Peel back the corner of a forty-year-old carpet in a brick ranch, and you never quite know what you’ll find. Sometimes it’s a worn but solid subfloor. Sometimes it’s original hardwood that’s been waiting decades for someone to look. And in a lot of cases, it’s a floor sitting a couple of feet above a crawl space that has seen a lot of Lowcountry summers.
That moment is where flooring decisions for older ranch homes in North Charleston and West Ashley really begin, well before anyone picks a color or a plank width.
These neighborhoods share a lot. From the established brick ranches around Sandhurst and Charlestowne Estates to the mid-century streets of Wando Woods, the homes were built with solid bones, generous lots, and floors that haven’t been touched in a long time. That shared history means the smartest flooring choice usually has less to do with style and more to do with what’s underneath.
This guide walks through what to check first, which flooring options hold up best in homes of this age, and what to avoid, whether you’re renovating to sell or finally updating the home you plan to stay in.
Why Older Ranch Homes Need a Different Flooring Approach
Older ranch homes bring a unique set of circumstances into the conversation. Most of the brick ranches you will find on the market in North Charleston and West Ashley were built between 1950 and 1980. The age of the home means you need to ask a few questions to get to the bottom of what your flooring needs truly are:
- Is the home built on a crawl space with a moisture vapor barrier intact below the house?
- Do you have original subfloors? If so, are they particleboard, plywood, or OSB?
- How long has the existing carpeting been down?
- What is the moisture history of the property? Are there any soft spots, urine stains, or other items that could impact the health and performance of the subfloor?
As in all Lowcountry homes, moisture is a significant factor in the lifespan of your floors. Hardwood is the most moisture-sensitive flooring option, requiring moisture readings of both subfloors and floors on the day of installation. However, a Woodboys flooring specialist can also help you take readings during your free in-home consultation to check for suitability.
What to Check Before You Pick a Floor
Before you decide on a brand new floor, check to ensure your home is properly prepared to receive that floor. The first place to start your checks is actually beneath the home in your crawl space. Ensure there is a vapor barrier in place, that it has no tears, and offers full coverage of the area. Make sure there is no standing water. If moisture is high, you may even consider encapsulating the crawl space and installing a dehumidification system.
Older ranch homes often experience some settling, so you should also check the subfloor condition and its overall levelness. Subfloors that are too far gone or are out of specs can lead to flooring failures. While some small things can be done to improve minor imperfections in levelness, a more serious issue might mean intensive leveling.
Also worth noting, older homes might not have had the same health and safety precautions during initial builds. That means your vinyl tile and adhesive may have asbestos. Consider whether you want to have it tested or if you would like to install over top of old vinyl, which may be an option in some cases.
Best Flooring Options for Older Ranch Homes
With all of that in mind, what are the best flooring options in older ranch homes? Because the homes are often on crawlspaces, you may have every choice available to you.
Solid Hardwood or Refinishing Existing
If you own a home with a crawlspace, have a plywood or OSB subfloor, and have no known moisture issue, then solid hardwood might be a good option for you. Woodboys recommends sticking with narrower face widths (usually 3 ¼” or less) unless you have an encapsulated crawl space with a dehumidification system.
We offer both prefinished options that are ready to install and live on, as well as unfinished options that are sanded and finished onsite to allow for custom stains and finishes. Prefinished options feature durable aluminum oxide finishes applied in a factory while unfinished offers standard oil-based polyurethane or a more durable water-based upgrade.
Either way, solid wood flooring provides the maximum flexibility for the future with several refinishes that can make it look new with a color change, if desired.
If you already have wood floors in your home, you may even be able to refinish them. Solid wood can be sanded down to bare wood several times in its lifespan, allowing for color changes and a fresh coat of new finish. Restore rather than replace your solid hardwoods to maximize the initial investment.
Engineered Hardwood
If you have particleboard subfloors, the home is built on a concrete slab, or you want a floor with a wider width, then engineered hardwood should be your first choice. Engineered hardwood is still real wood all the way from top to bottom. The top veneer, also known as the wear layer, is the same as solid hardwood with a very durable aluminum oxide finish.
