Doug Fir Floor Repairs and Refinishing

Doug Fir floor repairs present unique challenges that are worth mentioning. Doug Fir is often found in very old homes, sometimes built so long ago that it was acceptable to install the lumber directly over the joists, with no additional substrate between them. Because of this, joints in the floor cannot be easily staggered to blend. Instead, the joints must be placed directly on the joists and not in between. Sometimes floor joists must be sistered to allow enough surface for nailing. Other times, a smaller area of substrate may be installed to allow better staggering, but placement of the joints in this area tends to stand out from the rest of the floor which usually has longer boards with the joints nailed regularly on the joists. This additional carpentry work can sometimes be prohibitive and adds significant cost.  Another challenge is that older milled Fir is typically wider than the current standard of Fir milling width. This means that any “toothing-in“ will show large gaps between new and old. Lastly, the color of new and old Fir do not match. Old Fir tends to have long vertical grain and has a rich red color. New Fir looks more pink with wider looking grain. If you're planning to move forward with Fir floor repairs, significant cost should be expected along with results that may not be satisfactory if you’re looking for a repair that’s undetectable. The most successful repairs are those where the same aged lumber can be sourced from another, less visible area, such as a closet. 

Finishing and coating Fir has challenges too because it tends to take stain and other coatings unevenly or can look blotchy. If this occurs it’s not due to the coating process or negligence, it’s the nature of the soft lumber. Additionally, because it also is soft and porous, any historical water exposure, gouges, or other damage, tends to permeate too far down to be sanded out. Doug Fir floors will often show a lot of character and history. If clients are not comfortable with that look we generally recommend looking into replacement options.