Hand-scraped Hardwood: Give your Floor the Antique Look

Nowadays, the "Old Worn Look" of the floors from the past, is gaining popularity with homeowners, once again. Skilled contractors are being hired to hand scrape new flooring to give it an antique finish. Even manufacturers are using modern machines in their factories to create this unique vintage appearance. If you look around carefully, you will surely come across manufacturers that still believe in the workmanship of skilled workers for giving a rustic finish to the wooden planks used for flooring.

With machine scraped and hand scraped floors giving off their individual features and charm, there is no dearth of flooring options to choose from. So, if you are interested in installing that old, authentic, hand-scraped hardwood flooring solution, these facts will guide you forward on the right track.

Hand-Scraped Wood Flooring

Be it a rustic looking or contemporary style home, hand scraped wooden flooring serves as a good option indeed. More often than not, these flooring solutions have a rough texture that creates the impression of an old time look. This kind of hand scraped or hand sculptured wooden flooring gives a classic old time look to any residential or commercial space, and is oft purchased for its durability and ethereal appeal.

Here, artisans use various tools like chisels, metal gouges, and hand planes to create the texture of hand-scraped floors. This is precisely the reason why each floor is unique; in other words, the exquisiteness imparted by these floors is because of their individual technique of craftsmanship.

Advantages of Installing Hand-scraped Wooden Floors

1. Hand scraped wooden flooring is durable and strong and is designed to last for decades with the right kind of maintenance and care.
2. A dry mop, vacuum, or broom, are all that you need to keep your floor clean. Occasionally, a well squeezed damp mop can be used.
3. It is a very forgiving floor where small dents and scratches can be merged into the hand scraped texture.

Do they Need a Second Thought?

1. Since hand scraping is a labor intensive process, it increases the overall cost of flooring, thereby making this type of floor a substantive investment.
2. Hand scraped wooden flooring is difficult to maintain as its indentations creates more crevices for dust to settle in. In the long run, this may become problematic when the refinishing of wood is required.

Hand- Scraped Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Hand scraped engineered hardwood flooring is available in a wide range of thicknesses and can be installed over wood sub floors or concrete slabs. These floors are either nailed down, glued, or click locked together for lasting years in a row. Constructed using an inner core of 3 to 12 cross layers of plywood that are glued and pressed together, these flooring options are fast making their way into urban accommodation facilities for their natural warmth and overall appeal. A layer of desired wood species is then fused on top of the inner core. This layer is oft- referred to as the wear layer that is visible to the naked eye.

Though it is easy to install this kind of hardwood floor via simple DIY methods, some buyers may like to call upon the experience and expertise of professionals in the field of floor installation. Either way, this easy-to-maintain hardwood floor does not require cumbersome processes and is ready for use within a short time.

Advantages of Engineered Wooden Flooring:

1. It is more stable than solid wood because of its multilayer construction.
2. This kind of engineered floor does not swell because its many layers insulate it from moisture.
3. As only a thin layer of the desired wood is required for the wear layer, it is less expensive than hardwood flooring,

Concerns of such Floors

1. The "wear layer" on the hand scraped engineered wooden flooring is so thin that it is difficult to initiate refinishing processes, as and when required.
2. In terms of cost, these floors are relatively more expensive than normal laminates, tiles and carpets.
3. If the core layers or the veneers are not made up to the mark, then the floor is likely to wrap or fade prematurely.

Luxury Handscraped Vinyl – a Closer Look

Luxury hand scraped vinyl plank floors have multiple layers. They boast of a fiberglass layer at the bottom, with the core layer being made of vinyl. On the top layer, the design elements are incorporated through a printing process known as rotogravure. Finally, a thin wear layer is added to protect these layers and add volumes to the durability quotient of this premium flooring solution. Handscraped vinyl is easy to install and keeps the cost per square foot very low.

Do’s and Don’ts for Hand Scraped Hardwood Flooring

1. Wipe off spills from the floor immediately or it may damage your floor in the long run.
2. Keep your pet’s nails trimmed in order to prevent scratches on the floor.
3. Protect your floor from direct sunlight.
4. Don’t wear shoes with spike heels on your hardwood floor; they will damage their natural finish.
5. Don’t use abrasive cleaning soaps, ammonia based cleaners, detergents, bleaching powder, or acidic materials like vinegar for removing dust, spills, or grime; it is best to use company recommended products for cleaning and maintenance tasks.
6. Rubber, foam back or plastic mats may discolor your flooring; so, avoid them at all costs.
7. Install wide rubber rollers on the base of your furniture, else, every time you move sofas, tables, or cupboards around, you may end up with scratches on your floor.

Way Forward with Hand-scraped Hardwood

Value, reliability and appearance are three major requirements that a hand scraped hardwood flooring fulfills. There is plenty to choose from in terms of color and finish like white oak, Hickory, Brazilian cherry, etc. If budget is not an issue, go ahead and get that antique, rustic, and a comfortable lived-in look for your house with hand scraped hardwood flooring. You will not be disappointed!

Carpet Express is a distributor of a wide variety of carpets and rugs, offering latest designs in residential and commercial flooring. The company offers residential carpets in a variety of styles and colors, such as textured, plush.