I live in an apartment building built in the 1920s. Below are pics of my kitchen floor: the Original Wood has got great character and I really like its grain variety and color-tone.

This floor has been through hell ...yeah, I know, a bit of a mess as is.

The history is that chumps who didn't know how to handle a sander tried too many times to sand/refinish, taking off too much wood and weakening the T&G joints. A professional flooring contractor took over and made some repairs by splicing in a few boards of with they say is some Yellow Pine (see 1st and last photo below), They resanded and applied Bona Traffic, 3 coats. The flooring contractor thinks the original floor is Pine. But others on this forum have suggested Fir. So I'm not sure what the heck it is.
I believe there is a subfloor under this wood.

Can anyone ID the original wood flooring? If Pine, what type?

There's also a good amount of what I think is Red Oak (see right side of bottom photo) ,,, as if all that wasn't enough, the room needed joists replaced so there was some demo done and the contractor replaced the section with Red Oak which I detest, I think it looks ugly both in color and grain (thankfully it is hidden under the kitchen table).

At present the original wood is splintering up too much due to the over-sanded T&G joints so the entire floor will need to be replaced. OK. Owner will work with me within reason for the new wood and has agreed to three coats of Bona Traffic. So it's time to select the wood.

I'd like to replace the floor with wood in somewhat similar tone and color to the original flooring, whatever it is (maybe even grain? though I realize the latter is asking for a bit much). The contractor says his supplier sells Yellow Pine but he can't vouch for the look or grain. Owner will likely only pay for a 'standard' wood and not get into anything expensive, reclaimed, exotic, yadda yadda.

Any ideas as to a suitable replacement wood?
Is Yellow Pine sort of soft for kitchen usage?

Original wood + Yellow Pine(?) repair [lower left], and Red Oak(?) [right side].







Below pic shows the Yellow Pine(?) replacement wood (at center of photo):



Thanks a bunch for any input.

That looks like yellow pine to me, esp in 2nd & 3rd picts.

Debbie Gartner, aka The Flooring Girl
http://TheFlooringGirl.com
Westchester County, New York

Debbie,
In your opinion does Yellow Pine make a suitable flooring material for a kitchen? It would be finished with Bona Traffic.
The old Yellow Pin (if indeed it is Yellow Pine) looks radically different from the newer Yellow Pine patch area. I dislike the look of the newer Yellow Pine's grain structure and tone.

Well it would not be my first choice. First, I don't think it's very attractive. Second, it's pretty soft. I believe the hardness on the Janka scale is 870 so it dents easily.

That being said if you have it there, you can use it, and clearly it is way less expensive to refinish it vs. replace it.

If you do refinish it, make sure you do 3 coat poly.

Debbie Gartner, The Flooring Girl
http://TheFlooringGirl.com
Westchester County, NY