However, the plywood core on engineered wood gives it more dimensional stability. As one layer expands due to moisture, the other layers can help hold it in place. While moisture needs to be kept under control for long-term maintenance and performance, it does permit wider widths without extreme conditions like buckling and warping.
Plus, many have thick wear layers that can still be sanded and refinished in the future. This makes them a great investment when thinking about the resale value of the home.
Waterproof LVP and Laminate
Of course, some homeowners simply want something more durable than wood. LVP and laminate both offer a waterproof option (for standing water for up to 72 hours). They are extremely hard and durable, suited for busy households with kids and pets.
While both have very durable finishes, only laminate has a standardized system to describe its durability. All of the laminate options in our Ladson showroom have an AC4+ rating, which means that they are suitable for heavy foot traffic in residential homes and even commercial applications.
What to Avoid
With all of that in mind, what should you avoid before installing new floors? The first and most important thing that our installers see is homeowners who try to skip the moisture readings simply because the floor has been fine for forty years. The National Wood Flooring Association requires moisture readings on all jobsites, and installers should test both the moisture content of the subfloor and the wood floors.
Even if you take moisture readings the day of install, they can fluctuate weeks, months, and even years down the road. This is why we never recommend putting in wide-plank solid hardwood without humidity control under the home. You should also never install wood without a confirmed vapor barrier.
Flooring by Neighborhood: What We See on the Job
With more than forty years of experience in West Ashley and North Charleston, Woodboys knows a thing or two about these neighborhoods. Here’s what we keep in mind when we do jobs in the area.
West Ashley: Sandhurst and Charlestowne Estates
These homes are mostly classic brick ranches from the 60s and 70s with mature lots. Because of the age of the homes, they tend to be lower priced, which makes them great renovation or flip candidates. If you plan to do either of these, new floors should be on your must-have list. Hard surface usually outperforms carpet when it comes to resale value.
North Charleston: Wando Woods
Beyond Park Circle, you might find some charming neighborhoods in the area like Wando Woods. Like the homes in Sandhurst and Charlestowne Estates, these are mostly older brick ranch-style homes built in the 50s through 70s. They tend to be affordable and very renovation-friendly, allowing you to design the ideal home aesthetic—starting with new hard surface floors!
How to Choose the Right Flooring for Your Ranch Homes
You need a decision framework to help you decide which type of flooring is the right fit for your home. A good place to start is to consider your overall goals. Will you be staying in the home, selling it quickly, and what is your budget for the floor? If you will stay, then you might want to invest more now to get the floor you really want the most, emphasizing longevity over a trendy aesthetic. If you will sell, then budget and durability might be more important.
Consider the condition of the crawlspace and subfloor, too. You might need a new vapor barrier, encapsulation, or a dehumidification system before your home is ready for new floors (especially wood). The condition of the subfloor can also be a cost to consider if you need to upgrade from particleboard or need new plywood.
If you want to talk about choosing the floor that’s right for your home, our free in-home consultations allow our flooring experts to see exactly what is going on, what you need, and what you want to see in a brand new floor. Book your appointment here!
FAQs
Can I put new flooring over the old subfloor in a 1970s ranch?
It really depends. If your home is like many 1970s homes, then you might have particleboard. A new floor can be put over top of this subfloor, but solid hardwood cannot be nailed into particleboard. It may mean going for a glue-down engineered hardwood or a floating LVP or laminate instead.
Do I need to fix my crawlspace before installing new flooring?
Yes, crawlspace issues need to be addressed before new flooring can be installed. At minimum, a new vapor barrier should be installed if there are tears in the existing or it does not provide full coverage. Make sure there is no standing water or moisture issues in the crawlspace before new floors go down.
Free Quotes for Installing New Wood & Waterproof Flooring in Your Home
Are you ready to see what new wood or waterproof floors would cost for your home? Woodboys loves to offer free quotes to interested homeowners who want to explore all of their flooring options! We come to your home, take measurements, and bring samples so that you can see what floors would really look like in your space and lighting.
Book an appointment for a flooring expert to come see you today!