Maintaining Your Floors

by Jennifer Weldon

Distressed or hand-scraped hardwood flooring is gaining popularity in Boston. You will find these floors in million dollar homes to commercial buildings and everything in between. While you may think this distressed look is a new innovation, hand scraping goes back to the day when floors were actually hand scraped on site to achieve level, smooth floors.

Today, the distressed look of hardwood flooring can be achieved by a machine sander or by hand. For budget friendly distressed hardwoods, look to those done by a machine sander. Manufacturers created this process to make a more affordable option for consumers. The hardwoods will have a distressed look, but the same pattern will be repeated throughout the room. This is due to the machine’s limitations. Different manufactures use different technologies to create a distressed look. Some unevenly sand the planks to make them appear worn. Others use denting, scooping, and roughing techniques. A third method involves a machine scraping off the top layer of each wood plank. Many products offer different levels of scraping – light, medium, and heavy.

For a more authentic look, hand scraping can create the distressed look. A skilled hand scraper can create a varied and textured floor that is one of a kind. Hand scrapers will work with what nature gave them, using knotholes, splits, and other wood markings to their advantage. If you are having your hardwoods hand scraped, enlist the services of a reputable and experienced Boston contractor. Ask who will be performing the scraping. Will it be a single craftsman, or a crew of laborers? How much experience does the scraper have? Having an inexperienced person scrape your hardwoods can not only lead to a shoddy job, but they can ruin your hardwoods.

There is a choice when buying manufactured scraped floors of site finished hardwoods or pre-finished hardwoods. Site finished hardwoods are laid on site and finished on site. A traditional sanding method will destroy the scraped look, so a special technique is used to prepare the floor for finishing. For larger budgets, a hand rubbed finish is applied by hand to create a truly authentic look. Pre-finished hardwoods however can mimic the same look at a much lower cost, with a lot less labor involved.

Some people favor pre-finished hardwoods because each individual plank can expand and contract independent of the one next to it. Site finished hardwoods do not have this ability due to the finish that bonds each board together. In the dry winter months crack can occur in this finish. Regardless of which hardwood or method you choose, distressed or scraped floors have a truly unique look and appeal. A dark finish will highlight the scraping more than a natural, lighter finish will. The darker finish pools in the scrapes and creates shadows to catch your eye. You can find pictures on flooring manufacturer’s websites and from your contractor to help you choose which style and finish is right for you.

A machine manufacturer distressed hardwood floor will run about $10 per square foot. For the authentic hand-scraped technique, expect to pay $15 per square foot or more. While nothing beats the real thing, it will cost you more. Distressed and hand-scraped hardwood floors add character and warmth to a home. Consult with a professional Boston contractor to choose which method is right for you.

More information about flooring and professional flooring contractors.