Many older New Orleans homes still have their first floors, often heart pine, hidden under paint, linoleum, carpet or later tile. Saving them is usually possible, but old houses bring their own checks: asbestos in old tile and glue, and lead paint.
Every dollar figure on this page is a national figure published by HomeGuide, not a quote from us. HomeGuide publishes no New Orleans or Louisiana figure. The slab or subfloor, moisture, old flooring that has to come out and the size of the job change what a New Orleans floor costs. Figures read on HomeGuide in October 2026.
Can original heart pine floors be saved?
Original heart pine floors can usually be saved, even when they look worn out. Heart pine is dense, resin-rich wood from old-growth longleaf pine, and it sands back to a deep color. The checks are board thickness after earlier sandings, termite or rot damage near walls and baths, and how sound the joists below are. HomeGuide publishes no figure for heart pine restoration; it lists refinishing oak, cherry and pine at $3 to $7 per square foot.
How do you match new wood to 100-year-old floors?
To match a century-old floor, use reclaimed boards of the same species, width and thickness, then sand and finish the whole room together. New pine is not the same wood as old heart pine, so reclaimed heart pine matches far better. Boards are laced in, staggered into the old ones, instead of a straight patch line. Closets are a common place to borrow old boards for a front room.
Are my old 9x9 floor tiles asbestos?
Old 9x9 inch floor tiles may contain asbestos, and the only way to know is to have a sample tested by a lab. Tiles of that size were common in homes from the middle of the last century. Do not sand, scrape or break them before testing. Louisiana DEQ's asbestos rules exempt most homes with four or fewer dwelling units from its demolition and renovation requirements, but that does not make the dust safe to breathe. HomeGuide lists asbestos testing at $250 to $850 on average.
Can old flooring glue (mastic) contain asbestos?
Yes, old black mastic, the adhesive under many old tiles and some sheet floors, can contain asbestos. Test it along with the tiles. If it does, the choices are to have it removed by an abatement firm, or to leave it in place and cover it with a new floor that does not require grinding it. HomeGuide lists asbestos flooring removal at $4 to $15 per square foot and encapsulating a floor at $2 to $6.
Is it safe to sand old floors in a pre-1978 house with lead paint?
Floors in a pre-1978 home can be sanded safely with lead-safe work practices. The EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) rule covers paid work in homes built before 1978 that disturbs lead-based paint, and it requires lead-safe certified firms. By the rule's terms, that applies when more than 6 square feet of interior painted surface is disturbed in a room. Painted floors, porches, baseboards and stair parts are where lead turns up most in floor work. The contractor must give you the EPA's Renovate Right pamphlet before work starts.
We found hardwood under the carpet in an old house. Can it be refinished?
Often, yes. Here is a common case: a family pulls up carpet in a 1920s Mid-City bungalow and finds oak or heart pine with tack strip holes along the walls, staples every few inches, some paint drips and a dark patch by a window. The staples and tack strip come out, nail holes are filled, and the dark patch is checked: if it is just a stain, sanding may lift it; if the wood is soft, those boards are replaced with matching ones. Then the floor is sanded and finished. If the boards were painted at some point, test for lead before sanding.
Restore old floors or put LVP over them?
Restore old floors if the boards are sound and you want the house's original look; cover them with vinyl plank if the wood is too far gone, or if you need a waterproof floor in that room. Covering is reversible, which is why it suits a rental or a kitchen. In a historic home, restoring the front rooms and using vinyl or tile in the kitchen and baths is a common split.
Does the Historic District Landmarks Commission regulate my floors?
The HDLC's Certificate of Appropriateness covers exterior work on buildings in New Orleans's local historic districts, not interior floors. Work on a porch or gallery floor that can be seen from the street is exterior work, so check with the HDLC before changing it. Inside the house, the city's building rules still apply to any structural repairs.
Want a price for your own rooms? We measure, check the slab or subfloor, and put the material, prep and price in a written quote. Call or text (504) 977-2662.