Historic Floor Restoration in Savannah, GA
Savannah Premium Wood Flooring has been installing, repairing, and refinishing wood floors in the Savannah, GA area for over 20 years! Savannah's Historic District and Victorian Historic District together form one of the largest National Historic Landmark Districts in the United States, designated in 1966 and encompassing thousands of residential and commercial properties built between the early 1800s and the early 1900s. The floors in those buildings — original longleaf pine, heart pine, wide-plank fir, and old-growth oak milled from timber that no longer exists commercially — are among the most architecturally significant features of the homes that contain them. The Longleaf Alliance estimates that over 97 percent of the original longleaf pine forests that once covered the southeastern United States have been lost to logging and land conversion, which means the heart pine floors in a Savannah home built in 1890 cannot be authentically replaced with equivalent new material at any price. Restoration is not just the more economical choice — in most cases it is the only honest choice.
Historic floor restoration requires a fundamentally different approach than standard refinishing. The goal is not to make the floor look new — it is to stabilize, clean, and protect what is there while preserving the patina, character, and material integrity that took a century to develop. That means conservative sanding, period-appropriate finish selections, careful matching on any replacement boards required, and a clear understanding of what the floor looked like before decades of abuse, floor coverings, and incompatible finish products were applied to it. We have worked on floors in Savannah's historic homes long enough to know what is under most of them — and what it takes to bring them back correctly.
Why Choose Us
Unmatched Craftsmanship
We use top-grade hardwood and proven installation methods to deliver flawless, long-lasting floors that elevate any Savannah property.
Hardwood Floor Experts
Our team understands Savannah’s climate, design trends, and building standards, ensuring every floor performs beautifully in both modern and classic spaces.
Clean, On-Time, and
Customer-Focused
From consultation to final walkthrough, we provide clear communication, dust-controlled work areas, and on-schedule project completion with results that exceed expectations.
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Historic Floor Restoration Services We Provide
Longleaf Pine and Heart Pine Restoration
Heart pine and longleaf pine are the defining floor materials of old Savannah. Dense, tight-grained, and amber-colored, old-growth longleaf pine has a Janka hardness rating of approximately 1,225 pounds-force — harder than red oak, harder than most domestic species used in flooring today — and a resin content that makes it naturally resistant to moisture, insects, and wear. These floors were built to last centuries, and most of them have. Restoring them requires conservative drum sanding to remove accumulated finish without cutting through a wear layer that cannot be replaced, stain selection that works with the wood's natural amber and reddish tones rather than fighting them, and a finish that protects without obscuring the grain character that defines the material.
Wide Plank Historic Floor Restoration
Wide plank floors — common in Savannah's antebellum and Victorian-era homes, where planks of 8 to 14 inches were standard — present specific restoration challenges. Wide boards move more with seasonal humidity changes than narrow strip flooring, which means gaps between boards are normal and expected rather than a defect requiring filling. Face-nail patterns visible on wide plank historic floors are original installation features, not damage. We restore wide plank floors with those characteristics intact, using filler only where gaps are functionally problematic rather than aesthetically imperfect, and finish products that allow the floor to continue breathing seasonally.
Historic Finish Removal and Surface Preparation
Many of Savannah's historic floors have been refinished multiple times with products that were inappropriate for the wood — oil-based paints applied in the mid-century period, thick polyurethane coatings applied over existing finish without proper preparation, wax buildup from decades of maintenance. Removing these layers without destroying the wood surface beneath requires careful selection of sanding grits, drum pressure settings, and hand-tool work in areas where machine sanding would cut too aggressively. We assess finish layer composition before starting and adjust the preparation approach to the specific condition of each floor.
Period-Appropriate Finish Application
The finish applied to a historic floor should be compatible with the wood's age, porosity, and character. High-gloss polyurethane on a longleaf pine floor in an 1890 Victorian home looks wrong — the sheen level is inconsistent with the period and the coating sits on top of the wood rather than penetrating it. We use penetrating oil finishes, hard wax oils, and low-sheen water-based or oil-based polyurethane on historic floors depending on the homeowner's maintenance preferences and the specific wood species. Each option is discussed with full transparency about durability, maintenance requirements, and appearance before any finish is applied.
Reclaimed Material Sourcing and Board Replacement
When historic floors require board replacement — sections removed for plumbing access, boards too damaged to restore, areas where walls were removed during previous renovations — we source reclaimed heart pine and longleaf pine from salvage suppliers rather than substituting new-growth material that will never match the density, color, or grain of the surrounding floor. Reclaimed material sourced from the same era and the same regional timber type produces a patch that ages consistently with the existing floor and blends more convincingly than any new-growth substitute.
Staircase and Millwork Floor Restoration
Historic Savannah homes often feature original wood staircases with heart pine treads, painted risers, and turned balusters that are integral to the architectural character of the home. Staircase restoration is handled with the same conservation principles as floor restoration — conservative sanding on treads, careful finish selection that matches or complements the adjoining floor finish, and replacement of individual components only when structural integrity requires it.
Types of Properties We Serve
Historic District Residences
The Savannah Historic District encompasses properties along and between Bull Street, Abercorn Street, Drayton Street, and the 22 historic squares laid out under the Oglethorpe Plan. Homes in this district range from Federal-style townhouses built in the early 1800s to Victorian-era single-family residences constructed in the decades following the Civil War. The floors in these properties represent some of the oldest intact hardwood flooring in continuous residential use in the southeastern United States. We approach every Historic District restoration project with the understanding that the materials we are working with are genuinely irreplaceable.
