How To Select Scraped//Distressed Hardwood Flooring

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 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.

dbolton@homerwood.com

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