Hardwood Floors June/July 2026

CATEGORY: Best in Historic Restoration

Silver Creek Hardwood Floors | Decorah, Iowa

CATEGORY DETAILS: Entries in this category include all types of restoration projects, replacements, or repairs, in either a residential or commercial application. WHAT MAKES THIS FLOOR UNIQUE: Silver Creek Hardwood Floors in Decorah, Iowa, has earned the 2026 WFOY Best in Historic Restoration award for their work on three remarkable floors in an 1880s home, each featuring a different pattern. The project began as a routine refinish call.

FLOORING FINISH:

PoloPlaz Primero Polyurethane, Antique Brown Tint Satin Quartersawn Red Oak, Bur Oak, Mahogany, Walnut 600

FINISH SHEEN: SPECIES:

SQUARE FEET:

When owner Shawn Leppert pulled back the carpet and its backing, he discovered something unexpected beneath: an elaborate patterned parquet floor that had been covered and preserved for decades. As he describes it, “This is one of those unicorn floors that we all dream about.” With the homeowner’s enthusiasm, the decision was made to restore all three floors, each of which interlocked seamlessly with the next. The floors had never been refinished. Over the years, multiple layers of shellac and lacquer had been applied, darkening the surface and obscuring the patterns beneath. The species, which included quartersawn red oak, bur oak, mahogany, and walnut, had to be revealed carefully through sanding, starting with fine grits to protect the wood. A Lägler Trio sander was used to abrade the surface lightly and expose the wood without removing material. Edge work required hand scraping, and a small number of repairs were made in corners where piping or radiators had caused damage. For the finish, all three coats were tinted with antique brown to bring out the character of the quartersawn wood, using PoloPlaz Primero oil-based finish. The result is a floor that reflects both the skill of its original craftsman and the care taken to honor that work more than 150 years later.

the magazine of the national wood flooring association

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