The surprise discovery of a hardwood floor in the community hall will save the Town of Qualicum Beach a bundle.
Bob Weir, director of engineering, said they planned to re-floor the newer portion of the busy little hall on Memorial as part of their routine maintenance when they made the discovery.
“We pulled back layer after layer of linoleum and got down to discover the original 1957 fir floor in great shape,” said town carpenter Byron Smith.
He said it appears that when it came time to do the first routine re-finishing of the deluxe old wood floor, likely in the 1960s, they through a new layer of something down on top of it instead, Smith explained.
That means not only did they discover $10,000 worth of flooring they didn’t know they had, but because it hasn’t been exposed to wear and re-sanding over the years, it could still have a 100 years left in it.
Smith said the discovery matches his and his carpentry partner Dustin Gibson’s goal of restoring and maintaining heritage elements whenever possible in the town, pointing out he has done considerable work on buildings, including the hall, to help maintain them for decades.
The floor discovery means the town saves thousands on new sub-flooring United Floors allowed them to return without a re-stocking fee, while choosing the most environmentally friendly option.