Hey guys,

Finally onto installing hardwood floors upstairs! I bought a 1954 Dutch colonial fixer upper and I'm bringing it back to life. The home faced some water damage from a few years of sitting, forcing me to rip out all the old oak 2 1/4 flooring due to buckling, warpage, and even some rot. The subfloor is 1x5 diagonal plank pine. It looks to be in actually good shape with very little flex or squeaking -joists are 16 OC. Where needed, I've replaced rotted subfloor with new planks. My concern is the subfloor is not perfectly even. I know a house of this age with some of the issues it's had in the past that some unevenness is to be expected, but I'm not sure how much. It certainly doesn't vary more than 1/2 inch over any two spots, but in some cases there is I'd guess a 1/4 level variance between some of the planks. I'm trying to avoid having to lay plywood over the whole upstairs, but will do if I have no options. Considering the floor was built to have 2 1/4 oak laid over it (which is what i bought) think id be ok to plane/sand high spots, re secure the planks to the joists and go ahead with the install? I've attached pictures for your consideration! Thanks so much in advance and I'll keep you guys posted on progress

 

Sorry! Here are the pics! Thanks again.

 

You can do yourself a favor and screw all the planks to the joists (yeah, real pita, but necessary, then lay in another 1/2" BC or better plywood over the planks, screwing the plywood to the planks, intentionally missing the joists. This will give you a better base for your flooring without having to worry about squeaking or uneveness in the planks.