Dear James: The old hardwood floors in my parents’ house are a mess. I would like to repair them and use as much of the original wood as possible. Do you have any advice? —Nichole S. Dear Nichole: As beautiful as a well-maintained vintage hardwood floor looks, it can look really bad from buckling, cupping, splitting, etc. In addition to just looking bad, these flooring problems can increase the chances of someone stumbling, something especially of concern for older people with impaired balance. Just because hardwood flooring is old does not mean it should have badly deteriorated. Hardwood flooring can last for centuries. There probably are some underlying problems that are causing the deterioration. Before you start your project, search for new hardwood that matches the existing floor. This way, you will be able to reuse some of the old floor. Buckling and cupping are usually related to moisture issues—either …