Hardwood flooring has been a mainstay in homes for about as long as people have been able to cut down trees. Today, it is a favored flooring option for most homeowners. Scraped hardwood flooring brings together the past and present of hardwood flooring.
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There is a wide variety of options for hardwood flooring. Every homeowner should understand the pros and cons of each option. Only the homeowner can decide which flooring works best with their budget, taste, and décor.
What Scraped Hardwood Flooring Is
Hand scraped hardwood flooring used to be the norm back before machines were available to sand and finish hardwood flooring planks down to a smooth shine, according the National Wood Flooring Association’s Magazine.
Master craftsmen had to plane each board by hand, one at a time. This left a certain amount of marks, scratches, and uneven pockets that made each board unique. Such hand scraped wood floors can be found in older buildings that pre-date the Industrial Revolution.
Today, the craftsmanship of hand scraped hardwood flooring is considered an art form. It takes time and experience to understand the best tools and methods for hand scraping a variety of different hardwoods to create a complete floor.
These days, hand scraped hardwood floors are the exception rather than the norm. Comparatively, there are much fewer craftsmen who practice the art of carving wood to be used as hardwood flooring. However, it is an option for those who really want a distinct, rustic look with a lot of charm and character.
Why It Is Popular
The trend of hand scraped wood flooring is returning, though not because the machines have gone on strike. Instead, hand scraped wood flooring simply fulfills a desire for craftsmanship and a distinctive flooring option. It is one of the hottest trends in flooring today, according to the World Floor Covering Association.
Hand scraped hardwood floors are valued by homeowners for many reasons. First, they create a rustic look that adds an antique feel to a room. Many homeowners feel that a hand scraped hardwood floor adds authenticity to a room or home. Hand scraped hardwood floors might be desired to restore an old home to its former glory; match antique furniture, molding, or cabinets; or to add to the design style of a room.
The unique and crafted look of hand scraped wood flooring also has a desirable amount of character that machined hardwood flooring just can’t compete with. Each valley, plane, and high spot creates a three-dimensional look that is very desirable as a design element. It adds another layer of texture and interest to any room.
Many homeowners feel the distinctive look of a hand scraped wood floor can even work as a focal point around which they can design an entire room.
Furthermore, hand scraped wood flooring does not need to be treated with kid gloves the way that machined hardwood floors with a mirror finish need to be treated. Homes that contain pets and children benefit from the casual use of hand scraped wood flooring. New scrapes, dents, and blemishes from paws, toys, and shoes blend right in!
Lastly, all hardwood flooring increases the overall value and re-sale-ability of a home, but hand scraped hardwood flooring adds a little something extra when compared with standard hardwood floors. Perhaps it is the cost of such flooring, the prominence of such a unique feature, or just the bragging rights for having a hand scraped hardwood floor, but it really makes a home desirable.
How Much It Costs
Because of the craftsmanship required to create beautiful hand scraped hardwood floor panels, such flooring options are not cheap. Hardwood flooring craftsmen who specialize in scraping hardwood planks by hand are considered on the same level as artisans who ply a long-forgotten trade.
Hand scraping and distressing hardwood planks is no easy feat. Everyone would be out in their garages with a knife if the above was true. Generally, those who hand scrape hardwood flooring spend years perfecting their methods. They understand how each different type of wood will react to various tools, varying amounts of pressure, different stains, etc.
Hand scraped hardwood flooring is definitely on the high end of the spectrum for hardwood flooring costs, especially when combined with a wood that is already expensive to begin with. However, many homeowners and designers see the higher price as a small sacrifice for a beautiful floor that works with just about any design or décor.
Woods That Can Be Hand Scraped
Really, any kind of wood can be hand scraped, but some are easier to do than others. This is one area where expert craftsmen come in; they know how different kinds of woods will react when worked by hand. Some woods can be worked quite easily while others take a more deft touch.
Different types of wood have varying degrees of density, or hardness. Obviously, softer woods will generally be easier to scrape and carve, but density is not the only factor that matters. Different woods also have various ways that the wood cells are arranged. It also depends on how the wood was cut, as there are various ways to cut a log to get rough-hewn boards.
The way the cells, or grains, line up creates the patterns of light and dark wood that many feel is very attractive. Some wood cells line up in a direction that is very conducive to hand scraping. Other cuts of wood and wood grains make it hard to scrape the wood, as it is likely to flake, separate, or resist hand scraping.
The grade of the wood is important as well. Whether the wood planks are heartwood, high-grade cuts, or low grade cuts makes a lot of difference when hand scraping. Knots and other blemishes wreak havoc on hand scraping and wood carving.
Different Options
The high cost of hand scraped hardwood flooring may put it out of the budget of many homeowners who would really love to have the rustic yet refined look in their homes. However, there are other options that replicate the Old World feel and craftsmanship of genuine hand scraped hardwood flooring without the high price.
One option is distressed hardwood flooring. With distressed hardwood flooring, machines handle the work of basically roughing up the hardwood flooring panels to have a used or hand-worked feel. Because the work is performed by machines and not singular craftsmen, the cost of distressed hardwood floors is much less than hand scraped hardwood flooring.
However, many purists feel that hardwood flooring distressed by machines has a forced look or a noticeable pattern. This supposedly takes away from the unique quality of each board when compared to true hand scraped hardwood flooring. Yet, it is up to the homeowner to decide which options they feel happy with in their home in terms of price and appearance.
Another option is engineered hardwood flooring, such as that offered by Cryntel Vinyl Flooring. Such flooring options can be made of real wood or engineered vinyl, and they are available in an array of patterns such as the Rustic Hand Scraped pattern. Again, the homeowner is the true judge of what will work best.
Yet a third option that works in the same vein as hand scraped hardwood is reclaimed or salvaged hardwood flooring, according the Sierra Club’s Green Home. This trend has arisen due to the popularity of conservation efforts, but designers have decided that they like the look as well.
Such flooring can either refer to salvaging old wood floors from old homes that are going to be torn down, or reusing wood from non-flooring sources–such as old barns, railroad ties, or old wine barrels–and repurposing it as flooring. Either way, the distressed, rustic look is the same.
This option ranges from do-it-yourself operations to salvaged wood provided by a supplier, and the price ranges are just as varied.
How to Maintain Hand Scraped Hardwood Flooring
All hardwood flooring needs to be maintained, but hand scraped hardwood flooring might be a little trickier, according to Electric Underfloor Heating. Dirt, dust, and debris can get down in the little cracks and crevices that are a natural part of hand scraped hardwood floors.
Vacuum cleaners on the carpet setting are a no-no, as are sopping wet mops. Vacuum cleaner bristles create wide-spread damage like a sander, while water is the biggest destroyer of all hardwood floors as it can also build up in the small undulations in the wood planks, causing rot that can’t be fixed any way.
It is advisable to use rugs and mats in high-traffic areas, sweep often, and never allow water to stand on the flooring for a long time. Use a cleaner that is specifically created for hardwood flooring, as other cleaners can cause chemical damage.
You should fill in any scratches or mars that reveal untreated wood according to the manufacturer’s specifications. Such bare wood spots let in moisture and dirt much easier.
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