Remove Hardwood to fix hump in floor or refinish and live with hump?

Question

Hello BP community! Just recently closed on my 1st
investment property (Duplex located in Amesbury MA). Me and my partner are implementing the BRRRR strategy and plan to hold on to this property for a good while. Id like to get some opinions on what some more experienced investors would do in this circumstance.

One of the units has some existing hardwood flooring thought the kitchen, hallways, and bathroom. The flooring is in really good shape, just needs a refinish to make it like-new. It’s probably hard to tell from the pictures, but there is a big hump in the middle of the floor (about ½”) along with a slight sag in the hallway area. It’s an old New England house that was built in 1885 so it’s really not that surprising. The floor itself is very solid. The reason why there is a hump in the middle is because that part is an addition to the original house and whoever did it, did not match the floor very well (you can see it in the basement)

My 1st question: Would you keep and refinish the hardwood and just live with the floor hump, or tear out hardwood, level the floor with floor leveler, then install LVP.

My 2nd question: Would you refinish the original pine floors (see pictures of grey flooring) or install LVP. I think the pine floors would astatically look better if refinished in polyurethane but I feel like it wouldn’t stand the test of time against tenants comparted to LVP.

The hump really doesn’t bother me all that much, maybe I’m overthinking it. I’m going to be doing all the work so the most cost-Efficient option money and time wise is to save the hardwood. This whole unit is getting a full renovation anyway so now would be the time to address it. Every other room is getting LVP over original pine floors for long term durability against tenants.

More Details

• Purchase Price $210k
• Renovation Cost $120k
• ARV: 650K

I’m doing a DIY construction video series for this project on my YouTube channel. Feel free to check it out and let me know what you think. Link is in my bio, Thanks for reading.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

Those floors have been in constant use throughout the country for hundreds of years.....

Mark S. · Answer

@Bruce Woodruff There a is a lot of very nice LVP available now, and it is being used in relatively expensive homes. I agree that hardwood is best but LVP isn’t only for ‘cheap rentals’ in many places.

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

Fix the hump. 'Do it once, Do it right'. Refinish the old floors, they will last forever.

Don't use LVP anywhere except a cheap rental, it screams cheap and tacky. It's similar to using laminate countertop in your kitchen, when for a grand more you coulda had quartz.....

Ronald Fontenot Jr · Answer

Fix the hump the right way. Don't rip out the hardwood and then use leveler. It won't hold up. If I were you I would spend a little to fix the hump properly, patch in the hardwood, and then use LVP over original flooring, keeping it intact. If you ever decide to sell the house, pull out the LVP and refinish the floors at that time to get max value. The money you spend to refinish the hardwoods will be money you'll spend time and time again. Renters do NOT care and they will abuse it. LVP will hold up well enough to get you through many years, and renters, before replacement is necessary.

Alex Place · Answer

I had to pull some hardwood recently for some subfloor repairs and if you don't pull the floor VERY carefully and patiently, you'll tear the floor apart. I would do some research (if you haven't started the work already), to see if you can find some replacement pieces (trying to match the grain and board width).

I agree with @Allan Smith that the floor leveler should only be used in small areas of transition and avoided if possible. I also think you should look into settling foundation issues. Supports in the basement/crawl space may be insufficient and need attention. Better to address these issues now prior to renters coming in or finding these issues mid lease and having to relocate renters while you repair.

Sage Souther · Answer

@Karl B. 😂😂

Karl B. · Answer

I would fix the hump (and sand and stain the original floors) and would forever call the property The Black Eyed Peas duplex.

Jill F. · Answer

In an 1885 house that will be used as a rental, I'd just refinish the floors. If I were doing a high-end restoration for a flip, I'd want to figure out excatly what was going on...

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

I'm aware of that fact. But I still maintain that any kind of plastic/vinyl floor just looks less than great. When I look at homes on Zillow for sale, the ones with obvious LVP get skipped right by (unless I'm looking for a rental)

I built/remodeled high-end homes for decades and never once saw any vinyl product anywhere near those houses. But that was in SoCal so maybe a different vibe there? Still, I personally think LVP looks like absolute crap. No reason to use, it particularly when you can get engineered wood for about $1 more per SF.....

Sage Souther · Answer

@Allan Smith The hump really isn’t that bad. It is definitely noticeable but I agree in the sense most tenants wouldn’t care and we plan on holding on to this property for a while.

Remove Hardwood to fix hump in floor or refinish and live with hump?

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