If your home was built before 1980 — or even before 1950, which is true for a large portion of homes in Woonsocket, Providence County, and communities like Franklin and Milford — it comes with a lot of charm. It also comes with some flooring challenges that newer construction simply doesn't face.

At PT Floors, we work with older New England homes all the time, and we've learned that the right flooring choice in a historic or older home is about more than aesthetics. Subfloor conditions, irregular layouts, radiant heat systems, and moisture history all play a role. Here's what we recommend — and why.

The Challenge With Older Homes

Older homes in our region tend to share a few common traits that affect flooring decisions. Subfloors are often wood plank rather than plywood or OSB, which can mean unevenness, squeaks, or gaps that need to be addressed before installation. Many older homes also have basements or crawl spaces that contribute to moisture variation throughout the year — a critical factor for any wood-based product.

Historic homes often have character-rich features like original hardwood beneath layers of carpet or vinyl that are worth preserving. Before choosing something new, it's always worth having a professional look at what's already there.

Engineered Hardwood: The Smart Wood Choice

Solid hardwood is beautiful, but it's also sensitive to the kind of moisture variation that's common in older New England homes. Engineered hardwood is a far more stable option — its layered construction resists expansion and contraction — while still delivering the warmth and authenticity of real wood on the surface.

For a colonial or cape-style home in Woonsocket or Milford, engineered hardwood in warm oak or hickory tones tends to feel right at home. It honors the character of the space without fighting against the building's quirks.

Luxury Vinyl Plank: Practical and Versatile

If the older parts of your home — think kitchens, mudrooms, or partially finished basement spaces — have seen moisture issues in the past, LVP is hard to beat. It's 100% waterproof, installs over imperfect subfloors more forgivingly than other materials, and comes in realistic wood and stone looks that work in nearly any style of home.

For older homes being updated without a full gut renovation, LVP offers a practical path to beautiful floors without the complexity of subfloor prep that solid hardwood would require.

Tile: Kitchens, Baths, and Mudrooms

Tile has been used in New England homes for over a century — and for good reason. It's durable, waterproof, and virtually maintenance-free. In older homes, ceramic or porcelain tile is an excellent choice for kitchens, bathrooms, and the mudroom entrances that every New England family knows well. Pairing tile with radiant in-floor heating, which many older homes can accommodate, takes the cold-underfoot problem completely off the table.

What to Do Before You Decide

Before committing to any material in an older home, we recommend a consultation with a flooring professional who can assess your subfloor condition, check for moisture, and evaluate what's currently underneath. At PT Floors, that assessment is part of how we do business. We'd rather take the time upfront to get it right than have you deal with problems down the road.

If you're in Woonsocket, the Greater Providence area, Franklin, or Milford and you're trying to figure out the best flooring path for your older home, come see us. We've navigated these decisions hundreds of times and we're happy to share what we know.

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