I have a problem...hubby and I are purchasing a 122 y/o house. The hardwoods on the second floor have taken a beating over the years. The floor boards have no finish left on them, they are dry as a bone and beginning to gap slightly. The also have a beautiful pattern in them but it is hardly noticeable due to the dryness of the wood.

In the past I have had great luck re-hydrating old wood and wicker with boiled linseed oil. Of course these were small jobs in comparison to the floor issue...but is it possible to use BLO on the hardwoods to rejuvinate them? Is there something better to use besides BLO? I don't believe sanding them at this point will do much to bring them back to life as there appears to be no moisture left in them.

What should I do?

My personal thoughts on this would be to re-hydrate the wood slowly by the use of a portable humidifier in the space. If it is too dry in that area of your home, it would be better for your personal health as well as the wood components to raise the humidity. First thing though is to find out what your humidity levels are. Where are you located geographically?

I guess I should have included the reason they are so dry as it may make a difference...or not. In 2006 there was a fire in the back part of the house that caused quit a bit of damage. It has been repaired on the outside and has been unoccupied since. The floors in question are in rooms adjoining the fire area but undamaged. Could the fire have sucked all the moisture out? I am sure that the water to put out the fire didn't help any either.

We are in New Albany, IN, just outside of Louisville.

Well, a fire 4 years ago may have affected the floor at that time, but unlss the house is unusually dry, should have regained any lost moisture caused by that fire by this point.