How To Select Scraped Distressed Hardwood Flooring
by: Doug Bolton
Hand-scraped and Distressed hardwood floors are becoming a popular choice in
today’s upscale homes and commercial buildings. These floors are a newer trend
but are rooted in history. Before today’s modern sanding methods, floors were
hand scraped on site to make the floors flat. Today’s hand scraping is done to
add texture, richness and uniqueness.
Distressed hardwood flooring is done by machine or by hand. In an effort to
reduce high labor costs, manufacturers have created machine-made
distressed/scraped looking floors. These are cheaper imitations of the real
thing. The problem with machine distressing is repetition of the pattern. As you
look across the floor you see the same pattern repeating across the floor. This
lacks a natural feel to the floor.
True hand scraped is exactly that – done by hand. When properly done this method
creates a truly unique floor. These floors differ greatly in the amount of the
texture added to the floor and the skill of the person scraping the floor.
Some manufacturers are just denting, scooping, or roughing the floor. Others are
sanding the floor unevenly to create a worn look. Still others are scraping the
entire surface of the flooring creating the most unique hand made look. Some
product lines allow the customer to choose between heavy, medium and light
scraping. True artisans can create a reclaimed look complete with wormholes,
splits and other naturally occurring character markings.
The labor used in hand scraping varies greatly. Some floor installers simply
have their crew scrape the floor after it is installed in the home. Results vary
widely based on the skill of the person or persons doing the scraping. Lack of
control and expertise can lead to disastrous results. Scraping is a plant
environment is also varied. Some are using illegal immigrants for the scraping
labor; one company uses the federal prison system, smartly not advertised as
such. Yet another uses Pennsylvania Amish craftsman to create their Amish
Hand-Scraped collection.
Some homeowners are buying scraped floors unfinished and applying the finish on
site, but most are choosing prefinished. These floors require special methods to
prepare the floor for finishing. Regular on site sanding can destroy the texture
of the floor that the customer is paying for. The most expensive lines are being
finished by hand sometimes referred to as “hand rubbed”. Most of the prefinished
floors are excellent and create convenience and speed of installation for the
contractor and homeowner alike.
One of the great benefits of a prefinished floor is the ability of each plank to
move independently with the changes of humidity in the home. On site finishing
bonds the finish between planks requiring the finish to split as the floor
contracts at dry humidity levels. These cracks rarely create a problem and are
natural in hardwood floors, they are less noticeable in prefinished
microbevelled floors.
Scraped floors that have darker finished tend to show the scraping more than
natural finished floors. This is due to the finish pooling in the scrapes
causing shadows drawing your attention to the character in the floor. Most
hardwood flooring manufacturers have web sites showing the consumer what the
floors look like. Many have displays at dealers near your home so you can
actually see and touch what you are buying.
Hand scraped floors are not cheap. They are for those looking for a truly unique
look. The cheaper machine made distressed hardwood floors material can retail
around $10 per square foot. You will pay $15 and up per square foot for hand
scraped. With most things in life, the real thing is hard to imitate and most
people know a fake when they see it. A true hand scraped floor will give a
unique, warm, rich look to your home and will be an absolute guaranteed
conversation piece with your friends and guests.
About The Author
Doug Bolton is the owner of Homerwood Hardwood Flooring, located in the heart of
the Pennsylvania hardwood region - Titusville PA. You can learn more by visiting
their website at http://www.homerwood.com.
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