Restoring floorboards (with pics) in new house?

[Greenwitchhorse]

I just bought a small 3bed 1930s terraced house and I have a small budget improvement/decoration budget as I bought on my own.

I am removing the old, dirty carpets/underlay myself at the moment and underneath there is this wood. What would you do with it?

I absolutely hate carpets so I don't want to install new ones. I was hoping I could just keep the wood floors and then rugs on top.

Would you just sand this and repair the bits that are a bit damaged/worn out and maybe paint them.

Is that expensive to do?

The floor doesn't squeak/isn't noisy when you walk on it so noise is not an issue at least.

What would be people's advice?

It I was on a tight budget and I liked the wood look I'd sand them myself - hire a machine (take your rings off before you do this). Even tighter budget I'd give them a good clean - hand sand and fill where needed and paint them.

Ooh, nice boards!

As pp has said you can hire floor sanders. Be warned though, it's a big job and you need a certain amount of strength in your arms to do it well (especially the edging machine). Kicks up an incredible amount of sawdust and is hugely noisy! But it's do-able if you're determined.

Make sure to have at least double the number of sanding sheets you think you'll need (you can return them unused and get your money back but that's easier than having to break off in the middle and go and get more).

You have to prep the floors carefully before sanding - every single nail must be hammered right down or you'll damage the machine.

Mending the boards is a bit of a skilled woodwork job IME. Might be worth finding a carpenter unless you're already quite handy with wood.

Don't forget to factor in time for several coats of varnish - you can't walk on the boards until the varnish is totally dry.

They will look lovely when done though!

As above, consider the noise both during and after the work is complete (you said it is a terrace).
Make sure any plumbing and/wiring is done BEFORE you do the floorboards as the last thing you want is for boards to be lifted after you have prepped & sanded. Also plumbers/electricians are not carpenters so may not be as neat as you would like.

Good point about wiring and plumbing. Probably best to do the boards last after everything else really. You do not want paint or plaster splashes on your newly sanded boards.

Your boards look like the lovely slightly narrower width that's common in older houses (I've got a '30s house but my boards are the more modern width, about an inch wider), so if you're doing repairs you might need to source a couple of spare boards from a salvage shop.

As pp said, do the wiring, plumbing and plastering first, then get a chippy to make good if needed, then sand. It's really not that hard, it's a weekend DIY job, it's like pushing a heavy hoover, and then a bit more labour kneeling while doing the edges with an edge sander. Don't go overboard and sand them too smooth, or the finishing oil won't peneteate. A 30 grid to get rid of adhedive/plaster splashed followed by 80 or 120 max will do. Don't bother with 240, it will prevent absorption. Use Osmo to finish off, tinted or clear. I like to mix tint with clear gloss about 50/50, the shinier the boards the easier to clean/you see less dust. Floorboards are very warm underfoot, and it's easy and cheap to get some rugs, much cheaper than fitting carpets, and rugs can also be easier cleaned, or if needed, replaced. If you have lots of plumbing and rewiring to do, you might want to bite the bullet and take up all floorboards, do the wiring/plumbing and put floor insulation, like sheepwool, down before putting boards back. It will help keep the house warm and reduce noise. We used Cozywool, and again, it's an easy DIY job, you just push it between the joists.

Thank you so much everyone for the advice, including waiting until other work is done (electricity/plumbing).

I have removed all the carpets and I am currently doing the fun job of removing all the staples and dealing with the nails that are left...

I have just found a handyman who is a carpenter by trade who can fix the broken bits then I will send/varnish myself.

Good luck! Get ear defenders, and be warned there might come a point halfway through the sanding where you sit down and feel like crying (if you're anything like me). We always hired the machines for a couple of days because it's a big job to do in one day. But they will look great when you're finished.