home easier to sell and can even add resale value when the time comes.
Sanding typically pulls up that damaged wood area, or you can then cover over the stains with a new paint color. You might also consider refinishing if you're just tired of the floor's color and can't achieve the look you want with buffing or polishing!
Hickory is the most durable wood species grown domestically with a Janka rating around 1820.
So, when all is said and done, refinishing hardwood is definitely the more affordable option. Even if it requires removing a few severely damaged planks here and there, refinishing will generally always be less costly than tearing out the entire floor.
You may love the look of your hardwood flooring, but it's really not a good idea to put it in your laundry room. Foyer– All manner of things can be tracked in from outside, and the foyer of your home will bear the brunt of all of them. Sand, dirt, mud, water, snow, and more can all damage hardwood.
How Long Do Hardwood Floors Last? With regular wear and tear, the finish on your hardwood floor should last about 7-10 years. Floors in high-traffic areas or that are exposed to a lot of sunlight may need to be refinished more often.
Drawing on the traditional neutral colors of carpet, choose a light or neutral tone for a timeless carpet. Choose from gray, white, or beige to match your interior design. When popular flooring trends change, you won't have to update yours!
Healthier flooring options include solid wood, natural linoleum, cork, bamboo, tile and stone. A key feature of all of these is that they are easily cleaned of dust and dirt.
Luxury vinyl has become our most popular choice for home flooring, and for many good reasons.As mentioned previously its waterproof, low maintenance, resilient, and is one of the most budget-friendly options, too!
Asbestos has been used in vinyl wallpaper since the 1920s, and vinyl floor tiles and sheet flooring rose to prominence in the 1950s.
Asbestos tiling isn't as commonly used today as it once was. Yet, between the 1950s and 1980s, asbestos-containing flooring was hugely popular. Asbestos tile looks like regular tiles between 9”x9” and 18”x18” in size.
1960's Flooring
Wooden floors in the 60s were often painted over in bold colours and strong varnishes to look as contemporary as possible. Vinyl flooring and LVT was also very popular for many homeowners in the 1960s as it was and still is a low-maintenance flooring choice.