What is this flooring?

[geojojo]

We have recently moved to an Edwardian house which needs a lot of modernisation. I've taken up some carpets and starting to restore original floorboards. Have had a look under the carpet in the hallway, really hoping for tiles, but have found this flooring. Do you think it's original? Do you like it? Not quite sure what to do with it.

Looks to me like parquet veneer tiles and sadly not original, 70s or 80s.

Oh and I’d rip it up and money permitting replace it with something more in keeping with those.

Deeply envious as Edwardian is my absolute favourite period of house.

Are they veneer tiles or solid blockwork?

Oh I think you're right. What a shame. I would love tiles there so will probably do that at some point. At the moment we have about a million other things to do to the house first!

They look like marley tiles to me, they'll have asbestos in them so go easy when removing.

I think they look like marley tiles too. Providing they are not damaged, just covering over them again will be the cheapest and safest thing to do.

If they ARE parquet, I wouldn't rip them up unless they are damaged ( eg. by flooding) . If it has been looked after it will look really good once cleaned and polished [with non slip polish]
Parquet was usually little strips - not big squares like that.

Easy to tell though marley is plasticky stuff. Parquet will be wood.

If you google images of parquet, you'll see how nice it comes up

Get it tested for asbestos before you start stripping!

My husband says they are definitely wood. Does that mean they're not Marley tiles? Looks like they've had varnish or something put in them to make them shiny..

They have definitely been glued with that black glue stuff which I think can have asbestos as well, right?

Yeah I'd get them checked. There could be original flooring under them but it would be cheaper just to cover them

Another photo.

Doesn’t look like Marley to me, looks like wood. You can get them checked, and then have them sanded and varnished, could look lovely.

In your latest photo they look like wood.

They look like wood, probably 50s-70s, I would stain them dark, use rugs and live with them for a bit, you can always take them up at a later date.

Okay. Sand them before staining? Will that be safe? Should I check for potential asbestos first or just put a dark stain on? Sorry a bit clueless and learning a lot about renovations at the moment!

I don't like them to be honest but they are better than the carpet

Be aware that if you stain them dark any scratches will show straight away as they'll be lighter like the wood. If you're walking regularly on them I'd just sand and varnish the original colour. Our house is Edwardian and we sanded the floorboards and sealed the original pine colour, neighbours stained theirs and while they looked lovely when first done they're now a mess with obvious scratches. Ours are scratched but you can't see them iykwim

I’d not stain them either, it’s shit and doesn’t last long, sand and varnish, not stain.

If your husband is sure they are wood, and they look like wood, I’d go for it.