After last nights post about putting down wood floors in a rental I thought I would explain my rationale. We all know that tenants can be rough on a house so why not use that momentum instead of always fighting it?

What I buy is the Lumber Liquidators utility grade 5" planks of 3/4" tongue and groove. When you buy more than 500 square feet it is a whopping $1.69 per square foot. It is unfinished, may have splits, knotholes, etc - so many imperfections that they say to count on 20-30% waste. Never.

After I've nailed it down, I will grab whatever tools are laying around that might leave cool indentations in the wood and start roughing it up. I also take the nails out of my nail gun and fire it into the ends of the boards where nails would look natural. (These are just indentations from the air pressure itself - no actual nails).

At this point I will take the solution of vinegar that has had steel wool soaking in it for a few days and brush it on these oak floors. It is important to make sure enough of this solution is brushed on that all the indentations are filled. Within just a few minutes the floors will turn black. (The solution is not black, but the chemical reaction will turn the wood black).

The next step is sanding off as much black as you want so that you get the amount of remaining black you are after. I have actually found the easiest method that gives me the most control is to use a hand held orbital sander with very coarse grit. (It sounds horrible but remember you are not sanding the entire floor - you are just removing some of the black surface).

The idea is that all of the indentations you've created (as well as the natural imperfections within the wood itself) will still look black and appear naturally distressed. Finally, put on some poly and you are essentially done.

The beauty of all this as it relates to tenants is that if they drag a piece of furniture across your 'new' floors it's no big deal. just mix up some more solution, brush it on and it is black and matches the rest of the floor. I have put some pictures of the process and some examples on my picture page if anyone is interested.

I couldn't figure out how to delete old pictures but if you will look at pictures 16,17,18,19 and 20 you will see the process. If you look at 8 and 9 you will see before and afters of a bedroom and 21,22 a kitchen.

I would NEVER lay a nice uniform $5 per square foot hardwood floor in a rental that one scratch will ruin. These floors though are unique enough (and cheap enough) that I really enjoy them. I even have them in my own house and it is amazing how different each of the rooms can be.

you wrote near the end: I really enjoy them.

That looks like a great choice in flooring and should lower turnover expenses/time.

Antiquing furniture has a similar process.

Those floors look really good.

Couple questions: It looks like you put it on a poured concrete floor. What do you use to adhere it?

What is the purpose of the tar paper, or red rosin paper, under the wood?