By Winnwood Flooring · Updated August 11, 2026
A lot of the older housing around Missoula and down the Bitterroot has original wood underneath whatever went over it in the seventies. Uncovering it is one of the better-value things you can do to an old house, and one of the few where the cheaper option is also the better one.
Here is how to work out what you have and what can be done with it.
Check before you plan anything
Pull back a corner of carpet in a closet or behind a door. It takes five minutes and it changes the budget conversation entirely.
What you are looking for is solid wood rather than a thin veneer, and enough thickness above the tongue to sand. Older fir and oak floors were laid thick, which is why they are still sandable a century later.
Tack strip damage around the perimeter and staple holes across the field are normal and not a reason to give up — those areas are usually within the sanding depth or hidden under new baseboard.
What restoration recovers
- Surface scratches, scuffs and decades of dulled finish — all sanded away.
- Dark traffic paths and general greying.
- Old stain colour, if you want a different one.
- Minor gaps, which can be filled where they are stable rather than seasonal.
What it does not fix
Deep pet stains that have soaked into the wood are the most common disappointment. Urine penetrates past the finish into the fibres, and sanding frequently cannot reach the discolouration. Those boards need replacing.
Boards damaged by water that have cupped and then dried unevenly, or that have split, are also replacement candidates rather than sanding candidates.
And a floor that has already been sanded several times across its life may not have the thickness left. That is worth establishing at a threshold or a vent cutout before committing.
Matching replacement boards in an old floor
Where boards do need replacing, matching century-old fir is not a matter of ordering the same product. Board widths and profiles from that era are not current stock, and the wood itself has aged.
The approach that works is salvage where we can find it, and taking boards from a hidden area — a closet, under a permanent fixture — so the new material goes where nobody looks. In a restoration that trick matters more than in any other kind of job.
Why it is usually worth it
A restored original floor costs less than a comparable new one and it is not replaceable. Fir of that age and grain is not something you can buy now, and it is part of what makes an older Montana house feel like one.
If you are weighing restoration against replacement, our guide on [refinishing versus recoating versus replacing](/blog/refinish-vs-recoat-vs-replace) walks through the decision, and our [floor restoration service](/services/floor-restoration) covers what is involved.
Related services
- Hardwood Floor Repair, Restoration & Cleaning - Deep cleaning, board repair, and full restoration for original Missoula homes.
- Dust-Free Hardwood Refinishing - 99.8% less dust than traditional sanding. Live in your home while we work.
