Ok so I took out a section of tile and backer, see
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/1162756-cabinets-arrived.html for context, and it looks like this
I see the original diagonal subfloor, then the original wood floor, then the plywood subfloor which could have been put in when the house was refinished in 2000 or could be from an earlier remodel.
Here is the cross section. The tongue and groove flooring is about 7/8” thick.
I don’t know if the rest of the floor looks like this, in terms of the thickness remaining of original floor. But suppose it does. And let’s suppose the missing parts are not too extensive. None of which I’ll know until I dig deeper.
What do you think about sanding and saving the original floor?
I realize it will look, well, like a very old floor that got CPR and patching. A vintage, patina aesthetic if you will. Which might be charming, or might not. At probably higher effort and cost than installing a new wood floor. It won’t match the other wood floors on the first floor, which are narrower oak strips and not original to the house.
But how do you think it will work as a floor?