Victorian Historic District Properties
The Savannah Victorian Historic District, immediately south of the original historic district, contains one of the largest concentrations of intact Victorian residential architecture in the United States. Queen Anne, Italianate, and Folk Victorian homes in this district typically feature original longleaf pine floors, decorative wood inlay borders in formal rooms, and wide stair halls with original pine treads. Restoration work in the Victorian District requires attention to the decorative elements — inlay borders, medallions, and herringbone entry patterns — that are as significant as the field floors they border.
Landmark and Registered Properties
Some of Savannah's historic properties carry individual landmark designations or are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which may impose specific requirements on restoration materials and methods — particularly for properties receiving historic tax credits. We are familiar with the documentation and material standards relevant to tax credit restoration projects and can work within those requirements. Homeowners pursuing historic tax credits should discuss the specific requirements with their preservation consultant before restoration work begins.
Thomas Square, Ardsley Park, and Midtown
The neighborhoods immediately south and west of the historic districts — Thomas Square Streetcar District, Ardsley Park, Chatham Crescent, and Midtown Savannah — contain a large concentration of craftsman bungalows, foursquares, and colonial revival homes built between 1900 and 1940. These homes typically feature original red oak, heart pine, or fir floors that are not designated historic but are architecturally significant and warrant the same conservative restoration approach as the landmark districts.
What Our Customers are Saying
"Our home in the Historic District was built in 1887 and the floors are original longleaf pine throughout. We'd had them refinished once before by a contractor who sanded too aggressively and left them looking flat and a little thin. When we needed them done again we were very careful about who we called. Savannah Premium Wood Flooring measured the wear layer before touching anything, used the lightest sanding approach that would actually clean the surface, and applied a penetrating oil finish that looks exactly right for the age of the house. The floors look like what they are — 138-year-old pine that has been properly cared for, not a modern renovation."
— Eleanor and Charles W., Historic District, Savannah, GA
"We have a Victorian in the Victorian Historic District with decorative inlay borders in the parlor and dining room. I was nervous about anyone touching them because I'd seen inlay borders damaged beyond repair in other restorations. They worked around the borders carefully, restored the field floors, and touched up two sections of the inlay that had lifted. The finished result is beautiful and nothing was lost in the process."
— Frances M., Victorian District, Savannah, GA
"Our 1924 craftsman bungalow in Ardsley Park had original fir floors that had been painted over in the 1960s and then carpeted over the paint. When we pulled the carpet we found beautiful floors underneath that most contractors told us weren't worth saving. Savannah Premium Wood Flooring stripped the paint carefully, assessed the condition underneath, and refinished them with a finish that suits the age of the house. They're the best feature of the home now."
— Daniel and Ruth K., Ardsley Park, Savannah, GA
Historic Floor Restoration FAQs
How do I know if my Savannah home has historic floors worth restoring?
If your home was built before 1950 and still has its original wood floors — even under carpet, vinyl, or paint — there is a high probability those floors are worth restoring. Original longleaf pine and heart pine floors in Savannah's pre-war housing stock are denser and more durable than any new-growth wood available today. The most reliable way to assess what you have is to pull up a floor register or a small section of carpet in an inconspicuous area and look at the wood underneath. If the boards are wide, tight-grained, and amber or reddish in color, you almost certainly have heart pine or longleaf pine. We will come out and assess what you have at no charge before recommending any work.
Can floors that have been painted over be restored?
Yes, in most cases. Paint applied directly to wood floors — common in Savannah homes from the 1940s through the 1970s — can be removed through sanding, though it requires more sanding passes than standard finish removal and generates more aggressive dust. The key variable is how thick the paint buildup is and whether any layers contain lead-based paint. Homes built before 1978 may have lead-based paint on their floors; we test before sanding and follow EPA RRP protocols where lead is confirmed.
What finish is most appropriate for a historic Savannah home?
There is no single correct answer, but the general principle is that lower sheen finishes are more period-appropriate for pre-1940 homes than high-gloss polyurethane. Penetrating oil finishes and hard wax oils give a natural, close-to-the-wood appearance that is consistent with historic interiors and are easier to spot-repair than film-forming finishes. Oil-based polyurethane in a satin or matte sheen is a reasonable middle ground for homeowners who want more durability than a penetrating oil provides. We discuss all options with specific trade-off information before any finish decision is made.
How do you source matching material for historic floor repairs?
We maintain relationships with reclaimed lumber suppliers who salvage heart pine and longleaf pine from demolished structures — old warehouses, mills, and commercial buildings that were built from the same old-growth timber as Savannah's historic homes. Reclaimed material sourced from the same regional timber pool provides the closest possible match to the density, grain character, and natural color of the existing floor. New-growth pine is softer, lighter in color, and has a wider grain pattern that will never convincingly match old-growth material regardless of stain selection.
Does historic floor restoration qualify for any tax credits or incentives?
Georgia's Historic Preservation Tax Credit program provides a 25 percent state income tax credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures on certified historic structures, which can include floor restoration as part of a broader rehabilitation project. Federal Historic Tax Credits of 20 percent are also available for income-producing historic properties. Qualification requires certification from the Georgia Historic Preservation Division and adherence to the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation. We are not preservation consultants and do not manage the certification process, but we are familiar with the material and documentation standards these programs require.