Installing Hardwood Floors Over Linoleum - Before and After Photos

Dan finished laying the hardwood floors, and it's the most dramatic change we've made to the cottage yet. The hardwood floor looks great with the freshly painted white paneling in the living room. 

It even makes the oak wood trim on the '80s style beige melamine cabinets in the kitchen look intentional. (I see a kitchen renovation in our future, but not in the budget for a long, long time.)

We painted the kitchen walls a soft cream with yellow undertones, Benjamin Moore Man in the Moon.  The walls in the living room are Super White. 

Here are more before and afters.

Before

After

Dan laid the floor boards right over the old linoleum. It had been laid sometime when the '80s addition was put on, so there was little danger of asbestos if we wanted to pull it up. But the planks of the subfloor have large spaces between them. We thought it advisable to have this extra layer between us and the cellar below for insulation - and to keep out critters! 

As in most old cottages, the floors were not level. There were spots that had to be sanded way down - for example, under the kitchen door. Dan did a great job with the installation. Then we had the new wood floors refinished by Flawless Floors of Southold, who really lived up to their name. We decided against a high gloss finish. This is a beach cottage, afterall, and we're anticipating years and years of tracked in sand, salt, and seaweed. We think they will wear more naturally without a high gloss shine.

How about you? Are you a high-gloss fan? Share your opinion in comments.