Need advice on renovating oak flooring, doors, staircase and woodwork

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

We just purchased a fixer upper and are renovating the upstairs. The floors are in need of replacing and we are putting down white oak hardwood. We're replacing all of the trim with painted white trim.

Here are my questions:

1 - Solid hardwood or engineered floors? We are going with Mercier, a local manufacturer, and have the option of 6mm engineered or pre-finished solid hardwood (about 20% cheaper). I am in Quebec, summers are very humid but short. Winters are obviously cold and long.

2 - Should I paint, stain or replace the doors? They are solid core oak. Maybe white paint or ebony stain? Replace with a different style? Will be replacing the knobs with hardware from Emtek.

3 - What about the closet doors? The openings are being widened to accommodate regular doors (currently sliding mirrored doors from the 70s). Furniture going in is painted white and cream, area rugs are also very light.

4 - The staircase needs a new bannister. Current treads are slightly slanted and I do not like the shape of the edges (sharp points), but they are in good condition. Could they be recut and stained to match the doors (maybe ebony)? Or worth replacing with white oak to match the floors?

I am also thinking of adding wainscotting and will be replacing the chandelier.

Here are some photos (sorry, no closet door photos):

Featured Answer

jhmarie

5 years ago

I would leave the interior doors alone or stain darker. Wood moves with changes in temp and humidity which can cause hairline cracks in the paint at the joints. This is why most white doors are MDF solid core doors - cheaper and less value than wood, but more stable to temp changes and hold paint better. Both white and black doors have more upkeep then wood - they show the dust and scratches more than wood. You would also have a lot of grain texture showing through the paint because the doors are oak. if you really want white or black doors, it would be better to sell / donate the wood doors and buy MDF paint grade replacement doors. White trim looks good with wood paneled doors - gives the brightness of white with the warmth of wood.

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Comments (7)

_sophiewheeler
5 years ago
The house doesn’t need 100K of remuddling. It’s great as it is. If you touch those stairs, they are no longer grandfathered. That means rebuilding them entirely to current codes. Which means they’d need to be shallower and longer, taking up more space. Large doors for the closets won’t be as useful as the bifold. They will be clunky and too large.

Thevwood shoulfnt is bet n changed. It’s s Classic.
jabaz thanked _sophiewheeler
richfield95
5 years ago
To my design challenged eye, I don’t see that wainscoting would really go. I think it has a cool retro vibe, do you have any interest in keeping that?
jabaz thanked richfield95
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jabaz
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
The house does needed significant updating, just might not be obvious from the pictures I posted. Kitchens and bathrooms are over 40 years old and grimy. Lots of floral wallpaper everywhere and the floors are at the end of their useful life (chipping, lots of unevenness, water damage, etc.)

Good point about the building code for the stairs. The bannister must be replaced as I have children and lots of nieces and nephews, and it is too low for my comfort (and not to code).

Closet doors are currently mirrored sliding doors that have seen better days. I personally find bi-folds awkward. I could replace with another set of sliding doors, but not sure what would coordinate with the oak doors.
jabaz
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Yes, it is definitely retro, hasn't been updated since the 70s. We bought it for it's charm but many aspects are not functional or need replacing. I plan on keeping most of the arches and the circular wall. The house's style is tudor revival, which is traditionally associated with wood work and panelling. Because it is a 1970s rather than a 1930s version, some of the more traditional and expensive finishes were not included in the original build.
future_retiree
5 years ago
For your question #1, the usual answer is go with hardwood over engineered, unless there is a reason not to so so (concrete sub floor to which you cannot put in fasteners, etc.).

Since you mentioned Mercier, they have exceptionally nice finishes, and you can specify the sheen (or at least you could in the past). When comparing their engineered vs. pre finished hardwood in the same species and finish, you can even mix and match with no differences if you pre-arrange this with your supplier or distributor.

Also, are you using an installer? You should since you are using a higher quality flooring. Your message seems to imply you are doing some of the work DIY. The difference between a DIY install and someone with years of trade/craft experience will be noticeable, IME.
jabaz thanked future_retiree
Erica B
5 years ago
I would get actual hardwood rather than engineered, unless cost was a factor or if you were not planning on living there very long. Engineered looks fine, but isn't as durable in the long run.

The house is beautiful! Love the staircase.
jabaz thanked Erica B

Need advice on renovating oak flooring, doors, staircase and woodwork

jhmarie

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Need advice on renovating oak flooring, doors, staircase and woodwork

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_sophiewheeler

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